Perkins is very humbly called a produce stand. It's really so much more! Stopped by after work a couple weeks ago for some eggs, avocados, strawberries (which smelled amazing), "mountain jalapeño hot" cheese, and blueberry cider (!). Items were a little pricier than your average grocery store. My total came out to about $30. You can also find cucumbers, garlic, broccoli, kiwis, pineapple, apples, tomatoes, fruit pops, potatoes, watermelon, jelly, honey, peaches, and much more. This is a family business. The owner, Donovan, is young and passionate, and eager to tell customers about the history of the orchard. Entrance can be easy to miss since it's in a residential neighborhood and the entrance is narrow. There is a parking lot once you drive in. Their hours from April through December are 9am to 8pm daily. (My actual rating is a 4.5/5. Not a 5 because I was overcharged for my cheese.) read more

Perkins Orchard - Farmers Market Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

A visit to Perkins Orchard this fall is a MUST! Perkins is the largest and oldest food Market in North Carolina. Perkins is open 7 days a week. In addition to fresh produce, in the fall, Perkins has a pumpkins and mums to pick! read more

See all

I use to shop here occasionally when they had their produce stand right at the top of the driveway. I've been meaning to stop since they moved it down into the backyard and finally did. I had no idea it would be so BIG! Right now they have several displays where you can choose your own pumpkins in all kinds of sizes. They also have jugs of apple cider and cherry cider, eggs and cheeses. Every week they have a deal where you can fill a bag with produce for $20 and you got to choose one item from a variety for free. The young owner and his sidekick are super nice, helpful, and well informed on everything they're selling. Bonus - on the weekends they have at least two local vendors selling items like homemade sweets, meat, and more. I think this is going to become my regular stop for all things fresh and good! read more

An interesting collection of fruit + eggs/herbs/etc sourced from local farms. The peaches I had were good. However got some narcissistic vibes from the owner when every customer has to get told a story about him as part of a "tour" and there was a giant poster of his face displayed as well. Note that the eggs are from a farm that debeaks chickens. read more

Best local farmers stand in Durham county! I'm a regular. They have now added a local meat store.

There folks giving him a bad review for their kids not listening and following rules! Donovan is an awesome owner, great place to shop and excellent customer service.. just be responsible parents and keep your kids in check. read more

Worst experience if you have kids . There is a guy with orange t shirt just 30 years old himself who claims to be the owner who wants kids to behave like adults and is constantly scolding kids without parents knowledge . When we intervened , he got offended . Unfortunately there is many negative reviews about him which I saw later post our worst visit , so please read the negative reviews before you even consider and ruin your day . He considers kids touching anything like pumpkin or the cart as destroying the property . Not a place for family to go . Avoid at any cost . Worst experience for the first time . I don't generally write reviews but I am forced to do so for other families to be careful with these kind of places . Kids just helped us in loading the pumpkins and took couple of pics which the so called 30 year owner felt they should not touch anything and it's considered as destroying the property . He was very mean to all kids . Also he misbehaved with my wife as well by saying this is my property and I can object anyone even if they are kids . Later one of the lady employee there came and apologized on behalf of him saying he was very rude and hope we don't leave a negative remark . She also mentioned that she had kids and understand what he was doing was unethical . Hope he understands how to behave with families with kids in future . Unfortunately many people don't leave reviews but I had to do to alert families . read more

I will never go back. Really bad experience. Employees not wearing masks. There is a required tour for first timers where social distancing was not possible. Employee doing tour was quite condescending when I was having a panic attack about lack care for current conditions related to COVID-19. BTW-this is not an orchard. This is a small produce stand. I prefer to drive to Raleigh to the NC Farmer's market. read more

First of all I got some of the sweetest peaches I have ever had! I'm from North Carolina and I know sweet peaches. The $20 bag deal is great. You get a bag and purchase any fruit and vegetables that fit in it for $20. The grapes, plums, corn, and squash were good and fresh. It was great to see the young owner working- hard. Things are always better when the owner is present. I over-stuffed my bag and dropped some corn when walking out. The owner said "I got it..." and came over to pick up my corn. He then reached around and gave me another ear of corn! The property is nice with hardwood trees providing shade, nice customers, and young people anticipating your needs before offering help. Healthy, cost-effective and non genetically-modified fruits and vegetables make this one of Durham's jewels. read more

