Berry Picking in the Mountains
Berry picking is one of our absolute favorite summer activities. There is something so empowering, exciting, and downright fun about heading over to one of the amazing U-Pick farms in the Asheville area to fill a bucket with seasonal treasures. Sure, it can be hard work - but at the end of an afternoon, when you're driving home with a big box full of sun warmed berries, the feeling of accomplishment is simply unmatched. To help area locals and visitors experience this old fashioned good time, we've put a spotlight on a few of our favorite places!
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Hickory Nut Gap Farm is quite famous in the Western North Carolina region - and for good reason! Located in Fairview, NC, they supply many of our best restaurants with their responsibly raised meat, offer visitors a kind a community center (complete with treehouse, tire swing, and locally made ice cream) to enjoy while exploring the farm, and have some of the very best U-Pick berry bushes around. They are a no-spray farm, meaning you can pluck the warm berries off the bush and pop them right in your mouth as you go along! The U-Pick aspect of the farm is open Tuesday - Sunday and the season starts with strawberries (now on their way out) and ends with delicious blackberries. We recommend giving the farm a call before heading over to ensure that there are plenty of berries to be enjoyed!
Cloud 9 Farm
Cloud 9 Farm is located in Fletcher, NC and it is another great no-spray option for U-Pick berries. With 2 acres of fresh, well grown blueberries, this farm is a staple for late summer afternoon picking. Cloud 9 also has a long history of serving the area - family owned since 1974, this business began as a hobby farm and transformed into an area staple that provides us with delicious fruit, an escape from the hustle and bustle of normal life (the acreage surrounding the farm is undeveloped, making it a kind of refuge from our commercial lives), and plenty of information and education straight from the farmer's mouth to our ears! This farm is open for U-Pick Tuesday through Sunday, and we do recommend giving a call before heading over!
Zimmerman's Berry Farm
Zimmerman's Berry Farm is located in beautiful Marshall, NC - a small mountain town with a lot of heart, a bold personality, wild woods, and gorgeous pastures. The farm will re-open this year at the end of June with black raspberries ripe for the pickin'. As the black raspberries are enjoyed (homemade icecream, anyone?), the blackberries ripen and prepare to be picked. The setting for this farm is one of the main reasons we love it here, but it's also a no-spray, small farm that maintains the goal of uplifting the community as it feeds them. The farm is open all week from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, and trust us, it does get busy! As with other U-Pick options, it's best to give a call before heading over to ensure that there is plenty of berry availability!
Stay LocalIf you're visiting the area, the best way to have a mountain experience is to stay in your own home away from home. Carolina Mornings has dozens of beautiful vacation rentals in and around the Asheville area - each one unique. Magnolia Mountain, a stunning 3 bedroom home located on Town Mountain Road in Asheville, boasts a central location (making all of your area adventures accessible from home), a commanding view of the mountains and valleys in the distance, and a fully equipped kitchen - a necessary amenity if you're going to fully enjoy all of those berries you're sure to pick!
To begin planning your summer getaway in the mountains, contact Carolina Mornings at (877) 902-9441. A professional Vacation Planner will help line up your vacation rental accommodations, Biltmore Estate Ticket, and outdoor adventures such as ziplining and whitewater rafting (included with every Carolina Mornings Rental!)