Pick Your Own

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Welcome to Chautauqua Hills Farm Pick Your Own!

If you’re new to our website, please take some time and read through the information provided below. We look forward to having you visit the farm and Pick Your Own blueberries and blackberries direct from the field!

Pick Your Own is a fun way to really see how your food is grown and have the opportunity to pick and harvest it yourself in season! We work hard to make it easy, fun and educational for those who want to know more.

Check out the pictures of the fields and you’ll see our fields have mowed grass alleyways or mulch in between the rows for easy access.

Customer Sign-In for 2023 Pick Your Own

1. To begin your request for a Pick Your Own reservation, click the button below to view what days and times we have available. The days shaded in bright green are the days open for reservations. In season, we’re open for reservations Friday and Saturday.

2. Once you’ve clicked on the Calendar button above, the system will guide you through the simple, easy steps to request your Pick Your Own Reservation for Blueberries, Blackberries or both! Make sure you enter the four symbol code as the last step, before you hit the Send button.

3. Upon completing the Pick Your Own Reservation steps, you will receive a Reservation Request email to let you know we’ve received your request. Once we’ve reviewed availability for that day (it sometimes takes us 24 hours), we’ll send a Pick Your Own Confirmation email with all the details confirming your Pick Your Own Reservation. If for some reason, we do not have availability on the day you’ve requested, we’ll contact you to select another day!

If you haven’t received your confirmation within 24 hrs, check your Spam folder. Our email confirmation includes an attachment for directions, tips, scenic sites and more. Depending on your computer security settings, our email can end up in your spam folder.

4. We operate Pick Your Own at Chautauqua Hills Farm by reservation only, Friday and Saturday in season. We do this in order to provide the best possible experience and offer the opportunity for each customer to pick their requested amount of berries.

A few important notes about Pick Your Own Reservations:

Due to the nature of how berries ripen, we are not open everyday.

We post Picking Advisory updates in red at the top of the Home Page for your reference very early (usually around 6:00am) each picking day. Be sure to check the Home page before leaving for the farm on your picking day. The Picking Advisory will provide up to date information on berry availability, weather and other important information.

When you complete the Pick Your Own Reservation steps, we will request the best method to contact you in case weather or other events outside our control would prevent us from picking on your scheduled day. For example if we have heavy rain at the farm, we cannot pick the berries since they cannot be picked wet. Please be sure and provide this contact method for us. Thanks!

Large Group / Organizations

If you’re inquiring on behalf of a large formal group or organization regarding Pick Your Own, click here.

2023 Prices

Fresh Blueberries – Pick Your Own

Retail Price: $32.00 (includes tax)
Package: 1 Gallon Food Grade Bag – holds approx 6.5 pounds when full

Fresh Blackberries – Pick Your Own

!There will be no blackberries this season!
Package: 1 Gallon Food Grade Bag – holds approx 5 pounds when full

Important General Information

  • Once you’ve scheduled a date and time to pick PLEASE double check the Picking Advisory on the website homepage, your email and text messages BEFORE YOU COME TO THE FARM to receive our latest weather updates. A telephone number may be available for you to call to hear our latest message.
  • Be sure and read your Reservation Confirmation email carefully. It has a link for directions to the farm. The directions are available in pdf form and should be printed and brought with you.
  • Berries cannot be picked wet. So, if it’s raining, your date and time will likely have to be rescheduled.
  • Come as early as possible to pick. Our fields can get very hot after 11:00am.
  • Sorry, we can not accept credit cards. Our internet service at the farm is terrible!
  • We love pets, but out of consideration for all our customers, please leave your pets at home.
  • Please avoid walking or standing on the rows.
  • You should taste the berries to decide which you like the best, but excessive berry eating will not be tolerated during picking. Buy them first, then eat all you want.
  • Children under 12 are welcome but must be supervised. State Mandate.
  • Do not plan to pick much if you bring children under the age of 6. They get hot quickly and there is not much for them to do while you’re picking. If you bring small children, we recommend you have someone along to watch and entertain them.
  • No glass or sharp objects of any kind are allowed in the fields
  • We are located 1 ½ hours southeast of East Wichita in the beautiful hill country of Chautauqua County.
  • FOLLOW ALL POSTED SPEED LIMITS AND NOTE THE SPEED LIMIT SOUTH OF HOWARD ON 99 HIGHWAY CHANGES TO 55 mph.
  • When you come to pick we invite you to take your time and enjoy the drive especially on the country gravel roads. It’s beautiful in Chautauqua County and there’s wildlife to see on most days!
  • Be sure and check out the links on the website for restaurants, gas stations, restroom availability and places to visit in and around Howard, Elk Falls and Sedan.
  • You can purchase ice and gas, or use the restroom if needed, at the Conoco station located at the intersection of 400 Highway and 99 South Highway. If you’re coming from Wichita, the last place you can buy ice and gas or use the restroom on the way to the farm is the convenience store or the Dollar Tree located on the east side of 99 highway, across from Toots in Howard.
  • We have porta-potty restroom facilities near the blueberry field.
  • Our fields concentrate the summer heat. So, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER when you come to pick.

