It's raspberry season so my mom and I were looking for some u-pick places around town. Several of…read moreour old standbys were closed for the weekend so after a bit of digging we came across Berry Hill Farm. So cute! It's right on the border of Dexter/Chelsea and is just big enough to make picking SUPER easy but not so big that you need to spend a ton of time here. I think we were in and out in about 30-40 minutes at most, and we filled a whole flat with delicious berries. They're only open during picking season so check their facebook page for daily updates on picking quality and hours. When you arrive, check in with the owners and they'll give you a box with containers and an empty milk jug to tie around your waist for easy two handed picking. Then dig in! There are several rows of different berry varieties, including red raspberries, black raspberries, and golden raspberries. You'll know they're ripe when they're a deep color and pull right off the bush. The bushes, especially blackberries, are a bit spiky so be careful! I didn't bring gloves because I find them a bit cumbersome so I did get poked a couple of times but nothing major. When you're done, head back to the garage with your tray and they'll tally up your berries. Currently it's $2.50 per pint. Cash or check only. Brought home the berries and they were SO good. They really lasted a long time too. It's been over a week and I've still be throwing them in my yogurt every morning. Baked up beautifully in some breakfast bars too. Excited to have discovered this place and I'm definitely looking forward to visiting year after year.

Very friendly owners. Easy to find, clean and entertaining farm experience. They supplied…read moreeverything we needed to pick the most delicious organic berries. They even had local honey for sale. Thank you!

This place is a hidden gem!! I found it randomly on Google and wanted to check it out…read more I finally came with my baby and it was pretty great! The only thing I wish, is that it was stroller friendly. It's mostly gravel so it's very inconvenient and probably damaging to the stroller. I understand it's a farm though (and that they have a separate cafe). Anywho, there is a whole parking lot for people to park and then an area for shopping for fresh veggies and bread. And there is a separate area by a lovely willow tree where you can get coffee, their home made root beer (will have to try that next time), and pastries. Now the pastries were AMAZING!!! I got their chocolate croissant and jalapeno popper croissant. Both were sooo delicious!! The chocolate croissant was very close to how Quebec makes them. It was soft and had the right amount of chocolate! The Jalapeno popper croissant filling was sooo unique and tasty!! I loved it! I will definitely be back! Oh and I sampled their mango lassi and it was delicious! I also appreciated the space where kids can feed and look at the goats and llama. There is a little pond play area too. And a beautiful garden! There probably is even more, I didn't get to see everything since it was hard to navigate with the stroller. Will bring a carrier next time.

I've wanted to try White Lotus Farms and I was able to get a few things when they were set up at…read moreEastern Market. I got an olive levain loaf of bread and a morning bun. The bread was very good, filled with Kalamata olives. The morning bun sort of reminded me of a croissant with cinnamon sugar in a spiral shape, it was decent, but I wouldn't get it again. The stand was very busy, they had a large variety of things, I wasn't able to check out anything besides the baked goods. Ok get bread again, next time I go to Eastern Market.

Always a fabulous time with the family picking strawberries at Diederichs!…read more This year they've added a patch across Allen Street with a new red barn. The rows are spaced great for sitting, and straw lines the aisles for sitting and walking and avoiding most dirt. They have different varieties of berries and will direct you to the different types. They offer golf cart rides out to the plants as well. Good tips: come early and bring water. Strawberry picking is hot and in the sun. And they only accept cash or check.

Best place for strawberries and asparagus. Fields are not to crowded and it is always worth going.read more

