Farm-Fresh Produce without the Middleman Mark-up

When it is harvest-time in Boston, there is no better way to celebrate the bounty of the season than by picking your own fresh produce from a local farm! This is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a warm spring day or a crisp autumn afternoon, and the quality and price easily beat those of the mega-market down by the mall. Here are a number of North Shore farms which offer pick-your-own fruits and vegetables.

Brooksby Farm
38 Felton Street
Peabody
978-531-1631

This 238-acre gem, just 20 minutes north of Boston, is owned and operated by the City of Peabody. The main cash crop is apples from their extensive orchard. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are also available during the summer for a pick-your-own adventure. And for a special holiday treat, pick your own Christmas tree.

As you enter the farm property you will pass the Felton Houses, a collection of historic buildings restored by the Peabody Historical Society. Drive past the Smith Barn alongside the fields, and follow the marked route through the apple orchards. The farm is set high above the surrounding area, with beautiful vistas across the valley to the surrounding communities.

When you have finished your picking, visit the farm store (open August through January -- call for hours), which sells garden produce, fruit, and home-made apple cider. The store also features many local products such as honey, jams and syrup, as well as a variety of baked goods, all made on the premises. Handmade cider doughnuts are a local favorite and don't miss the apple pies -- they are the best! Near the store is a small barn with chickens, geese, sheep, and rabbits for visitors to see.

Brooksby is a year-round resource for the community. In addition to the orchards and fields, the City maintains over 3.7 miles of hiking/cross-country skiing trails, and camping is allowed with a permit from the Recreation Department. Call (978) 531-8427 for details.

Every year in mid-October, the farm hosts the Peabody Harvest Festival, a day-long extravaganza of music, barbecue, hayrides, a bake-off, and pumpkin decorating contests. Some of the best activities are reserved for children, such as the hay pile, where kids can roll in it, throw it, build with it, and generally work off some energy. The festival grows every year and is a fun way to spend a Sunday outdoors as the weather starts turning cold!

Brooksby Farm is open 8:30 AM to 1 PM Tuesday through Friday, and 8:30 AM to 4 PM weekends for pick-your-own.

How to Get There: take Route 128 north to exit 25 (Route 114 east). Follow the signs for Lowell Street/West Peabody. At the end of the access road, take a right on Lowell Street. Go through the first traffic light and take the second right (Baldwin Street) at the giant Brooksby Farm sign. At the end turn left onto Felton Street; the farm is straight ahead.

Cider Hill Farm
45 Fern Avenue
Amesbury
978-388-5525

As the name suggests, cider-making is the key activity here. The farm's orchards are loaded with fresh, ripe apples which you can see pressed into award-winning cider. Early in the season you are likely to sample fresh-pressed cider from tart McIntosh apples; other varieties such as the sweet Delicious will be featured later on. Note that the cider tends to become progressively sweeter as the season goes on, reaching its peak in late October/early November.

In addition to the apple activities, Cider Hill Farm offers a farm tour and two mazes ready for exploration - one of which is constructed from bales of hay.

Wheeler Brook Farm
57 Jewett Street
Georgetown
978-352-8289
Bob and Barb Morehouse, Proprietors

The beautiful Wheeler Brook Farm offers another opportunity for those who wish to harvest their own fruits and vegetables. Only 35 scenic minutes drive north of Boston, in the historic town of Georgetown, these peaceful fields, surrounded by forest, offer you a chance to get back to a simpler time, an unhurried pace, and a reconnection to Mother Earth.

Corn is available at their farmstand starting in the late summer. Didn't have the time to put in a garden of your own? Snow peas, beets, peas, lettuce, rhubarb and bok choy are also available for picking in season. Keep this place in mind when it is berry-time, too -- strawberries are the main attraction here in June and early July, followed by raspberries and blueberries in the middle of the summer.

Wheeler Brook Farm was established by the Morehouses as a sideline business, and has grown in scope over the years. What makes Wheeler Brook Farm different from the rest is the family atmosphere. Families with young children are welcome here, and there are special picking areas set aside just for the kids. The farm has a picnic area featuring a farm animal encounter pen with a baby goat, lamb, donkey, and calf for the kids to pet. A chicken coop and rabbit hutch are also set-up nearby.

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A recorded message provides a list of current crops and hours of operation. In general, the fields are open from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM, 7 days a week, but weather and crop conditions can close the fields on short notice. A bulletin board near the fields offers recipes for using the produce you have picked (10 cents).

How to Get There: Take Route 1 North to Byfield; take the left turn at Governor Dummer Academy (Elm Street). Look sharp for the signs (strawberries and red arrows) at various forks in the road to direct you west over Route 95. Wheeler Brook Farm is immediately past the highway on the left.

Smokak Farm
315 South Bradford Street
North Andover
978-688-8058

Smolak's fall offerings feature pick-your-own apples and pumpkins. Be sure to call ahead for picking conditions, especially early in the harvest season. Once you've stocked up on farm-fresh goodies, spend some time exploring or take one of the farm's tours.

We also recommend attending one of the farm's seasonal events such as the Great Pumpkin Day in the fall, Strawberry Sundae Sunday in the spring, or the Peach Festival in the summer.

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