Local Farms and Orchards Make Seasonal Picking Easy

Something’s always growing in Sarasota. Fruits and vegetables of all colors, shapes and sizes flourish in our climate. The trick is to know what’s in season when and where to find it.  

Sarasota locals who want the freshest ingredients for their specialty pies, hearty fish stews and festive holiday tables have harvest season down to science. Picking up baskets of tasty berries and bags of spicy arugula at their local farmers market or placing an order of ripe cucumbers, juicy watermelons and sweet nectarines at a nearby farm. 

If roaming crop rows or driving to the farm for pick-up sounds like too much work, Sarasota farm stands also bring truckloads of what’s freshest from the fields into weekly farmers markets, many of them open year-long.  

Seasonal U-Picks at Local Farms and Groves

Brown’s Grove – Citrus U-pick

With more than a dozen varieties of citrus, an annual visit to the Brown family farm is a must for the holiday and winter season. The 100-year-old farm, operated by four generations of the Brown family, is one of the few groves remaining in Sarasota. Tasty produce available for u-pick in December and January include Tango Tangerines, Red and Navel Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Pomelos, Sugarbells and Honeybells. Check the website for u-pick dates, offerings and pricing.

7362 Hawkins Road, Sarasota, (941) 266-2254

Blumenberry Farms – Organic Produce (U-pick for members)

Blumenberry Farms in Sarasota offers organic u-pick opportunities for farm members. Blumenberry Farms follows National Organic Standards and has been QCS Certified Organic for 25 years. Members of their customizable CSA Farm Membership Program have access to premium organic produce via online shopping and pickup or specially arranged u-picks. Not a member yet? You can shop an extensive "a la carte" menu, too. Visit the website for more information about what’s in season. membership pricing and online shopping at Blumenberry Farms.    

2151 Dog Kennel Rd, Sarasota, Florida 34240

Online Ordering for Pick Up at Local Farms and Groves

Jessica’s Organic Farm – Organic produce (Pick-up)

For a large selection of fresh produce, all grown organically, place an order with Jessica’s Organic Farm, a farm staple in Sarasota since 1979. Fill your online shopping cart with vegetables and fruits aplenty. The extensive online shop includes an assortment of ready-made pesto and foods, too, some of them vegan and other farm delights like pasture-raised eggs. Check the website for ordering and pick-up details and dates (https://www.jessicasorganicfarm.com/shop) and to plan your visit to the farm’s in-person weekend market.  

4180 47th St, Sarasota, FL 34235, (941) 363-1586

Wildside Farms – Herb Nursery (Pre-order for Pick-up)

Wild Side Farms is a pesticide-free, organically grown, certified herb nursery in Sarasota, Florida. Specialties include seasonal plants, culinary herb plants and medicinal herb plants. For in-person shopping, visit the Wildside Farm stand at the Sarasota Farmers Market on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Or better idea yet, skip the wait and pre-order online for pick up at the Saturday Sarasota Farmers Market.  

Farm Stands at Year-round Markets  

Sarasota Farmers Market

1 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota. Year-round market every Saturday from 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

Operating since 1979, make this award-winning, downtown market is a Saturday ritual where vendors of every variety mix with farm stands and an artful display of the season’s best in locally grown vegetables, fruits and flowers.    

Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch 

Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Dr., Sarasota. Year-round market every Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Farm stands and more are a weekly staple in bustling Lakewood Ranch. Locals come near and far seeking farm-fresh produce and delicious prepared foods for their tables while taking advantage of music, yoga and other activities at the ranch.  

Venice Farmers’ Market

Venice Island, 401 W. Venice Ave., Venice. Year-round market every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tucked among historic Mediterranean-style buildings and towering Canary Island palms, the Venice Farmers’ Market is where locals and visitors shop for local area produce and a host of other hand-made local goods.  

Fresh Harvest Farmers Market in Downtown Wellen

19745 Wellen Pk Blvd, Downtown Wellen. Year-round market every Sunday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  

Fresh Harvest, Downtown Wellen’s newly launched weekly farmers market, opened to locals and visitors in 2023. Fresh Harvest Farmers Market offers a selection of local goods, including fresh farm produce from local growers. Downtown Wellen is one of the area’s newest social and gathering spots and one of three distinct districts within the Wellen Park mixed-use community.