Jersey Bucket List: Best spots to pick your own NJ blueberries

It might be easy to forget amid summer Shore traffic, but there's a reason New Jersey is the Garden State. Thanks to the Jersey Fresh initiative, homegrown produce has become a seasonal staple in more grocery stores than ever (even Target has signed on)!

So, a definite Jersey Bucket list item is to get out there and see the bounty, first hand. Blueberries are typically out in force across NJ from late June until August — so where can you fill up on "pick your own?"

You'll find a number of family-friendly spots for blueberry picking in Atlantic County. Hammonton really is the blueberry hub for our state. So, I started there in rounding up the best pick your own spots for NJ's 'official' fruit. There's also more places as you head north, including Ocean, Mercer and Morris Counties.

DiMeo Blueberry Farm & Nursery (Atlantic County)
3101 Nesco Road, Hammonton
DiMeo is a booming family-run blueberry farm in Hammonton that sells non-GMO, naturally grown blueberries. The farm also does big business in selling blueberry bushes for aspiring growers. The pick-your-own is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.- plus Sundays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call ahead: (609) 561-5905.

Lindsay's Pick Your Own Blueberries (Atlantic County)
436 Pleasant Mills Rd, Hammonton
This farm on Pleasant Mills Road is usually open for pick your own from mid-June through mid-August. Open everyday but Tuesday, it's always wise to call ahead first: (609) 561-2474.

Blueberry Bill Farms (Atlantic County)
914 11th Street, Hammonton
Blueberry Bill Farms has been open for 50 years in Hammonton. There's NJ blueberries available year-round and the pick your own is in effect for summer. Call ahead for conditions at 609-839-4306.

B & B Farms (Atlantic County)
250 S Mannheim Ave, Egg Harbor City
The Egg Harbor City spot offers pick your own everyday while in season, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 20-acre family farm is owned and operated by former NJ Secretary of Agriculture, Art Brown and his wife Carolyn. Call ahead for conditions and what's available, at (609) 965-5558.

Moods Farm Market (Gloucester County)
901 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill (Elk Twp)
Those visiting Mood's Farm Market for a first time are advised to look for the "orange windmill." The farm is on Route 77, just south of Mullica Hill. Aside from blueberries, there's lots of other fruit ripening through the summer. Pick your own is closed on Sundays.

Johnson's Corner Farm (Burlington County)
133 Church Rd., Medford
This farm in Medford has been family owned and operated since 1953. Summer Harvest means blueberries, plus peaches and sweet corn. Pick-your-own is offered on an hourly basis, within a short window Monday-Friday and on weekends. So, calling ahead is a good idea, 609-654-8643. Johnson's farm also offers tickets for hayrides and a Discovery Barnyard/Animal Farm.

Wells' Blueberry Farm (Burlington County)
466 Retreat Road, Southampton
In the heart of New Jersey's Pine Barrens, the Wells farm has been in the family for five generations. Pick-your-own is a cash or personal check operation. Call ahead at 609-859-2662

Haine's Berry Farm (Burlington County)
98 Sheep Pen Hill Rd., Pemberton
Haine's Berry Farm is another Burlington County favorite for Jersey Fresh blueberries. The family-owned farm in Pemberton offers wagon rides and a picnic area. Before visiting, call ahead at 609-894-8630.

Fred + III (Burlington County)
248 Odd Fellows Rd, Pemberton
Fred Plus 3 in Pemberton is on Odd Fellows Road, with easy access from the New Jersey Turnpike or Route 206. Before visiting, check on the crop and conditions, call 609-351-1255. Normal pick-your-own hours are every day of the week, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. .

Emery's Farm (Ocean County)
346 Long Swamp Rd., New Egypt
About a third of the 60 acres at this Ocean County farm in New Egypt are dedicated to growing blueberries- eight varieties of them. Blueberry fields are open for U-pick 7 days a week from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (weather permitting). Call 609-758-8514 for picking conditions.

Terhune's Orchard (Mercer County)
330 Cold Soil Rd, Princeton
Terhune's Orchard in Princeton offers pick-tour-own blueberries in a 2-acre patch on the sprawling Princeton property. Blueberries are in season, though 'no picking on Mondays'. Call farm store 609-924-2310 to check availability. See the Pick Your Own Schedule for general harvest dates.

Snyder's Farm (Somerset County)
586 South Middlebush Road, Somerset
Snyder's Farm in Somerset offers pick your own blueberries, plus strawberries corn, tomatoes and lots of farm fresh goodies. For 2017, the U Pick blueberry season is over, as the supply is going to their roadside stand and farmers markets. The longtime farmland has been revamped over the past several years, to provide fresh seasonal produce. For conditions and hours, call 732-496-0441.

Phillips Farm (Hunterdon County)
290 Church Rd, Milford
Blueberries are just some of the tasty fun at this Hunterdon County farm. There's also blackberries, raspberries, currants and peaches this time of summer! Pick-your-own is closed on Tuesdays, though the farm stand is open everyday. There's plenty of other farm-grown fruits, vegetables and plants available.

Alstede Farms (Morris County)
1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester
This Chester spot is always bustling with seasonal fun and food. Blueberries, raspberries and peaches are in U Pick season. There's also hayrides to and from the patch, plus pony and tractor rides, a Moon Bounce and more.

Hillview Farms (Morris County)
223 Meyersville Rd, Gillette
This farm in Gillette has been around for almost 150 years. Family-owned and operated, with fresh fruits and vegetables — including sweet blueberries this summer.

For more info on NJ's rich blueberry history, click here.

Proud Jersey Girl Erin Vogt’s< first reporting gig involved her Fisher Price tape recorder. As a wife and momma of two kiddies, she firmly believes that life’s too short to drink bad coffee. A fan of the beach, Dave Grohl and karma, in no particular order.

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