There’s a stretch of about three weeks every June when the Hudson Valley turns into one big strawberry patch. Then, just like that, it’s gone.
Strawberries are the first pick-your-own fruit of the season here, the shortest window on the whole calendar, and the one most worth chasing. Because here’s the thing no grocery store wants you to know: a strawberry picked warm off the plant and eaten standing in the row tastes almost nothing like the pale, hollow ones in the plastic clamshell. It’s a different fruit entirely.
I’ve made every strawberry-picking mistake there is: shown up to a field that got picked clean the day before, gone out in the blazing afternoon heat and come home with a basket of mush, forgotten that they don’t keep. Just the other day I went to Dressel Farms (New Paltz) and I took a nap as soon as we got home and didn’t properly store the strawberries. I still ate them, don’t worry!
So consider this the guide I wish someone had handed me: eleven farms across the Valley, organized by county so you can find the one closest to you, the timing tips that actually matter, and a plan for the eight pounds of berries you’ll inevitably over-pick.
The Hudson Valley strawberry window is one of the shortest of the year. It’s three weeks if you’re lucky. Don’t sleep on it.
When to go (the real talk on timing)
Strawberry season here runs late May through early July, but most farms only have ripe fruit for a two-to-three-week stretch in June, and it’s entirely weather-dependent. A warm spring pulls it earlier; a cold, wet one pushes it back and can wipe out a week. Four things I’ve learned the hard way:
- Strawberries don’t ripen after they’re picked. If it’s not fully red in the field, it won’t get redder on your counter. Skip berries with white shoulders near the top.
- Go early, or on an overcast day. Berries picked in the afternoon heat bruise and turn to mush on the drive home. Morning berries are firm, and the rows have been “restocked” overnight.
- They don’t keep. Figure two days in the fridge, hours at room temperature. Plan to eat, store properly, or preserve them the same day you pick.
- Call before you drive. Every farm, every time. Patches close mid-day when they get picked out, and rain shuts everything down. This one habit will save you more ruined Saturdays than anything else in this guide.
Call before you drive. Every farm. Every time. It’s the difference between a perfect Saturday and a sad parking lot.
The farms, by county
| Farm | Town | County | Window | Fees | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochs Orchards | Warwick | Orange | June | Call ahead | Animals + farm market |
| Lawrence Farms Orchards | Newburgh | Orange | Late June–July | Season passes | Big family day out |
| Fishkill Farms | Hopewell Junction | Dutchess | June (reserve) | Reservation | Certified organic |
| Mead Orchards | Tivoli | Dutchess | June | Pay-as-you-pick | Historic family farm |
| Greig Farm | Red Hook | Dutchess | Early June–early July | No entry fee | Longest window, no-spray |
| Dressel Farms | New Paltz | Ulster | June | Pay-as-you-pick | All-season destination |
| Jenkins-Lueken Orchards | New Paltz | Ulster | Early June | Pay-as-you-pick | Year-round picking |
| Kelder’s Farm | Kerhonkson | Ulster | Early–late June | Festival admission | Kids + photos |
| DuBois Farms | Highland | Ulster | Late May start | $5–10 voucher | Earliest berries |
| Saunderskill Farms | Accord | Ulster | June | Pay-as-you-pick | Low-key + market |
| Stone Ridge Orchard | Stone Ridge | Ulster | June | Pay-as-you-pick | Red currants too |
Orange County
Ochs Orchards — Warwick. The Orange County classic, at 4 Ochs Lane on Route 94, open daily 9am–5pm from June into December. Strawberries, then cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries as the summer rolls on, plus farm animals and a market to round out the trip. Call 845-986-1591 before you head out. Strawberry availability shifts day to day.
Lawrence Farms Orchards — Newburgh. At 39 Colandrea Road, this is the full family-day-out farm: duck pond, goats, and a concession stand slinging hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, and pies. Strawberry picking runs a little later here, end of June through July, and they sell season passes. A smart buy if you’ve got kids who’ll want to come back every weekend. Open June through October, 9am–4pm. 845-562-4268.
Dutchess County
Fishkill Farms — Hopewell Junction. First, the local’s detail: the farm is named Fishkill but is actually in Hopewell Junction. The berries are certified organic and grown for flavor over shelf life, which is the entire point of picking your own. They run a reservation system posted to their site two to three days ahead, so check before you fall in love with a specific date. Farm store and cider bar on site. 845-897-4377.
