Homestead Farm — Attraction in Poolesville

Update: Today I received a call from the owner of Homestead Farms. He sincerely apologized for the service I received and stated he is making a number of changes to ensure it never happens again. I had numerous wonderful experiences at this farm. We go multiple times per year and the quality of the produce is great. The kids love to environment and animals. The strawberries we picked were awesome. I had one poor experience and the owner immediately took responsibility and corrected the issue. You cannot ask for a better out come to to an issue that arose.

Previous post:

I have been to this farm many times. Today we went strawberry picking here with a group of parents and kids. I obtained a box for the pick your own strawberries and they requested a dollar cash. No big deal. We picked strawberries and I immediately paid for the strawberries afterwards with credit card. I ensured they took credit card before picking. They mentioned nothing of a card card minimum and no signs. My daughter wanted an ice cream but I wanted her to wait as I didn't want her to eat it in front of other kids. When the cashier rang up my strawberries she made a $10 mistake in my favor (only charging me $4.84 rather the actual price of $14.84). I showed her the mistake she made and paid the remainder. She thanked me profusely for being honest. After the kids played and had snack, I went to buy my daughter an ice cream before we left. The same cashiers said $2. I went to pay by credit card and she said $5 minimum. I only had $1 left so we had to put ice cream back and my daughter cried all the way to the car. Really, really short sighted after I spent hundreds of dollars at the place...

Our family has been going to Homestead Farm every October for most of the 15 years we have lived in Maryland. It was always a 5 star place and we were always loyal to Homestead because it was a simple family place with good old-fashioned hayrides and a pumpkin patch, opposed to Bulter's Orchard which has a more commercial feel. I admit that I haven't been to Homestead since pre-COVID, but wow have they changed. You used to be able to walk right up. There was no admission fee, but there was a small fee to get a ticket for the hayride that took you to the pumpkin patch where you could pick your own pumpkin. Now, you are corralled like livestock through a fenced pen where you must pay admission to gain entry. I inquired about tickets for the hayride to the pumpkin patch and was told they no longer do hayrides, and all the pumpkins are piled up for you to select in the courtyard behind the admissions booth. Why even go to the farm? You might as well just get your pumpkin from the curb at the grocery store! Also gone is the country kitchen where you used to be able to buy funnel cakes, caramel apples, and cider to enjoy on the picnic benches. Closed! Gone! Store is no longer open. Then you can't leave without being herded like animals again through a pay line to buy your pumpkins. You are literally penned in by fences and cannot even peruse the items in the market because it is outside of the holding pen. We were so sad as to how this place has changed that we left without even stopping by the market once we got out of the jail cell. It put a permanent tarnish on so many happy family memories and over a decade of Christmas cards with pictures of us in the orchard. So...

Always a good time. No appt required...just show up. Though their website is very basic, it's a nice place. Pick your own fruit and there's fresh produce picked by them in the shop. It's maybe a 25 - 30 minute drive from where River Rd begins at Wisconsin Ave in NW (Tenleytown) DC.

Some pick your own fruit places have more bells and whistles and much higher admission. The nominal entry fee of like $3 is fine. Before covid time entry was free, you just paid for your fruit picked. No complaints about $3. Update: Now it's $4-still a great deal. Pre, and post being a dad, I've always appreciated the lack of bells, whistles and hoopla at Homestead. It's a simple place, as a farm should be. There's a pumpkin patch. There are chickens and miniature goats.

I've come in summer for yellow and white peaches, blueberries, blackberries and flowers, and in fall for apples and pumpkins. I've come here 7 or 8 times in the past 15 years. They have good everything, though the blackberries and apples are my faves. At least 5 or 6 types of apples and they're at peak ripeness at different times. If you ask the folks who work there, they'll tell you which are ripe today.

I went on a Friday afternoon once on a fluke since I happened to be in the area and then on a Saturday afternoon shortly thereafter for blackberries. There were way more super sweet ones on Friday...not that they were bad or not enough late Saturday. Since the big crowds come on Saturday and Sunday and pillage the best of the best blackberries, the other worldly ones were far less abundant.. Maybe earlier Saturday would be just as good to get the primo...