Barrie Hill Farms — Attraction in Springwater

2nd visit here 3 weeks ago for blueberry picking. Brought friends along after a good experience apple picking last year, however was disappointed this time round for several reasons:

Lack of price transparency - prices for baskets were not displayed prominently. There were big tubs of baskets at the entrance to the fields however no prices were stated next to the baskets. This gave guests an impression that baskets were complimentary/included in the entrance fee (I did not get any baskets last year as the apples were too small for those, hence was not aware they cost money).

Lack of communication by staff - we went 1 hour before closing time so picking was a bit tight for us time-wise. After paying the entrance fee and getting the baskets, we were asked what we wanted to pick before getting directed to the tractor we should get on. Later did we know that the blueberry fields were actually just 100 - 200 meters from where we got on the tractor. Instead, we wasted 10 minutes on the tractor as people got off different spots of the farm depending on what they wanted to pick, and the blueberry fields were the last stop in the 4-5 stops they had for the ride. Obviously we could have asked staff if the blueberry fields were of a walk-able distance before getting on the tractor, but we felt that the staff could have proactively told us we could opt to walk to the blueberries instead of going on the tractor ride. This is especially since they would be way more familiar with the farm, and considering that there were guests who had just come in the final hours of the farm's operation hours for the day.

Rude exit - when it came for the farm to close, guests were shepherded like almost like sheep to the entrance. Our group did not appreciate this. To prevent guests from continuing to pick blueberries while walking to the counter to weigh and pay for the food they had picked, the staff had a tractor come at them from the back so that they would be forced to walk to the side on the left (where there was nothing to pick), while shouting off the top of their heads that the farm was closing, asking everyone to walk to the other side because a tractor was behind. We understand staff want to finish up quick and head home when it is closing time, but surely there are better ways to convey the message across.

Nice farm but sadly wouldn't visit again after...

Today July 04,2025. I took my 11 year old son for a strawberry picking trip from Mississauga all the way to Barrie Hill Farms . We were expecting to have an amazing experience as all of people who already had their own and reviewed 5 + stars. Unfortunately myself didn’t have one today. Here is the story: Arrived at the farm checked in paid fees and I did bring my own baskets , wagon ride to the strawberry field picked 2 baskets full and a bag I had with me , the sun was very hot so we ( my son and I) decided to go check out and leave. At the checkout I handed one basket and the staff brought one from the back adding to mine Here I told him that one I didn’t pick then I handed my second basket and the bag . He said no that was yours, I told his I’m sure I have picked 2 baskets and some in a bag the one he brought from the back was not mine and he wanted to pushed it with my items I have already picked. He said that I came first time then went back to pick more. I told him I didn’t this is my first time checking out but instead he and the girl was with him said that I’m laying in front of my son who was telling them that they were mistakenly accusing us but didn’t listen. They called another staff who kept cutting me of and wasn’t even listening rolling her eyes and saying words I didn’t even understand . Then the manager came who did not handle the situation appropriately. He was like you can check out what you said you picked and it doesn’t matter he kept saying it doesn’t matter. I told him it matters because they said I was laying. Note: the staff said we have cameras and I was insisted to see them , the manager said No we don’t have cameras it doesn’t matter. I left with a heavy heart and a promise not to come back . Very disappointed and shocked how costumer service turned out these days. You go to support local farmers and store with your own money and you leave with an accusation. Last question for the owner:,, Why would someone drive all that distance and under the very hot sun pick strawberries and then deny buying them ???. Lastly, I don’t say it’s not recommended ( the farm is nice , staff on the fields are nice ) everyone had , has and will have different experiences. But wanted to share mine . And the 0 star for the staff at...

I wish I could give a better review. We went this past weekend with our kids, they were really looking forward to it. We got there at 10:30am & stayed until around 4:00pm. In that 5.5 hours, we spent about 4.5 hours standing in lines. We take our kids to a lot of events in our area and understand that we will have to wait our turn for things but this was so outrageous. The face painter could’ve brought a helper. She was rude and unpleasant. It says Free but then she asked for $5. I happily paid her for her time but she should not advertise free. Tractor line went surprisingly quick. Tractor ride was fun for the kids. Apple picking was not a great experience. We got to the field by 11:30 and they were basically out of apples. Then we had to stand in the cooking sun with our baby for 45 minutes to get on a tractor out of there. No one was paying attention and so many families were just cutting in front of everyone to get on. No drinks were offered because they didn’t have a signal? I was surprised that 3 bags of apples (we grabbed off the ground) was almost $50. My biggest issue was the food lines. This was absolutely crazy. My partner waited AN HOUR in the pizza line. $80 for 4 small meals. My friend waited 45 minutes in the grill line. There were 4 families ahead of her and the line barely budged. We ended up opting out of that. Not worth the wait for an $11 sausage. They had nothing prepped and young kids responsible for the cooking and serving. No adult supervision. It was a disaster. They have a little playground for the kids and half the toys were broken. One of the plastic ladders is broken and ended up slicing open my toddlers leg. I do my best to support local when I can but I probably won’t attend another event here. The vibe was miserable. Families were all miserable & rude which I will assume was because they were living the same experience we were. This farm could be a fun experience but they really need to prep ahead for these events. Super...