Mead Orchards — Tivoli. A century-plus family farm at 15 Scism Road, with strawberries, cherries, and blueberries opening in June. Heads up: their Instagram is the best source of truth. 845-756-5641.
Greig Farm — Red Hook. A few things make this one special. At 223 Pitcher Lane, the strawberries run early June through early July which is one of the longest windows in the Hudson Valley. They grow no-spray, without plastic mulch, so expect more weeds in the rows but a healthier field. No entrance fee; you only pay for what you pick. One rule: no dogs in the strawberry fields. The berries grow at ground level. Goats, walking trails, and a market round it out. 845-758-1234.
Ulster County
Dressel Farms — New Paltz. At 271 Route 208, the first strawberries come in June. A quiet quality signal: Soons Orchards in Middletown actually sources its farm-market strawberries from Dressel. This is personally where I go every year for strawberries.
Jenkins-Lueken Orchards — New Paltz. Also in New Paltz, at 69 Yankee Folly Road. U-pick starts in early June with strawberries, then rolls through blueberries and raspberries, blackberries in August, and apples and pumpkins in fall. It is a true year-round destination. 845-255-0999.
Kelder’s Farm — Kerhonkson. At 5575 Route 209, the strawberry festival runs from the start of June through mid-to-late June — about three weeks, weather permitting. This is the most kid-friendly and most photogenic stop on the list: a Guinness-record garden gnome, mini golf, a play area, farm animals, 35-plus attractions. If you’re shooting content, it’s a backdrop goldmine. 845-626-7137.
DuBois Farms — Highland. At 209 Perkinsville Road, strawberries often start in late May — typically the earliest in the Valley. Read the fine print: there’s a $5 voucher per person on weekdays, $10 on weekends, and personal bags aren’t allowed (diaper bags, small purses, and medical bags excepted). Café, tavern, and ciders on site. 845-795-4037.
Saunderskill Farms — Accord. At 5100 Route 209, open 9am–6pm, April through December. Strawberries and raspberries, plus a well-stocked farm market. 845-626-2676.
Stone Ridge Orchard — Stone Ridge. At 3012 Route 213, open daily 9am–6pm, June through October. Low-spray strawberries, raspberries, and — unusually — red currants worth grabbing while you’re there.
Want the berries without the picking? Soons Orchards in Middletown doesn’t grow u-pick strawberries (their PYO is apples and pumpkins in the fall), but they sell strawberries sourced from Dressel at their farm market all season. Open 9am–6pm daily, year-round.
What to actually do with eight pounds of strawberries
You will over-pick. Everyone does. Here’s how to use them before they turn and why it’s worth it:
- Freeze them. Wash, hull, freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan, then bag. Smoothies and crisps all summer.
- Quick refrigerator jam. No canning, no special equipment — cook down, jar, keep in the fridge.
- Strawberry cheesekcake. You can’t tell me you don’t love a good strawberry cheesecake, New York Style!
- Strawberry-rhubarb cobbler. Rhubarb’s in season at the same moment; they were made for each other.
- Strawberry-kiwi jam. An odd pair, but they work together to create an unexpectedly delicious jam.
- Ice cream or sorbet. A pure strawberry sorbet is basically just berries, sugar, and lemon.
The rough math: a flat runs about eight pounds, which makes roughly ten half-pint jars of jam. Good artisan jam runs $8–10 a jar (call it $90 worth) while your cost in berries, sugar, and pectin is a fraction of that. Even after the drive, you come out ahead, and you know exactly what’s in it. (Adjust to this year’s u-pick price per pound.)
Strawberries don’t keep ripening after they’re picked. If it’s not red in the field, it’s not going to be red on your counter.
Shooting your haul (a photographer’s two cents)
If you’re bringing a camera — and at these farms you’ll want to:
- Shoot at golden hour; the low light through the rows is unbeatable.
- Backlight a pint basket of berries for that glowing, jewel-toned look.
- Save a flat-lay for home: berries, hulls, a knife, a marble or wood board.
- Don’t skip the process shots — jam-making is some of the most photogenic content you’ll make all summer.
Before you go
This is the first stop in a Hudson Valley seasonal picking series — blueberries in July, peaches in August, and apples once fall hits. Bookmark it, check the field reports before you drive, and if you make it out, tag the farm (and me) so I can see your haul.
Now go! The season’s already half over!
