We always encourage visitors and residents to get outside the city and explore our agricultural roots! Check our U-Pick Seasons page often to learn what's ripe for the pickin' or what events on area farms are fun outings for the family. Know where your food comes from and meet the farmers growing it!
There are now over 75 Johnston County farms and agribusinesses listed on the Visit NC Farms App,(click to download) a new 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 was one of the first counties to sign-on to the program and continues to add JoCo participants. Johnston County listings include farms, u-pick operations, farmers markets, restaurants sourcing from local farms, and even farms that double as wedding venues!
Pumpkins are so plentiful for decorating starting in early October and area farms host pick-your-pumpkin events for the whole family, and often include other farm fun activities. Take hayrides and run through mazes and play on farm-friendly slides and enjoy educational fun activities. Check the calendar of events and click on these featured farms.
For a festival dedicated to pumpkins -- visit the growing community of Wilson's Mills for the Pumpkin Festival in late October.
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. 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 June.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 11:00 AM
Right behind the strawberry season of April to June, area blueberries bushes are ready for picking! You will also find blueberries at area farm stands and farmer's markets already for sale. This very versatile fruit is popular throughout the summer for smoothies, pies and 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?
Friday, September 6, 2019 3:00 PM
