From farms to tables, Haywood County does not lack for supplying sweet berries to visitors and residents during the summer season. We’ve put together this guide for you, whether you’re wanting to pick your own berries, shop for them at a market or find them in your dish at one of our local eateries.
ON THE FARM
Stroll the fields at Ten Acre Garden to find the sweetest strawberries surrounded by a beautiful mountain backdrop. U-pick is only open to the public on Wednesdays & Sundays to make sure there’s enough berries to go around. As the Beatles would say, “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Strawberries are usually available starting in May. Beyond strawberries, they offer seasonal u-pick raspberries and blueberries as well, which you can find at the garden in June.
Stay up-to-date on their seasonal u-pick offerings on their Facebook page.
PRO TIP: Want to make your strawberries last longer? Strawberries can be frozen whole for about 2 months.
Open July-November, KT’s Orchard and Apiary offers blackberries, raspberries and blueberries during summer months. Stop by and visit their on-farm market or find them set up at local farmers markets.
FUN FACT: Blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant contents of any food!
IN THE WILD
Take a hike and find wild blueberries along the Blue Ridge Parkway at the end of August into early Fall. The best spots to find them include Graveyard Fields, Max Patch and Black Balsam Knob. So bring a bucket and enjoy some pickin’ on the parkway!
AT THE MARKET
If you want fresh berries, but don’t want to pick them yourself, visit one of our local farmers markets. From Waynesville to Canton, you’ll find farmers selling all kinds of seasonal berries you can eat by themselves or cook up in a delicious at-home meal.
Check out the Historic Haywood Market on Saturdays, April-December or the Smather’s Farmers Market on Thursdays, May-October.
AT THE STAND
Need a quick and easy way to find berries? Visit one of our farm stands to get your produce without the hassle of a large grocery store or market lines.
Find a Farm Stand Near You:
ON THE TABLE
Sometimes the farm doesn’t seem so far away when it ends up on your dinner plate. Dive into delicious farm-to-table cuisines all around the county at spots like Southern Porch, Chef’s Table and Bosu’s Wine Shop.
Whether it’s strawberries in your summer salad or blackberries on your hot wings, our local chef’s are always finding a way to incorporate fresh produce into their dishes.
IN YOUR DRINK
Beyond the table, you can find delicious berries right in your glass or bottle. Waynesville Soda Jerks has a wide variety of unique flavors of handcrafted sodas like strawberry rhubarb, blackberry serrano and blueberry basil.
You can also find local berries incorporated into cocktails at restaurants like a strawberry rhubarb bellini from Birchwood Hall or this special saison beer with honey, blueberries, boysenberries and passion fruit from Boojum Brewing.