I've been strawberry picking locally for decades at another farm nearby. However, this year they…read moreweren't open for picking so, craving the best part of a Michigan summer, I went to Yelp and searched and found Honey Bee. AND it was SO close to my house! I immediately went to their website and was thrilled to find out that they were currently offering picking from 10-7pm pretty much every day of the week. Hooray! So, this past weekend, I made my way over there. Long story short, I had a great experience! They have 12 varieties of strawberries that vary in size, ripening rates, and levels of sweetness. U-pick stretches out in rows over 3 acres so they've got alotta strawberries, my friends! The person running the u-pick explained that the strawberries in the rows next to the barn were bigger but more tart and the rows further from the barn were smaller but sweeter. I picked a little from both and in the end wish I had stuck to the smaller but sweeter, though they were all delicious! I just happen to have more of a sweet tooth. Despite the heat I managed to pick a full bucket, just under 6lbs. Berries are priced at $6lb and they do not take credit but you can pay via mobile with their venmo or paypal. They also take cash and checks. A few logistical things: the u-pick farm is owned and operated by local farmer's market mainstay, Tantre Farms. It's a no spray/pesticide free farm which means there are some weeds and tall grasses around. Some of the weeds are spikey thistle. They're easy to avoid but, because most people avoid them, I found a plethora of beautiful ripe berries around them. So it might not hurt to bring some gloves if you're like me and don't mind working a little harder for the good stuff. And because it can get muddy and there are other weeds and things in the rows wearing comfortable, close-toed shoes (that you don't mind getting dirty) are recommended. My only quibble is that I wish the containers for picking were the cardboard flats and not the plastic buckets with bags.The plastic bags don't allow for the air circulation you need to keep them fresher longer and in transferring them to another container I found I had smushed more than a few. Also, piling them all into the bucket puts weight on the ones at the bottom of the bucket/bag so they're smushed there, too. A small quibble but one they'll consider having the flats as an option. But of course if you're buying a large volume for jam making they're all gonna get smushed anyway sooooo.... Anyway, I'm not sure how much longer they have left in the season so if you're reading this around the time that it was posted I'd check their website for picking updates. They also offer raspberry picking so if you miss your strawberry window you might be able to scoop some of those up instead!

In strawberry season there's no better way to spend a weekend morning than picking berries at the…read morepatch. The whole family headed down that way recently to take advantage of the in-season fruit. It was our first time visiting Honey Bee, and we can't wait to return. After grabbing a bucket, we sauntered through the small bushes and picking ripe red berries. After we had picked everything that we could fit into the bucket, we headed back to the barn and grabbed some pre-picked vegetables to go with everything. Finn the dog welcomed us and let us pat his belly before we headed out. The berries were wonderful - so sweet and unlike anything you'll find in a store. Definitely worth a trip!

Growing up, I was always called the Strawberry Girl. My dad would sit me in our strawberry patch…read morewhile he went into our field to bail straw. Since selling our farm years ago, I've been wanting to go strawberry picking. My sisters surprised me for my birthday by taking me to Whittaker's Berry Farm! We picked All-Star strawberries and I was in heaven! Mr. Whittaker was present the entire time we were out there and encouraged us to taste-test them as we were picking. We spotted him many times riding his gator around offering water to guests (it was the first day of summer and so, so hot!) He seemed to really care about his employees as well. After we were done picking, he stopped and took the time to give advice to my sister who has a slug problem in her own garden--he was the most sweet and pleasant guy! As far as price goes, they are VERY reasonable for the quality of berries. Also, we arrived at 9:30am and saw a lot of cars and thought to ourselves, "Dang, I bet we missed boat. We probably will have to come back tomorrow." But luckily, Mr. Whittaker's farm is so large that we didn't have any wait time at all. I would absolutely recommend to everyone, even my grandma! p.s. Notice in the pictures...this berry farm is so enjoyable that birds even want to live here! : )

So happy Whittaker's Berry Farm remained unscaved following the recent weather system / tornadoes…read morethat came through the area in the last couple of days. I took off work just so I could arrive at the farm just after opening today and there were many people picking strawberries only 10 - 15 minutes after opening. You pick strawberries at $2.99/lb - how can you go wrong? It took me about 35 - 45 minutes to fill my flat. Strawberries were plentiful. I must have been in the area of the parcel that had been picked before as the size of the berries seemed smaller than what I had hoped for. My thoughts were confirmed when I was at the checkout building as the gentlemen in the line next to me had huge Jewel strawberries that were gigantic compared to what I was able to pick. Oh well, these berries will taste just fine in a pie, on shortcake, over ice cream or cheesecake, in bread, muffins, or scones, just to name a few.

