Time to Visit a Farm for a Pumpkin

    For decoration, carving, or for making tasty pumpkin pies, visit area farms and markets to get your pumpkin directly. Kids always have a blast trying to pick the perfect pumpkin or trying to pick one up that is way too big. Make some memories on a farm in JoCo this fall!

    To keep up with what is in season throughout the year, check out this helpful chart!

    Support Local Year Round!Hot peppers for sale at the Clayton Farm & Community Market, Clayton NC.

    We always encourage visitors and residents to get outside the city and explore our agricultural roots! Check back here often to learn what's ripe for the picking and what events on area farms are fun outings for the family. 

    Even during the winter months, several of our farms are growing root vegetables or using their greenhouses. You can find these local foods at the Clayton Farmers Market year-round. Know where your food comes from and meet the farmers growing it!

    If you would like to visit farms directly, download the Visit NC Farms App, an initiative from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. The app is a digital marketing tool aimed at the 10 million residents and over 50 million visitors to the state annually. Johnston County's 100 listings include farms, u-pick operations, farmers markets, restaurants sourcing from local farms, and even farms that double as wedding venues!

    Every season is somebody's favorite, and Johnston County is the perfect place to get those locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables you crave.

     

    Sweet Strawberries - Ripe for fun in the Spring!

    Small child looking at the goats at Smith's Farm near Benson, NC.If you grew up on the family farm, or visited your grandparents in Johnston County, springtime meant ripe strawberries could be found in the garden. Picking them and eating them right out of the garden was okay!  Just dust off the dirt!  Make these same memories with your kids with a visit to an area farm, or farmer's market for fresh strawberries. Many JoCo strawberry farms offer u-pick, and some offer pre-pick selections. Once you have a bucket or two, visit our Southern Recipes section for some suggestions for baked goods, making jams, and more!

    Check our area farms for opening events -- usually around late April and the season runs through May.
     

    Blueberries are Ready to be Picked in June!

    Blueberry picking at Creekside Farm located near Selma, NC.Each spring, visit Johnston County to pick your own blueberries at farms such as Creekside Farm! You will also find blueberries at area farm stands and farmer's markets for sale. This very versatile fruit is popular throughout the summer for smoothies, pies, cobblers, and ice cream. Check out the variety of recipes we have created for you! Often found right next to the blueberry is a blackberry -- a different type of texture and flavor, give them a try too!

    Doesn't every kid love to fill up a bucket with berries?

     

    Pumpkin Picking is a Fall Time Favorite

    Smith's Farm Pumpkin Picking in Benson, NC.As the weather starts to cool and the days are shorter - we start thinking about the holidays and decorating with pumpkins. The whole family can have fun at farms in Johnston County picking pumpkins, enjoying hayrides, and playing at agritourism farms like Sonlight Farms and Smith's Farm.

    Pumpkins for carving are a Halloween necessity, but pumpkins for pies during Thanksgiving is very important too!

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