The pick-your-own farms in Oxfordshire to visit this summer
From asparagus to strawberries, these family-friendly pick-your-own farms have it all. We’ve rounded up the pick-your-own farms in Oxfordshire, selling everything from strawberries and blackcurrants to asparagus and sweetcorn.
What first began as a way to buy food in bulk, fill the freezer or make jam, the pick-your-own has today become an enjoyable family day out activity. Many parents use it to introduce their children to the concept of “where our food comes from” and get them out into the fresh air to enjoy a day of wholesome family fun.
What to expect, when
Crops are seasonal and subject to the weather, but the pick-your-own season mostly starts in April when rhubarb. Asparagus is usually available from late April and early May. Strawberries are mainly ready for picking from early to late June, depending upon the season, and gooseberries, from mid-June until mid-July.
Blackcurrants are available at roughly the same time as the raspberries, for six weeks from early July, depending on the weather. And sweetcorn is available in August/September. Finally, expect gourds and pumpkins in autumn/October.
Do try, wherever possible, to take your own containers and carrier bags when you visit pick-your-own farms. And bear in mind that plenty of small containers for pick-your-own are better than one large one, as soft fruit will easily bruise and squash at the bottom of a deep container.
And be aware that occasionally, fields may have to be closed at short notice.
Millets Farm Centre, Frilford
Bought by newlyweds John and Christine Carter in 1952, Millets Farm was originally a 300-acre dairy farm. The summer of 1976 saw the launch of the pick-your-own, and the centre now offers a seasonal calendar of events as a major local attraction.
Whilst a team of 4 people work all year round to provide such an amazing range of pick-your-own crops, they do their best to judge the amount of fruit they will have available, some factors are outside their control, and as a result, all fruit is subject to availability on the day.
Their pick-your-own fields open on 21 May for the 2022 season, and tickets are now available to purchase. An admission ticket is required for everyone who wants to enter the fields, except for toddlers and babies under 2 years old, who do not require an admission ticket and may enter free of charge with a full paying adult.
Pre-booking your tickets is advisable, as tickets will only be available at the door if they have spare capacity.
Rectory Farm, Stanton St John, Oxford
The Stanley Family have been farming the land at Rectory Farm since 1954, and Rectory Farm’s Pick-Your-Own opened for the first time in 1981.
Back in the days, it was a modest 1.5 acres of strawberries and half an acre of raspberries. Today the pick-your-own fields take up 45 acres at the main site and a further 60 acres of asparagus in nearby fields.
The pick-your-own fields are open from April to October, with over thirty different types of fruit, vegetables and flowers for you to pick – all with their own specific season, of course. So check what’s ready to pick before you visit. There is no need to book.
And if pick-your-own is not for you, then the farm has a skilled team of professional pickers in the fields who pick the best fruit and vegetables every single day. You’ll find the ready-picked produce in the Farm Shop.
Medley Manor Farm, Binsey, Oxford
Medley Manor Farm is a small family-run farm in Binsey in the heart of Oxford City with pick-your-own that’s open to the public in the summer months. The farm offers a wide range of seasonal fruits and vegetables for pick-your-own in the summer.
They have a cafe open on the weekends when the pick-your-own is open, serving coffee, light lunches and teas. They also sell strawberry and raspberry ice cream made with their fruit. Their ice cream is only available when the relevant fruits are ripe.
Medley Manor Farm is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4.30pm. There’s no need to book for the pick-your-own.
Hildred’s PYO, Goring-on-Thames
Hildred’s PYO is a lovely local family-run pick-your-own fruit and vegetable area just outside the beautiful village of Goring in South Oxfordshire.
You can visit our place to see the rhubarb and asparagus we grow and pick the ones you like straight from the ground. Rhubarb is usually available from late April to the beginning of June, while asparagus is from late April to 21 June.
Hildred’s is open on Tuesday to Friday from 2.00pm to 6.00pm, and between 10.00am and 4.00pm on Saturdays. Hildred’s PYO is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Please be aware that from 2022, Hildred’s will no longer be selling or providing strawberries or any other fruit.
Peach Croft Farm, Radley, Abingdon
At Peach Croft Farm in rural Oxfordshire, the Homewood family has been rearing award-winning Christmas turkeys and Christmas geese for eighty years.
Three generations later, they’ve got farm fresh asparagus that is available at the Farm Shop and for seasonal pick-your-own. They tell us that their go-to topping is butter and black pepper.
And later in the year, expect scrumptious sweetcorn and pumpkins at Peach Croft Farm in Abingdon, which is open from 9.00am to 3.00pm on Tuesdays to Saturdays.
Where are the pick-your-own farms in Oxfordshire?
Explore our map of the PYO farms in Oxfordshire
