Pumpkin picking season is here — and Canadians love their pumpkins. According to the 2016 Census of Agriculture, there are more than 2,500 farms with pumpkin patches across Canada. This includes many self-pick pumpkin patches in Ontario.
For those who don’t gorge on gourds, there are a number of other fruits, vegetables and legumes ready to be plucked from the harvest. The biggest draws: apples, beans and tomatoes.
“The cool thing about going to a farm is that you can often find varieties that are not in grocery stores,” says Cathy Bartolic, the executive director of the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association.
If picking produce isn’t your bag, Bartolic says many farms offer family-friendly activities on-site, such as wagon rides and corn mazes.
“It’s great just to get out in the fresh air, to catch those last few rays until winter kicks in.”
Pick-Your-Own Farms in Ontario
Using data from The Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association, we’ve created a number of helpful gourd guides to help you fill your basket with the finest fall produce Ontario has to offer. Here are the best pick-your-own farms in Ontario to visit this year.
Halloween Craze Leads the Charge for Pumpkins
If pumpkins are all you’re after, consider picking farms that are closest to your home. Here’s a list of the closest self-pick farms offering pumpkins in the Greater Toronto Area.
5 Pumpkin Patches Closest to Toronto, ON
- Farintosh Farms, 11858 Warden Ave., Gormley, Ontario
- Reesor Farm Market, 10825 Ninth Line, Markham, Ontario
- Applewood Farm Winery, 12416 McCowan Rd., Stouffville, Ontario
- Pine Farms Orchard, 2700 16th Sideroad, King City, Ontario
- Downey’s Farm Market, 13682 Heart Lake Rd, Caledon, Ontario
5 Pumpkin Patches Closest to Oshawa, ON
- Pingle’s Farm Market, 1805 Taunton Rd. E., RR 1, Hampton, Ontario
- Watson Farms Ltd., 2287 Highway #2, Bowmanville, Ontario
- Linton’s Farm Market, 571 Raglan Rd. E., Oshawa, Ontario
- “R” Farm, 3388 Concession 3, Newcastle, Ontario
- Willowtree Farm Market, 975 Durham Rd. 21, Port Perry, Ontario
5 Closest Pumpkin Patches to Ottawa, ON
- Proulx Sugarbush & Berry Farm, 1865 O’Toole Rd., Ottawa, Ontario
- Acorn Creek Garden Farm & Market, 928 Oak Creek Rd., RR 3, Carp, Ontario
- Millers’ Farm and Market, 6158 Rideau Valley Drive, Manotick, Ontario
- Saunders Farm, 7893 Bleeks Rd., PO Box 356, Munster, Ontario
- Fraisiere Duquette Strawberries, 2236 Champlain Street, Clarence Creek, Ontario
5 Pumpkin Patches Closest to Hamilton, ON
- Dyment’s Farm, 416 Fallsview Road East, Dundas, Ontario
- Bennett’s Apples & Cider, 944 Garner Road East, Ancaster, Ontario
- Frootogo Orchards, 573 Parkside Drive, Waterdown, Ontario
- Lindley’s Farm and Market Ltd., 900 Fiddlers Green Rd., Ancaster, Ontario
- Merry Farms, 1974 Concession 2W, Lynden, Ontario
4 Pumpkin Patches Closest to Kingston, ON
- R.V. Farm, 7243 County Road 9, Napanee, Ontario
- Miller’s Bay Farm, 65 Rideau Ferry Rd., Lombardy, Ontario
- Lakeshore Farms, 475 Main St., RR 1, Wellington, Ontario
- McCaw Farms, 1071 Harrington Rd., Quinte West, Ontario