Been coming for years! Everything is so good and great deals. You can fill a bag full of produce for $20 I believe! Outstanding. Family owned as well! read more

Great deals for fresh fruits and vegetables during COVID. The watermelons were a little expensive ($15 for yellow watermelons and $10 for a pink watermelon), but had great flavor. Will be returning in the future! read more

Perkins Orchard - Yellow Watermelon - Farmers Market Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Nice produce. Nice atmosphere and very reasonable prices for fresh fruits and vegetables. It's definitely worthy of taking the place of the grocery store when it comes to produce. read more

Haven't been there more than a couple of times over the winter but thoroughly agree with all the other reviews that this is a wonderful addition to SW Durham. During the summer I buy great vegetables there, tomatoes especially, and lots of other things, very reasonably priced and a great selection. Particularly now, during the coronavirus experience it is the perfect place to shop for veggies, being essentially an outdoor market with great customer service and products. read more

This is my favorite produce stand in Durham. The first time you go they give you a tour and the family history of the stand. They have $20 bags that you can fill with anything that will fit. All the fruit and veggies that I've gotten from here are delicious and fresh. Right now they have beautiful pumpkins and mums on sale! read more

Perkins Orchard - Fresh produce - Farmers Market Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Friendly and consistent. I go weekly; it's my happy place. Herbs are always free, and customers always get a few items.

Love this place- produce for a great price and great customer service. Got everything pictured for only $25! read more

Perkins Orchard - Farmers Market Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I enjoy going to this unique farm stand with quite a history. Great for eggs, veggies, apples and meat when they have it. Lots of other food stuffs to try. The staff is friendly and helpful. I feel the quality is better the chain stores. read more

So happy that I discovered this gem on TikTok. My husband and I visited today and fell in love with the fresh produce and cider. The $20 bag is a great deal. We purchased some fresh, locally farmed bacon and sausage and cannot wait to try it out. My husband was able to get some apple butter and sweet potato butter. The people are friendly and the service is great. Please check them out! read more

Perkins Orchard - Farmers Market Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

This place has the BEST produce I have ever had! I recently purchased strawberries for a cake and a seedless watermelon for my daddy (he asked for one specifically from here for Father's Day) and both were super sweet. All of their products are so fresh and the staff were very helpful. I had no idea how to pick out watermelons, but one of the staff picked one out for me and it was absolutely fantastic! She did not just pick one up, but she also taught me how to select the best one for myself in the future. I was very pleased that she also made some recommendations suggesting I come try their orange and yellow watermelons next month. I could honestly go on and on about howdelicious their produce is, but my review truly cannot do it justice. read more

Perkins Orchard - Seedless Watermelon - Farmers Market Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

The history here alone is worth the visit but the range of produce and produce related products was outstanding. Got to meet Donovan in person as he was hard at work on the job - which is good to see in the current day and age. Most everything is locally grown and sourced and the range is phenomenal. By far the best apple butter (pecan cinnamon) my wife and I have ever had! They also had meat and eggs from local farmers which were prices fairly and it is so nice to be able to truly support local farmers and business. Will go again, regularly. read more

This place is my favorite little gem in the Raleigh/Durham area! The service is 1000/10, the structure of the place is so convenient, and there's always a good variety of fruit to switch up my diet for each week! I haven't been back to the grocery store since I found this gem! read more

Stay Away. Owner is extremely aggressive and engages in highly unprofessional behavior. He insulted myself first, then turned to my wife and proclaimed "is this what you have to put up with". He then chased after our truck up his gravel driveway, scaring kids in the vehicle. Highly unusual. Mentally, he is not someone to engage in business with. Many other options for pumpkins, fruit and Christmas trees. read more

