Harvest the Season in Rural Montgomery, Maryland

We have rounded up a variety of experiences, from picking your own orchards, cutting your own flowers, taking Instagram-worthy photos in a sea of sunflowers, or stopping off at a rural farm in the scenic countryside. Pair your visit with a hike up Sugarloaf Mountain, a glass of wine at a nearby vineyard, or an impromptu picnic overlooking the rolling countryside. 

Pro tip: Check crop availability before you go. Harvest conditions change quickly, and weekends tend to be the busiest. 

Pick Your Own Farms

Butlers Orchard

Follow scenic rustic clopper road to Butlers Orchard, a full-scale destination farm known for its seasonal harvest and family-friendly activities. Walk the rows with a basket in hand, wander through the open fields, and move at your own pace, stopping wherever the fruit is at its ripest. In the summer, pick your own strawberries, blueberries, tart cherries, and raspberries. In the fall, grab a basket and pick the perfect pumpkin out of the patch or the sweetest apple of the orchard, and use it for decorating or in your holiday pie recipe. Bring the family over to the orchard for bunny land in the spring, sunflower spectacular in the summer, and grab your favorite pumpkin from the patch during the pumpkin patch festival.

Bring the family and head over to the orchard for a day of seasonal adventure. In the spring, wander through Bunnyland and go on an egg hunt, ride a hayride through the fields, race between giant slides to bouncy jump pads, and climb onto pedal tractors. Pause to stop and feed friendly goats, sheep, and rabbits that bring the whole experience to life. Wander through massive sunflower fields, capture the perfect Instagram-worthy photo during the Sunflower Festival, pick the perfect pumpkin for carving, get lost in the corn mazes, and listen to live music during the pumpkin festival in the Fall. Nearby, treat yourself to a delicious ice cream cone from Grey Goose Farm, known to have the creamiest ice cream made from the freshest ingredients.    

Pro Tip: Check the pick-your-own crop calendar before your visit to see what’s currently ripe for picking. Seasonal festivals can get especially busy, so it’s also worth reviewing the event calendar ahead of time to plan around peak crowds.               

Homestead Farm

Make your way over to Homestead Farm, a quieter, more traditional orchard experience tucked away in the countryside. Slowly walk through the fields and pick fruit straight from the vines and trees where it grows. Pick your own farm-grown produce, including strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries in the summer, and apples that hang heavy in the orchards come fall.  In the fall, pumpkin patches become the centerpiece of the farm with rows of pumpkins spread across the fields, with plenty of space to wander and choose your own. Stop into the market for locally inspired items like honey, apple butter, jams, and jellies, flavors that carry the taste of the orchards home with you. In between picking, wander over to the petting zoo and interact with playful goats, watch them climb and balance along the elevated goat walk, and capture the perfect family photo-worthy moment. Pair your visit to Homestead Farm and settle into a lively atmosphere with live music and the perfect handcrafted cocktail from nearby Song Dog Distillery in Boyds, MD.

Grateful Gardeners 

Wander over to Grateful Gardeners in Poolesville, a simple, intimate, cut flower farm where you can step directly into the growing process. Walk the rows at your own pace, gather stems in peak bloom, and hand-pick fresh flowers to create your perfect bouquet. Depending on the time of year, choose from seasonal tulips, dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, poppies, sunflowers, and other textured accent blooms that add shape, color, and movement to your arrangement. As you move through the fields, you’re selecting each stem at its freshest point, assembling something uniquely your own to take home, whether it’s for a flower arrangement or a scrapbook project, all shaped by the season. Pair your visit to the farm with a glass of Chardonnay at nearby Sugarloaf Mountain Windridge Vineyards.

Pro Tip: Check out their social media or website before heading out, as “U-Pick” availability changes weekly based on what is currently hitting its peak bloom. 

Farm Stands

Deere Valley Farm

Hike Sugarloaf Mountain and then treat yourself to a cone from Deere Valley Farm. Enjoy a stop at the ice cream window for soft serve made right on site, featuring a range of flavors that add a sweet touch to your visit. Choose from favorites like vanilla, chocolate, banana, or cake batter, among many others. Known for its specialty as a meat farm, it’s the perfect place to gather ingredients for your next meal, offering pasture-raised beef, pork, and lamb alongside a selection of locally made products. Lastly, pick up locally sourced pantry goods at their farm market, including artisan cheeses, sauces, honey, and baked items to take home with you. For dinner, use all local ingredients to make lamb sliders using local lamb, artisan cheese, and bakery-fresh buns. The possibilities are endless!  

