Unearth The Voyage
Summer in Ohio means one thing for a lot of families: heading out to a local farm and picking berries straight off the vine. There is something special about filling your own basket with warm strawberries, plump blueberries, or juicy blackberries you plucked yourself.
These farms give you fresh fruit, fun with the kids, and a reason to slow down on a sunny afternoon. Grab a basket and see which of these Ohio berry farms is worth the short drive.
1. Monroe’s Orchard & Farm Market – Hiram, Ohio
Monroe’s Orchard & Farm Market is a family-run orchard located at 6313 Pioneer Trail in Hiram, Ohio. The farm’s history dates to 1938, when Herbert Warner purchased the property, and apple trees were planted the following year.
Today, the orchard is operated by later generations of the Monroe family.
The farm grows approximately 25 varieties of apples along with peaches, pears, strawberries, cherries, and seasonal fall crops. Apples include Honeycrisp, Gala, McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, Northern Spy, and several other varieties.
Monroe’s also produces its own apple cider and makes maple syrup during February and March.
Depending on the season and crop availability, visitors can enjoy pick-your-own opportunities. The farm also holds annual Apple Harvest Festivals in the fall.
Its farm market sells homegrown fruit as well as maple syrup, preserves, local sweet corn, and other locally grown vegetables
2. Hann Farms – Dublin
Just outside the busy Columbus suburbs, Hann Farms proves you do not have to drive far from the city to get your hands dirty. This family-run operation in Dublin has been a central Ohio staple for generations.
Strawberries are the headliner every June, and locals plan their weekends around the opening announcement. The farm also runs a market stand where you can grab sweet corn, tomatoes, and other seasonal produce once your berry basket is full.
What sets Hann apart is convenience. Suburban families squeezed for time can knock out a picking trip in a single morning and still make it home for lunch.
Rows are kept tidy and well-marked, which makes it a breeze for little ones bouncing between plants. Check their social pages before you go, since strawberry season can sell out fast on peak weekends.
3. Rittman Orchards – Doylestown
Rittman Orchards has been feeding Wayne County families since 1930, and the variety here is genuinely impressive. You can pick strawberries in spring, blueberries and cherries in summer, then circle back for apples and pumpkins in fall.
Because the seasons overlap, a single visit might let you fill baskets with two or three different fruits at once. The on-site market rounds things out with fresh cider, homemade baked goods, and local honey.
Regulars love that this place feels like a working farm rather than a tourist trap. The staff will point you toward whatever is ripest that day, and the shaded picnic areas make it easy to linger.
Located near Akron and Wooster, it is an easy drive for a big chunk of northeast Ohio. Come early on Saturdays, because the blueberry rows draw a crowd once word gets out.
4. Monnin Fruit Farm – Germantown
Down in the Miami Valley near Dayton, Monnin Fruit Farm has quietly built a loyal following among southwest Ohio berry hunters. The rolling fields around Germantown make for a pretty backdrop while you work your way down the rows.
Strawberries lead the charge in late spring, and the season here can feel like a community event. Neighbors chat between the plants, kids race to find the biggest berries, and everyone leaves with stained fingers and full baskets.
Prices tend to stay friendly, which is a big reason families in the Dayton area keep coming back. The farm also sells pre-picked berries for folks who want the flavor without the bending and stretching.
Watch their seasonal updates closely, since strawberry windows in this part of Ohio can be short and sweet depending on the spring weather.
5. Branstool Orchards – Utica
Best known for peaches, Branstool Orchards near Utica also lets visitors gather a surprising range of berries throughout the growing season. The farm sits in the scenic hills of Licking County, an easy jaunt from both Columbus and Newark.
Blackberries and raspberries thrive here, offering that tart-sweet punch that store-bought fruit rarely matches. When the peaches and berries ripen together, a single visit can fill baskets with several kinds of summer fruit.
The countryside setting is genuinely lovely, with wooded ridges framing the orchard rows. Many folks pair a picking trip with a drive through the surrounding backroads, which glow with green in summer and gold in early fall.
Ripening times bounce around with the weather, so their picking hotline or website is your best friend before making the drive out to this corner of central Ohio.
6. Eshleman Fruit Farm – Clyde
Northwest Ohio does not always get the berry-picking spotlight, but Eshleman Fruit Farm near Clyde makes a strong case. Tucked in Sandusky County, it is an easy detour for anyone heading toward Lake Erie or Cedar Point.
The farm grows a wide spread of fruit, and its you-pick strawberries draw families from Fremont, Sandusky, and beyond every June. Rows are generous and well-tended, so filling a flat happens faster than you would think.
Beyond the picking fields, the market carries fresh cherries, peaches, and later apples, making it a repeat stop all season long. Kids love the wide-open space to roam between rows, and parents love the reasonable prices.
Combine a morning of berry picking with an afternoon near the lake and you have a classic Ohio summer day trip that hits both the farm and the water.
7. Hillcrest Orchard – Amherst
Rounding out the list, Hillcrest Orchard in Amherst gives Lorain County a beloved spot to pick fruit from spring straight through fall. Its location between Cleveland and Sandusky puts it within easy reach of a huge slice of northern Ohio.
Strawberries and raspberries take the summer stage, while the fall brings a full-blown harvest celebration with apples, pumpkins, and cider. That long calendar means you can visit again and again and never pick the same thing twice.
The farm store and bakery are worth the trip on their own, turning out donuts and pies that pair perfectly with a bag of just-picked berries. Weekend crowds swell in autumn, so berry season in early summer is the calmer, sweeter time to go.
Check hours ahead of your visit, grab a basket, and let the kids taste-test their way down the rows.