If your looking for fresh food look know further. The best fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmers including farmers from the coast for citrus items. Ask about the $20 bag fill up, you won't regret it. I will never purchase ginger, fruit, garlic, watermelon or cantaloupe from a grocery store ever again!!! Don't leave without getting a Strawberry Pineapple popsicle you can thank me later. read more

This is quickly becoming my favorite place in Durham. Perkins Orchard is a lovely, open-air fruit and produce market that is situated in a neighborhood right behind the owner's house! There's a sweet kitty that roams around and folks pile their produce in peach baskets. It's positively pastoral. If it's your first time visiting, the owner Donovan will show you around and give a whole spiel about his family's history of farming and the stand itself. He is proud of this business and his family's legacy and it truly shows both in his passion and the high quality of his business. The produce is always extremely fresh. Most of the products come from NC, but they do source items from where they grow best, like ridiculously juicy Georgia peaches (if you're reading this review in June, stop what you're doing and go right now for peaches!). They don't sell things that aren't in season. If you ask about a certain item, he'll tell you all about the farm it came from and everything. Aside from the fresh produce, they also sell local dairy products, meats, jams, pickles, ciders, and wines. Some of these products are pricier than the grocery store (a pound of cheese for $6, for example), but if you truly care about shopping local and supporting the NC agriculture and small business communities, this is the place to put your money where your mouth is. Plus, all the products I've tried so far have been far better than their cheaper grocery store counterparts. If you're planning to buy a good amount of produce then definitely go for the white bag, which you can fill with anything for $20 AND you get a free extra item that changes week-to-week. This past visit it was a free cantaloupe or pint of blueberries, that's on top of the huge amount of produce you can fit in the bag. The first time I did this the employee checking me out said, "You have too much space in this bag - go fill it up more!" This is customer service that goes above and beyond. Oh they also give out free bunches of cilantro or parsley or whatever herb they have that week. I'm just so impressed with this place it has nearly replaced all of my produce shopping. read more

I made my first visit there today and I can't wait to go back! It's the produce of a farmers market with the convenience of a grocery store, the prices of Walmart, the service of Trader Joe's, and none of the crowds or waste. The place itself is charming and convenient. It looks like a home from the road, but there is ample signage to point you to the food stand where there is plenty of parking. If it's your first time, the cashier will tell you the history of the place (young owner who took over from his grandpa and expanded) and how everything works. She gave me a basket and I filled it up with everything I needed, plus a little more because everything looked so good. Herbs are complementary, which is an awesome little perk. All the produce I got was high quality. Perfectly ripe for my meal that night. None of the waste because I purchased only what I needed...no leftovers because I was forced to buy a pack of 3 for something I only needed one of. They sold several other products like eggs, cheese, popsicles, and jams, and I can't wait to try those too. When it was time to check out, I was pleasantly surprised that my full basket cost me $11. I've found my new produce source and I'm a new regular! read more

I absolutely LOVE Perkins Orchard! However, I am not giving it as many stars in this review because of my most recent visit. I have been to Perkins Orchard a few times now, but I went this past weekend, which is during the fall season and while they have pumpkins, and felt that Perkins Orchard was not following good measures while in the middle of this covid-19 pandemic. Mask wearing was enforced, however, in the area where they have all their main produce, it was really crowded and they were not helping moderate social distancing and minimizing the number of people in the space. Additionally, the owner was giving tours to people who were visiting the orchard for the first time, but during his tour, he pulled down his mask while talking to the group of people during the tour. This is not a safe practice to have as you talk to a group of people, which could easily include more high risk individuals. I presume he pulled down his mask because of how loud and crowded it was, which should be more controlled as is and if it were moderated, he may not feel as much of a need to pull down his mask for the group to hear him while talking through the tour. I HIGHLY recommend Perkins Orchard, but maybe not during seasons or hours in which it is really busy. I do hope that those at Perkins Orchard see this review and try to incorporate more safe practices of social distancing (in addition to the mask wearing) to be encouraged at their establishment. read more

