U-pick farms are exceptionally popular in the Driftless Area. From produce to flowers, it’s a cherished summer activity to go out to the fields and pick your own fresh products! Besides a pumpkin patch, I had never partaken in picking my own (fill in the blank) until I moved to rural Wisconsin – and now it’s one of my favorite things about living here. Take a day trip along the Wisconsin Great River Road and up into the bluffs to find the freshest berries and flowers you can imagine. Note that not everything featured in this travel guide is in season at the same time,but most of the following farms offer several other products to pick or purchase.

Rush River Produce

For several weekends of the summer, Rush River Produce is the place to be in western Wisconsin (for fresh fruit lovers, at least)! Up a winding road in the bluffs between the villages of Maiden Rock and Stockholm, Rush River Produce is a sprawling berry farm that’s been in operation for ages. The main attraction here is the blueberries, and they boast nine acres of blueberry bushes overlooking the Rush River Valley. Since the season is dependent on Mother Nature, their website is the definitive resource for prime picking time – and they do a great job of updating it. You can even call the phone number listed to make sure there are adequate numbers of bushes available for picking before you make the trip.

When you arrive during busy times, there is often someone there to help direct parking. Then the (extremely friendly) workers at the produce stand will hand you a paper box/wire basket and direct you to the area for picking that particular day. Spend as much time as you want wandering the fields and (the best part) sampling the blueberries directly off the bush! Once you’re done picking, bring your basket back to the produce stand and get it weighed to pay by the pound. You keep your paper box and get to enjoy the freshest blueberries you’ll ever taste for as long as they last at your house!

Pro tip: Rush River Produce only accepts cash or check.

Lake View Organic Farm

Next door to Rush River Produce is Lake View Organic Farm, a working farm that also engages in agritourism. There is a year-round, self-serve store on site packed with small batch goodies made from farm-fresh ingredients; inventory changes rapidly, making stopping in always a fun surprise. My favorite time of year to visit Lake View, however, is in the late summer when their extensive sunflower fields are in bloom. The farm harvests the sunflower and presses their oil (which you can find in the farm store), but they also offer u-pick sunflowers for visitors. As the growing season is dependent on the weather, their website is the best way to check if the fields are available for picking. (Or sign up for the Farm News newsletter to stay informed about all the happenings at Lake View.)

When the sunflowers are ready, you can borrow shears from the farm store that are strong enough to cut the thick stems. Then head out across the street to pick your flowers and – also very importantly – take some beautiful pictures (last year there was an old Chevy pick-up truck set up as a photo back-drop). Return your shears to the store and self-pay (preferably by cash or check, though they do offer Venmo); in years past they only cost $1 per sunflower.

Pro tip: Bring wet paper towels and a baggie to wrap your cut sunflowers in to keep them fresh until you can transfer them to a vase.

Lavender Bluff Farm

Newly opened during the summer of 2023, Lavender Bluff Farm features – you guessed it! – pick-your-own lavender. Located in the village of Stockholm along the Great River Road, this is guaranteed to be the best smelling farm you will ever visit. A path from the gravel parking lot first leads visitors to the farm shop, which is packed with responsibly-sourced goods for the body, home, and kitchen. The shop is also where you will be given directions and tools for picking your own bundles of lavender from the fields up the hill. Once you have your scissors, rubber bands, and map, a shop associate will explain which particular field of lavender is available for picking. Lavender Bluff Farm grows many different varieties of lavender, and some bloom at different times, so it’s only possible to pick the plants that are ready to harvest. Of the species available at the farm, my favorite so far has been the Phenomenal – an extremely fragrant lavender that dries well and retains its lovely scent.

The lavender fields are set on the side and top of the hill above the shop, in the shadow of the bluffs behind them. It’s a gorgeous setting, and Lavender Bluff Farm even welcomes picking visitors to bring a picnic. Pick as much lavender that can fit in the provided sizing ring and, when you’re done, return to the shop to pay and to have your lavender bundled. Don’t forget to try a sample of their lavender lemonade before leaving!

Pro tip: A farm pass is required to access the lavender fields – anyone who is picking lavender is automatically granted a farm pass, but there’s also the option to wander the fields without picking anything (which is where you would need to purchase a pass for a small fee).

Sam’s Produce

At Sam’s Produce in Arkansaw, Wisconsin, you can pick your own strawberries from their farm fields. (Or, if you’re short on time, they also have pre-picked berries for purchase). The strawberry season usually begins in mid-June, and Sam’s Produce has the u-pick sales down to a science, with helpful signs directing customers and a one-at-a-time weighing/paying system that prevents overcrowding. I visited early in the morning shortly after they opened, but it seems like they can get pretty busy during the day. Pickers are given a cardboard box and tray for carrying, and then are free to wander the fields looking for the brightest, ripest strawberries. Remember to twist the berry off of the stem while leaving the cap on!

Strawberry season overlaps with the time for picking peas, and there are adjacent fields to grab some fresh green veggies. Sam’s Produce also offers other products throughout the summer and into the fall at their farm, farm stand, and a local farmer’s market.