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peach-picking-northern-virginia

When Peach Picking in Northern Virginia Feels Like Eden

June 2, 2023 by Molly Beauchemin Leave a Comment

Looking for a gorgeous place to go peach picking in Northern Virginia, or near DC? Great Country Farms in Bluemont, Virginia is an ideal spot for a serene day trip, reminiscent at once of a scene from the orchards in Call My By Your Name, or a naturalistic Renaissance painting. It’s gorgeous! 

When peach season arrives in Northern Virginia (usually late June through August), you can expect the ecologically-managed trees at Great Country Farms to deliver the most exceptional, juicy stone fruit the area has to offer. Plus, the last is ecologically managed, so kids can feel safe biting into fresh-picked peaches before they are washed (though it’s always a good idea, just in case…). 

Just look at the pictures, below, which speak for themselves: 

 

Image: Molly Beauchemin

Peach Picking in Northern Virginia: What To Expect

Ideally, reserve your peach-picking tickets here in advance. (You can sign up for seasonal U-pick alerts, here.) 

Tickets will guarantee access to the orchard by walking there from the farm center or taking the rustic wagon ride through sunflower fields and past the chicken coop. (It’s longer, but more scenic.) 

The wagon will drop you at the picking tent, where you can pay for a box or bucket to fill with either peaches or blackberries. (Yes, you’ll need to pay again, and yes, you can also pick blackberries here– and they’re huge!) Ideally, pick both, and you’ll have what feels like enough fruit to last the whole summer. 

 

Great Country Farms is a great place to go peach picking in Northern Virginia, and it’s within striking distance of Washington, DC. || Image: Molly Beauchemin

The peach orchard, moreover, looks like a lush scene from Call Me By Your Name. The trees are Edenic and bountiful with juicy, round orbs of fruit, and it’s absolutely lovely.

For this reason, I recommend going early in the season (usually mid-June), as you’ll have your pick of the harvest at this time. This is a really gorgeous farm and a great treasure of the state. 

You also can purchase larger picking containers or multiple small ones if you’re thinking of making several pies, galettes, muffins, or other baked goods and recipes that call for fruit. 

Just keep in mind you’ll have to carry what you pick, and the peach boxes can be cumbersome if you don’t have multiple sets of hands. (Or if you’re trying to push a stroller, which can be slightly hard to navigate through the grassy footing.)  

  • Yes, you can pick-your-own blackberries, too.

 

blackberry-picking-northern-virginia
You can pick-your-own blackberries, as well. || Image: Molly Beauchemin

Once you’re in the orchard, have at it! The farm staff will clearly mark the trees that are ready for picking– just be sure to take what you pick, and be respectful of the land. The same goes for the blackberry bushes.  

The orchard is not organic but it is ecologically managed. Thus, you shouldn’t eat the fruit directly off the trees. (This is particularly important to note if you’ll be picking with small children who might want to eat it right away!) 

In my experience, there aren’t many bugs, but the orchard is open to sun and the elements. Sturdy footwear and sun protection is recommended and encouraged.   

 

Baskets for sale inside the farm store. || Image: Molly Beauchemin

Knead It Bakery & The Farm Store

After finishing your peach picking adventure, head to the on-site farm store and Knead It Bakery to sample some of their famous Apple Cider Donuts. (<— These are served hot and fresh, so you’ll likely smell them before you see them. Come quick, as they do sell out!) 

Here, you can also shop a wide variety of farm-sourced edibles, from duck eggs and spiced peanuts to frozen whole chickens, sausage, and greens, beans, and other fresh produce from the farm– as well as various cheeses, baking mixes, jams, kettle corn, and the like.  

There are also animals like goats and chickens for the kids to check out, and a charming “cow” train for little ones who love trucks.

 

Betcha can’t pick just one. || Image: Molly Beauchemin

The views to the appending countryside, meanwhile, are vast and stunning– you can see out across the rolling green hillsides of Bluemont and beyond!– which makes the entire property great for photo ops.  

Parking is plentiful, and there are restrooms on-site. 

Dine at the house “Roosterant” if you want a hot meal, but don’t expect much beyond sandwiches, pizza, salad, and baked goods. There’s also a sluice for “gem mining” under a beautiful blooming Princess tree across from the concession– be sure to check it out. 

Ultimately, preaching picking at Great Country Farms is easily the most serene peach-picking experience in Northern Virginia. (And believe me, we’ve been everywhere.)

If you want to go peach picking in Northern Virginia or the DC area, this is the most beautiful place to do it. Trust me. 

 

Image: Molly Beauchemin

After You Pick: Stop at The Bluemont General Store

The Bluemont General Store is a charming community watering whole where families, bikers, cyclists, and visitors driving in and out to Great Country Farms all love stopping at. (Once they know it exists.) 

Get a sandwich, a coffee, a whoopie pie, or a container of bright pink pickled eggs for a picnic lunch, and eat outside on the welcoming deck. 

On Sundays, the Bluemont Farmers Market takes place just down the road at 18351 Railroad Street from 10 to 2 PM (as of this writing). Here, you can make a day of your trip by stopping to get everything from fresh sourdough, eggs, and mushrooms to sweet corn, peppers, melon, tomatoes, pickles, and coffee.

^ They even have fun seasonal programming like yoga classes in the summer or trick-or-treating with the vendors in the fall. If you go to Great Country Farms for peach picking on a Sunday, it’s worth stopping by here before or after. 

Bluemont, moreover, is a lush, somewhat-hidden gem in the western portion of Northern Virginia’s idyllic farm country. Going to Great Country Farms is an ideal way to experience the agrarian splendor that the region has to offer.

Come for the peaches, linger for the charm. 🙂  

***

Related: 5 Cool Places to Go Apple Picking (and Pumpkin Picking!) in Northern Virginia.

Filed Under: Travel Well Tagged With: nature, small town america, virginia

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