This time of year is a fun and interesting time to "pick your own" produce, especially apples, grapes, pumpkins, and (sometimes) other fruits and vegetables. Another facet is enjoying being on a farm for hayrides, cornstalk "mazes" horseback rides, and other activities associated with the fall harvest season. My husband and I have enjoyed picking or apples or muscadines almost every autumn, and much prefer the cooler and dryer temperatures of late September to early October to the summer months.

You might also want to consider starting an herb garden in your windowsill or patio, or if you have a larger space, your own winter garden, which can include turnips (and those tasty greens), spinach, potatoes, and other items.

Here are some of the state’s U-Pick sites. Be sure and call ahead. And have fun!

Eastern Arkansas

Pumpkin Hollow/Pumpkin Patch - Piggott
9/24-11/5/07
This farm offers fresh pumpkins for picking, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, hayrides, a petting zoo, corn grinding, a spookhouse, pony rides, cornfield mazes, as well as a large selection of ornamental gourds and specialty squashes, cornstalks, and more.
870-598-3568
ddalton@pumpkinhollow.com

Caubble Orchard
296 Hwy. 64
Wynne, AR 72396
Jack or Tommy Caubble
870-238-8627
jccaubble@crosscountybank.com
Eight varieties of apples, including Arkansas Black, and pumpkins.

Central Arkansas

Battles Cadron Crest Orchard
86 Mode Road
Guy, AR 72061
Jim and Faye Battles
501-679-3052
15 varieties of apples available for picking from August through October. Call ahead to ensure availability of fruit.

Collins Round Mountain Orchard
159 Millpond Road
Conway, AR 72034
Racy Garis - 501-327-0450
Located 3 miles south of Conway on Round Mountain, this U-Pick orchard offers apples, muscadines and vegetables, along with other items in season. Apple continues into October. Picking hours are 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Containers are provided.

Heifer Ranch CSA
55 Heifer Road
Perryville, AR 72126
Chuck Crimmins - M.C.Coon, and Ryan Neal
501-889-5124
csa@heifer.org
*Organic - Beans, peas, eggplant, beets, herbs, flowers. The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) usually signs people up for subscriptions in the spring, but there may be some U-Pick options in the fall, too.

Hidden Valley Farm
719 Ferncliff
Little Rock, AR 72223
Barbara Watkins - 501-821-8082
email@hiddenvalleyfarm.com
Pick your own pumpkin or you can select from pre-picked produce.

Willow Springs Market Garden
4924 Willow Springs Road
Little Rock, AR 72206
Robert Lashley - 501-247-5077
info@willowspringsmarketgarden.com
http://www.willowspringsmarketgarden.com
Spinach, peas, pumpkins, herbs and flowers (as well as tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables and fruits in season). Meditation and hummingbird gardens are also being developed as well as handicapped access to picking.

North Central Arkansas

Armistead Mountain Farm
14733 White Oak Mountain Road
Jerusalem, AR 72080
Sue Nuffer
nuffer@artelco.com
Organic farm that sells onions, cabbage, squash, turnips, beets, sweet potatoes, and many more items through the Arkansas Sustainability Network in Little Rock.

Hall’s Orchard
HC 80 Box 50
Sage, AR 72573
Bill or Maggie Miller
870-368-7751
Apples and pumpkins. Apples include Red and Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Winesap and Arkansas Black. Harvest for apples is mid-August to early/mid September.
Pumpkins are ready from early October to late October.

Stone Ages Farm
HCR 85, Box 92, Leslie AR 72645
Boyd and Marilyn
870-447-2669
slettmala@yahoo.com
U-Pick /Farm sales orchard - 70 trees
A sustainable farming internship and apprenticeship site that offers demonstrations of bee operations, hydroponic irrigation, herb/vineyard operations, and more. They also raise and sell free-range pigs, poultry, and goats, and have a primitive, self-contained campground.

Northwest Arkansas

Cox Berry Farms
Rt. 2, Box 156
Clarksville, AR 72830
501-754-3707
coxfarms@cswnet.com
Pumpkins August to October, also Hayrides.
Blackberry plants available November to April.

Dickey Farms
14306 Wildcat Creek Road
Springdale, AR 72762
479-361-9957
September through November - Winter squash and pumpkins (over 70 varieties), among other items.

Northeast Arkansas

Cathy’s Orchard
475 Mt. Vernon Road
Mt. Vernon, AR 72111
Bill or Cathy Hood
1-800-654-0242 - pin 1792
A family-owned U-Pick orchard selling grapes, apples, muscadines, and scuppernongs (You are really Southern if you know the difference between a muscadine and a scuppernong!)
Monday through Saturday - 7 to dark, Sunday 1-5 p.m. Call for availability and varieties.

Gillam Farms
251 Hwy 258
Judsonia, AR 72081
1-800-833-0522
Grapes, Muscadines, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkins (and in season ) other fruits On-site purchase; U-Pick Mon-Sat- 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

South Central Arkansas

Suzanne’s Fruit Farm
David and Sylvia Reddin
500 Peach Road, Hampton; AR
870-798-4975
Muscadines, Scuppernongs and Pumpkins. U-pick or we will pick with 24 hour notice. Call ahead for fruit availability and hours. Enjoy nostalgic experience at fall fun in the country from late September through October with hayrides, John Deere train rides, pumpkin patch. Reservations needed. Handcrafted baskets with jams, jellies, fruit spreads can be shipped nationwide. Five miles NE of Hampton on Tinsman/Fordyce Hwy. 274.