Food & Wine

The best Victorian farms ripe for the picking

Woman picking berry and putting them in a basket

Alice Piper

Posted December 02, 2021

Get the baskets ready – here are the best places to go berry picking this summer.

As the weather warms and the days are getting longer, that craving for fresh, crisp fruit wakes from the slumber of winter. 

Luckily, getting your fruity fix is easy thanks to the many working berry farms around Victoria who invite (and encourage) visitors to come pick their own loot. 

For most of these fruit farms, you just pay a small entry fee, collect your bucket and trawl though the orchard picking (and eating!) delicious berries, paying for your haul at the end.  

So, whether you’re looking for a road trip to the country, or something a little closer to home, we’ve rounded up the best places to visit this summer - just pack a hat, some good shoes and a smile. 

Remember though, make sure you ring ahead of time and see whether you need to make a booking. 

Sunny Creek Organic, Gippsland 

Sitting in the hills of the Strzelecki Ranges, this berry farm is what we call the ‘all-rounder’, because you can literally get every type of berry.

From strawberries, loganberries, and blackberries, to boysenberries, gooseberries, and currants - not to mention the 40 varieties of raspberries. 

During the Victorian summer holidays, Sunny Creek Organic is open daily, with adult entry at $8, and children $6. You can also collect a pick-your-own berry bucket for $17.50.  

With restrictions changing regularly, ring ahead to check for availability and bookings. 

Beechworth Berries, Beechworth

If you’ve ever been a regional Victorian farmers’ market, chances are you’ve come across Beechworth Berries. 

With fresh strawberries ripe for the picking from October to January, it’s the perfect summer holiday fun. Take home containers are $14 a kilo, and with vines as high as your waist, the adults won’t be sore from bending over, and the kids won’t have to reach too high. 

The farm shop also sells homemade jams ready to pick up on your way out! 

CherryHill Orchards, Yarra Valley

Ruby red cherries are aplenty when you visit the Yarra Valley from November through to January (perfect for the Christmas season!), and CherryHill Orchards is here for the picking. 

Adult entry is $15, and kids $6. And when you’ve picked enough cherries until your stomach’s content, head to the orchard shop and taste the myriad of cherry beverages, from juice and soda to cherry vanilla beer. 

Spring is also a popular time at CherryHill, where the orchard hosts the annual cherry blossom festival where the orchard turns white with blossoms – so definitely make sure you check their website and ring ahead to understand availability and bookings.  

Little girl picking blueberries at a farm

Let the kids take their own basket around the berry farm for a fun day out. Image: Getty

 

Lomas Orchards, Bellarine Peninsula 

Take a drive west of Melbourne to the Bellarine, where the Lomas family have been farming strawberries and blueberries for four generations. 

Available for picking on weekends, and only in summer, enjoy the rolling hills of the orchard while the kids (and you!) get some much-needed fresh air. 

While you’re there, stock up on some local produce like stone fruits, vegetables, fresh eggs, olive oils and homemade preserves and bread.  

Ripe ‘n’ Ready Cherry Farm, Mornington Peninsula 

In the picturesque Red Hill region on the Mornington Peninsula, you’ll find the sweetest cherries and plums around. 

From November to January, stroll around the orchards as you fill your punnets with cherries, and then from April onwards, turn your attention to plums. 

Entry is $7 per person and punnets are $6 per kilo.  

Get excited for a summer of fresh berries and family fun by taking a drive to pick your own fruit – we just can’t guarantee there won’t be a sugar high on the way home!

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