What to Bring With You

  • Cooler(s) with ice or frozen packs in the bottom, Make sure they’re large enough to hold all your picked berries.

Note: 1 gallon of picked berries is approximately the size of a gallon of milk. The average size large cooler will hold about 3 gallons. It’s better to bring more coolers than not enough!

  • Smaller lunch size coolers are not large enough to hold berries – so bring those for your water and larger coolers for your berries.
  • We provide 1 gallon picking buckets  to use and 1 gallon food grade bags to take your blueberries home in.
  • Bottled water or drinks, pack a lunch or bring a snack. We have 2 covered picnic pavilions and a small picnic area by one of our creeks to sit down and take a break at.
  • Lawn chairs, bug spray, wear a hat, sunscreen and comfortable shoes and clothes. We usually have very few bugs like mosquitoes, etc…to bother our pickers – another pleasant surprise for many!
  • Picking blueberries requires some standing and kneeling. Blackberries do not require any kneeling. We’ll provide kneeling pads if you need one.

Typically, it’s 3-5 degrees hotter at the farm than in the city. As such, the temperature can be hot in our fields when picking.

Picking and Storing Blueberries

  • If you haven’t picked berries before, please allow about 45 mins. – 1 hour for one person to pick each gallon. More experienced pickers can usually pick a gallon in 30 – 35 minutes.
  • Blueberries have no thorns and do not require gloves for picking. You can bring gloves if you wish though.
  • When picking fresh blueberries, remember to pick only those berries which are firm, ripe and very dark blue in color. Red or green colored blueberries will not ripen after picking. 
  • You do not need to “pull” blueberries off the bush. If they’re ripe they’ll simply roll into your hand or bucket when touched lightly. We’ll be nearby to assist you if you have questions.
  • Blueberries are perishable. Blueberries should be kept chilled / refrigerated right after picking and can keep up to 10-14 days in the refrigerator. For best results, do not wash them until you are ready to use them.
  • Blueberries will go bad very quickly if they’re not kept chilled or refrigerated.
  • We recommend freezing blueberries for months of enjoyment and very little loss of taste. For best results when freezing blueberries, do not wash them before freezing. Blueberries can go directly into the freezer. You can use the food grade bag we provide or use smaller quantity freezer bags. When you’re ready to eat some simply remove them from the bag and wash off. They make a great frozen snack right out of the freezer. Let them thaw out a bit and they’re even better. Once you have our berries this way, you’ll never again buy those sour, small, frozen berries from the store!
  • Plan ahead! What does that mean? While you’re enjoying fresh blueberries think about picking enough to freeze and enjoy them all year long!

Picking and Storing Blackberries

  • If you haven’t picked berries before, please allow about 45 mins. – 1 hour for one person to pick each gallon. More experienced pickers can usually pick a gallon in 30 – 35 minutes.
  • When picking fresh blackberries, remember to pick only those berries which are firm, ripe and dark in color. Any berries with a bit of red around the stem will taste a bit tart. Although many like these for the additional flavor they provide in a cobbler or chutney, they are not quite fully ripe and might make you pucker a bit! We’ll be nearby to assist if you have questions.
  • For those who’ve picked thorny blackberries or “brambles” before (like we did when we were kids!), you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the size of our blackberries and how easy they are to pick. Our blackberries are thornless!
  • Blackberries are very perishable. Blackberries should be kept chilled / refrigerated right after picking and can keep up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. For best results, do not wash them until you are ready to use them.
  • Blackberries will go bad very quickly if they’re not kept chilled or refrigerated.
  • We recommend freezing blackberries for months of enjoyment and very little loss of taste. For best results when freezing blackberries, do not wash them before freezing. Blackberries can go directly into the freezer. Use the plastic containers we provide or use smaller quantity freezer bags. When you’re ready to eat them simply remove them from the container or bag and wash off. These too make a great frozen snack right out of the freezer.
  • Plan ahead! What does that mean? While you’re enjoying fresh blackberries think about picking enough to freeze and enjoy them all year long!