Even on a rainy Saturday in prime fall season, the Dexter Cider Mill shines. This year when…read morevisiting family in Ann Arbor, we faced such a day for our cider donut trip. The cider, the donuts and the staff did a great job. We took our food and drink purchases to the town green and ate and drank at the village gazebo, which was covered, yet empty. I suspect most people took their purchases back home. Our hosts and we guests have always loved Dexter for a relaxing shopping day. This year was no exception. The green itself is anchored by a historic statue and war memorial. Please visit the town when stopping by the cider mill. It is a pleasant experience, no matter the weather.

Ambiance was nice, there donuts are too mushy and too pricey…read more All of it was over priced

This farm is perfect for the quintessential fall experience. Apples, pumpkins, cider, donuts…read more.. even an apple cannon! If we lived in the area we'd go back next month for a Christmas tree as well. A wonderful, family-run business.

We came here for cider and donuts, but ended up looking around at puzzles, bookmarks, and cotton…read morecandy. My family has toured metro Detroit's cider mills; unfortunately, the cider at this location tasted more like apple juice, but was redeemed by the donuts, which had small apple chunks in them. No bathrooms on site except an accessible Porta john. The cashier had extreme difficulty checking out customers and selecting items, but was friendly and made good conversation despite. The parking situation is unfriendly to those in wheelchairs or crutches; a large gravel lot, which becomes grass closer to the building, has no marked handicapped parking, hence my hesitation to give it 4 or 5 stars. Otherwise, it was relatively busy maintaining around 20 to 25 people inside at any given time, so clearly this place is well liked.

Lots of animals, big field of pick your own pumpkins and a corn maze. Very fun for the family and…read moreit is free entry.

From the owner: Family owned and operated centennial farm. Best sweet corn anywhere. Family fun farm, great…read moreenvironment, very clean , save , support local farms. Alot of fun stuff to do like the play area, the farm animals & a fun corn maze. Of course many pumpkins.

What a perfect way to spend the day. I love U-Pick places and the greater Ann Arbor area is full of…read morethem. But this one is special. It's a really great inclusive farm that truly wants you to enjoy the experience and the food. They have a shed twitch different tools you can borrow. We used some of the trays, cutters, gloves etc. The employees were very nice and knowledgeable on the produce. There is a picnic table (shaded) in case you need to sit. We learned a lot about their practice and how biodiverse agriculture can impact life. It's a great place! Please look them up for next season and stop by.

A delightful surprise, Slow Farm, unlike many of the larger farms, offers a wider variety of…read morevegetables and fruits to pick. We picked two varieties of kale, ground cherries - which I had never tasted before - tomatoes, green beans and some flowers. Please help support this small, organic farm and enjoy their bounty! I look forward to returning at different times to see what they grow.

Brookwood is one of my favorite low-key orchards to visit in the autumn. It isn't commercialized…read morewith overpriced goods and there aren't long lines and throngs of children. There is nothing fancy about Brookwood. This is just a really great farm along a quiet country road that has belonged to the same family for over a century. Come here if you are looking for a peaceful day spent picking fruit or for a short stop to buy delicious donuts, apples, and cider. An oversized Homer Simpson doll welcomes you as you enter the store. A very kind young woman was working there the day I visited and she told me that the orchards were opened. Other than the orchards there is only the small store. Again, nothing fancy, but what matters is the quality of the products which I thought was excellent. There isn't hot apple cider but there is cold apple cider in the fridge and a slushie machine where you can fill your own slushie cup for $2. The cup provided was twice as large as the slushie I bought at Franklin Cider Mill for a whopping $4. I could tell that there are no preservatives added to Brookwood's cider. The cider was excellent and perhaps some of the best I have tasted, and I've been to a lot of cider mills this season. I will definitely return to Brookwood and continue to support this family business.

We love this place. We stumbled on it a few years ago and go back every year. We've picked apples…read moreand raspberries, but haven't tried anything else...yet. Bonus - the orchard is always a great backdrop for fall photos.