From any number of scenic vantage points looking out across the Walla Walla Valley, plentiful wheat fields, orchards and vineyards can be seen across the distance in about any direction.
But enjoying the view from a distant vantage point isn’t the only way to behold the beauty of this fertile valley. In order to gain hands-on and up-close experiences with the bounty that grows in this region, some local farms open their fields to guests for delightful U-pick experiences. Here is a handful of them.
5 Acre Farm
84432 OR-11, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862 | Phone: 541-938-5705
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Located right off of Highway 11 between Walla Walla and Milton-Freewater, 5 Acre Farm is a convenient, fast stop fruit stand and U-pick farm.
For visitors making a quick stop in without enough time to do their own picking, 5 Acre’s farm stand also offers fresh local produce and goods, including melons, Walla Walla sweet onions, and local honey.
In the early summer months, cherries and berries are ripe for the picking. In the later summer, plentiful peaches hang heavy from the branches. Then, once the temperatures cool and the seasons change, the farm opens again in the fall for apple harvesting.
345 Short Road, Lowden, WA 99360 | Phone: 509-529-3276
Hours: From June 1 – July 15, the farm is open Sunday – Friday from 10am – 5 pm
If you were to think of a centuries-old French agricultural tradition brought to the Walla Walla Valley, you might think first of wine. But nestled in the rolling hills of southeastern Washington, the Blue Mountain Lavender Farm, run by the husband and wife team Jean-Paul and Karen Grimaud, offers a charming cultural varietal of a different sort.
From June until mid-July, the lavender farm’s two-acre fields burst into bloom, showcasing 25 varieties of lavender. Visitors are invited to wander through the plentiful rows designated for picking, equipped with the tools needed to gather lavender into bundles for bouquets or sachets.
While the expansive rows of blossoming lavender are the main attraction, the Blue Mountain Lavender Farm also hosts a range of other events, including yoga and wreath-making classes, storytime for children and informative Meet the Farmer talks with Grimaud. Events on the farm vary from week to week, so check out the calendar of events on their website when planning a trip.
52937 County Road, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862 | Phone: 541-861-0909
Hours: From mid-June to late July, the farm is open Sunday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., and from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. The farm is closed during the heat of the day from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
This family-run U-pick blueberry farm run by husband and wife team Gabrielle and Heather opens in late June.
The U-pick blueberry farm is located in the south Rocks District, which is a region characterized by the prominence of basalt cobblestones deposited by the Walla Walla river. While the unique characteristics of this region are more commonly discussed in relation to their impact on the flavor profiles of grapes grown in vineyards in this area, the taste of a blueberry fresh from the bush showcases how the mineral-rich soils benefits the blueberries as well as the grapes of this region.
Bluewind grows two varieties of blueberries – the chandler and the duke – which are available to pick separately or to blend together.
The duke variety tends to ripen earlier in the season. While their flavor is a bit more mild compared to the chandler blueberry, the duke blueberry has a firm shape and texture that holds up when baked into scones or muffins.
The chandler variety has a sweet but bold taste. Emerging a bit later than its counterpart, the chandlers are worth the wait and particularly well-suited for jams or pies.
174 Frog Hollow Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362 | Phone: 509-730-1703
Hours: Frog Hollow Farm is open Sunday – Friday from 9am – 5 pm
Frog Hollow Farm is a one stop shop for hands-on harvesting. It offers a range of U-pick options: U-pick cut flowers for a vibrant DIY bouquet, fresh herbs and vegetables. Be sure to check their instagram to know what’s ripe for picking!
While herbs become available in early summer, the cut flowers come into full bloom a bit later in mid to late July.
The botanist Luther Burbank wrote, ”Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.” Thanks to the rows upon rows of beautiful blooms grown especially for bouquets, guests to Frog Hollow can gather their own bouquets of sunshine.
And in order to ensure the farm experience is available to all, work is currently underway to make Frog Hollow Farm more accessible by constructing ADA-compliant pathways.