Pro Tip: Fall is the perfect time to pick your own sunflowers at Deere Valley and take home a piece of the farm’s beauty with you. Create your own custom bouquet or enjoy the seasonal scenic backdrop, perfect for an Instagram-worthy photo with family or friends. 

Lewis Orchards 

Drive along scenic Route 28 to Lewis Orchards, a fourth-generation farm that has remained unchanged for decades. Stroll through the farm market and choose from a variety of seasonal produce, including strawberries, apples, pumpkins, summer squash, radishes, and peaches, depending on the time of year. Search for specialty items like sweet corn, nectarines, or black raspberries, and pair them with locally made favorites like sweet cream butter for your next meal, baked dessert, or breakfast gathering. In the fall, a peach, apple, or blueberry pie made on site makes the perfect addition to your holiday table. In between browsing, pause to admire the landscape, where wide-open fields stretch in all directions beneath big skies and distant tree lines that shift with the colors of each season. Pair your fresh finds from Lewis Orchards with a visit to nearby Crossvines, then unwind at the bistro restaurant with a scrumptious Fried Green Tomato BLT surrounded by vineyard views. 

Farm Market at Butler’s Orchard

Step inside the Farmers Market at Butler’s Orchard, a country store experience that goes beyond the products themselves. Browse farm-style home decor to pick up your next rustic wooden serving board, seasonal wreath, ceramic honey pot, or pumpkin spice artisan candle that mimics the farm’s harvest. Fill your basket with gourmet pantry staple items like Butler’s own fruit butters, local dairy milk, and small batch granola, or head to the bakery counter for seasonal apple cider donuts or fresh fruit pies. Assemble your charcuterie board with sharp cheddar, goat cheese, and apple butter from the market, creating a simple, seasonal spread perfect for your next family outing. With a donut in hand, try the fresh-pressed apple cider, a staple that is made in-house at the market seasonally. Nearby, spend an afternoon at Black Hill Regional Park, hike along the scenic wooded trails, pause in quiet moments of reflection, bird watch, or rent a kayak to explore Little Seneca Lake as bald eagles soar overhead. 

Kingsbury’s Orchard 

Make your way to Kingsbury Orchard Farm, a family-run orchard with a calm, working-farm feel, known for its simple, seasonal harvests and fresh fruit grown right on site. Stroll through the farm market with a basket in hand and browse a seasonal selection of fresh produce, including yellow and white peaches, apples, and pears, depending on what’s in peak season. In the fall, walk through the pumpkin patches and choose your own pumpkin perfect for decorating and carving with the family. Step into the country store to shop for your favorite homemade jam, honey, or homemade peach cobbler and apple pie, a perfect addition to your family’s next gathering. Take a relaxed walk through the orchards, stopping at plenty of spots for the perfect Instagram-worthy photo. While you are enjoying seasonal produce, walk the grounds, take in the rural countryside views, and sample strawberry jam or fruit spreads made directly from orchard produce. Head over to nearby Soleado Lavender Farm, wander through rows of blooming lavender, breathe in the soft, calming fragrance, and pause in the stillness to capture the perfect photo of purple in bloom.  

Pro Tip: Stay tuned for updates as Kingsbury Orchard is currently closed for the 2026 season and will reopen next season.

Whitetails Farm

Explore Whitetails Farm, a family and locally owned destination, where summer transforms 12 acres into a sea of blooming sunflowers. Wander into a dedicated walking path as the thousands of yellow blooming sunflowers surround you.  As you explore, pause to cut your own sunflowers straight from the stalk to craft your own handpicked, one-of-a-kind bouquet. Stop at the rustic swings and curated photo settings that blend naturally into the landscape, offering the perfect frame for an Instagram-worthy moment beneath the endless yellow open sky. Pair your visit to the sunflower farm with a glass of Chardonnay at nearby Burnt Hill Farm, a 117-acre hilltop vineyard in Maryland’s Piedmont Plateau, and enjoy stunning views of the rolling countryside. 

Pro Tip: Whitetails Farm is dog-friendly, and leashed pups are welcome to join you on a scenic walk through the fields and even star in your family photos among the sunflowers. 

Looking for more inspiration? Explore even more seasonal adventures, farm experiences, and outdoor activities throughout Rural Montgomery.