First visit today but definitely not the last. Got a tour and I am impressed by the history. However, I an more impressed by the selection of produce and the great prices! Don't forget to pick up sone of the wonderful fudge!! read more

Perkins is incredible! This is my second year as a customer there! The owner and staff are amazing. Great outdoor market and the produce (as well as other products) are amazing! I would HIGHLY recommend this store! And the WATERMELONS are spectacular! Thank you Perkins team for all you do for our community read more

Love Perkins! We love the warm neighborhood feel that doesn't compromise great produce We've loved everything we've gotten from Perkins. Great peaches, okra, strawberries, apples, green tomatoes! Super fresh and delicious read more

Visited for the first time yesterday! I loved his introduction and felt very welcomed. He had an amazing deal! Fill a bag for only $20 and receive a free item. He offered different colored watermelons....so cool! I'll definitely be returning and recommending to my friends! read more

Amazing place. I was skeptical when I drove in, but everything changed as soon as I walked out of my car and was greeted by the owner Donovan, his team, and the farmer he partners with. Firstly, Donovan is an amazing entrepreneur with 'can do' mentally, and he seems to have surrounded himself with good people and established good core values within his team. The place is great, and it is really good to support local business. These guys are fair with the prices, and the produce are high quality. The $20 bag deal is actually really smart. They have eggs, cheese, meats and a bunch of can goods and ciders...of course fruits and vegetables. Also really impressed with their sorbet...pure fruits. Overall, this is a fantastic local food market and definitely one of the most unique market read more

Visited the afternoon of Nov 21. Never been there but my daughter suggested it since we were visiting her and the family. As we entered to see the produce, we were immediately asked if it was our first time there. We said yes, and along with two other families, the young lady (I regret not knowing her name. VERY NICE) proceeded to tell us the history of the property. Very impressive indeed. Very nice looking fruits and vegetables. As we walked to see the Christmas trees, we came across a lovely young man watering down the trunks of the Christmas trees and explained that the trees had arrived that day. I didn't initially realize it but we were talking to the owner. He was so nice, knowledgeable and spoke about the business with such passion and love. Hope to be back next year. read more

Fresh fruits and vegetables are either grown on the property or delivered mostly daily. They have recently expanded. Excellent prices.

A very weird experience. Also do not know why it is called an orchard when it is a produce stand. You are also required to take a tour of the place where the owner pretty much just talks about himself even if you just want to buy some produce and go on with your day. read more

This farm stand in SW Durham is a treasure! They source local produce, meat, & seafood. The owner, Donovan, is continuing his family's legacy and his passion for the business shows! He is eager to share tips on selecting produce and explain items that aren't as common. Get the $25 bag...you stuff it as full as you can with what you want....and get a free item. Going to Perkins is always a treat for me and my young grandson. read more

Very great experience! The $20 bag deal is great and I was able to fit a good amount. The tour was nice and the employees were so nice. Will come back again: :) read more

I love supporting local businesses, and Perkins Orchard is definitely one that I can stand behind. Alex, the owner, is so welcoming to patrons and runs a great market from April through December. Fruits and veggies are the mainstays, and Alex tries to source produce as locally as feasible. Other offerings at Perkins are seasonal, such as pumpkins, hot cider, and mums. We ended up picking up our Christmas tree from Perkins this year, and it was a fabulous North Carolina Fraser Fur. Nice size tree with very fair pricing. The best part was free delivery if you live in Durham, so no wrestling with tying the tree to the car! Alex stopped by our house at 9pm to make sure the tree was delivered the same day that we bought it and he even offered to help set it up for us. read more

Just found the same exact 'caro-king' peaches at the state farmers market, about 8 for $5, where this place charges $4 for 2. That doesn't nake sense. read more

Best produce value- amazing owner! In the summer the fruit pops are just the thing. Apples and pumpkins in the fall and Christmas trees in December They really make sure you fill your bag with their $25/$20 produce bag as well. read more

Great local fruits, veggies, and prepared/jarred foods. Educational 1st timers tour and a free product with purchase of $20 bag.