Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches you can pick yourself? Now that’s a summer activity I can get behind.
This family-run New Hampshire farm offers seasonal pick-your-own opportunities, giving visitors a chance to gather fresh fruit directly from the fields.
The selection changes as different crops ripen, so timing matters. Strawberries typically kick off the summer picking season, followed by other berries and fruit as the warmer months progress.
I like that every visit can offer something a little different.
There’s also a farm stand where you can browse fresh produce and other locally grown goodies. You might arrive planning to fill a single container and leave wondering how you’ll use everything you picked.
Fresh fruit, time outdoors, and a little friendly competition over who finds the best berries? That sounds like a summer morning well spent.
Seven Generations Have Kept This Family Story Growing
Edwin Hardy started Brookdale Fruit Farm in 1847. Back then, it was a subsistence farm with cows, chickens, hogs, apples, and vegetables.
Later generations made a big switch. They moved away from dairy farming and planted orchards instead.
That choice clearly worked out. Today the Hardy and Whittemore families still run the show, more than 175 years later.
Chip Hardy works alongside his son Trevor and daughter-in-law Madison Lowell Hardy. Madison’s son represents the eighth generation, which is a pretty impressive family tree for a fruit farm.
Frank Whittemore serves as the farm’s treasurer. About 14 family members help with daily operations, so family dinners probably include plenty of shop talk.
The land itself has a future too. Its acreage is protected under a Land Conservation Investment Program, which helps keep these fields as fields.
In 2000, the farm earned the Ag-Earth Partnership’s Millennium Farm/Ranch Family Award. The honor recognized the family’s care for the land over many decades.
Knowing all this changes how a simple berry tastes. Every handful comes from soil one family has tended since before the Civil War.
That’s a lot of history to fit in a pint basket, and it somehow fits just fine.
Strawberry Season Gets The Whole Party Started
June is when the fun begins. Pick-your-own season opens with strawberries, and the fields suddenly turn into rows of bright red treasure.
Picking your own strawberries comes with a simple bonus. You choose every berry yourself, so the squishy ones stay right where they are.
Brookdale Fruit Farm’s U-Pick season runs from June through November. Strawberries are the opening act in that long lineup.
Timing matters with strawberries. Fields can change quickly, so checking the farm’s updates before you go is a smart move.
A few practical tips help a lot. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting dusty, and bring sun protection for the open fields.
Little kids usually make excellent berry hunters. Their eyes sit closer to the ground, which feels like an unfair advantage.
Plan to pick a bit more than you think you need. Fresh strawberries vanish fast once they hit the car ride home.
Extras can turn into shortcake, smoothies, or homemade jam. Or you can simply eat them by the handful at the kitchen counter.
Nobody has to know how many were gone before dinner, and honestly, that’s part of the joy of berry season in New Hampshire.
Cherries, Blueberries, And Raspberries Keep Summer Rolling
Cherry picking sounds fancy, and it kind of is. Plenty of farms skip cherries, but Brookdale Fruit Farm includes them in its summer U-Pick lineup.
Blueberries come next on many summer calendars. These bushes reward patience, because the ripest berries roll off with the gentlest touch.
Raspberries join the party too. Blackberries are on the list as well, giving you a full berry rainbow of reds, blues, and deep purples.
Each fruit picks a little differently. Cherries grow on trees, blueberries hang on bushes, and raspberries hide among prickly canes.
That variety keeps things interesting for kids and grown-ups alike. One trip might mean blueberries, while the next brings raspberry stains on every finger.
Here’s a helpful habit. Use shallow containers for raspberries, since they bruise easily when piled too high.
Blueberries hold up better and freeze beautifully. Spread them on a tray first, then bag them, and you’ll have summer flavor in January.
Cherries are best enjoyed fresh, ideally on the porch. Spitting pits into the yard is optional but strongly traditional.
Few summer snacks feel this rewarding, mostly because you did the picking yourself.
Peach Picking In New England? Yes, Really
Peaches usually make people think of Georgia. Southern New Hampshire surprises a lot of folks by growing them too.
Brookdale Fruit Farm offers peaches as part of its pick-your-own season. Finding a juicy peach on a tree in New England feels like a small summer victory.
The trick is knowing what to look for. Ripe peaches give slightly when pressed, and they twist off the branch without much fuss.
Skip any peach that clings tightly. It probably needs a few more sunny days to reach its best.
Handle them like eggs. Peaches bruise easily, so set them in your container instead of tossing them in.
Back home, a paper bag on the counter can help firm peaches soften. Once ripe, move them to the fridge if you need a little extra time.
Then the fun choices begin. Cobbler, salsa, grilled peaches, or ice cream toppings all sound like winning plans.
Of course, the classic option still rules. Eat one over the sink and let the juice run wherever it wants.
Messy? Absolutely.
Worth it? Every single time, especially when the fruit traveled only a few miles to your kitchen.
Thirty-Plus Apple Varieties Make Fall Decisions Tough
More than 30 apple varieties grow here. That’s enough to make choosing a favorite feel like a real decision.
Apples are a huge part of Brookdale Fruit Farm’s story. Earlier generations shifted from dairy to orchards, and that change shaped the farm into what it is today.
Fall brings apple picking to center stage. Pumpkins and squash join in too, including sugar pumpkins, mini pumpkins, and ironsides, also called cannonball pumpkins.
Squash fans get options as well. Acorn, blue hubbard, and butternut squash are all available to pick.
Weekends add a fun ride. Wagon rides run from 11 am to 5 pm to carry visitors out to the picking fields.
That ride saves tired legs, especially on the way back. A full bag of apples gets heavy faster than you’d think.
Here’s a smart tip for apple lovers. Pick a mix of sweet and tart varieties, since some shine fresh while others bake better.
The farm also maintains controlled atmosphere rooms for apples. That helps stretch apple availability well past harvest season.
So even when the trees go bare, a crisp local apple might still be waiting at the stand.
Cider Donuts Are Waiting Inside The Post-And-Beam Farm Stand
Back in the 1960s, the family put up a simple roadside stand. In 1975, they built the post-and-beam farm stand that still welcomes shoppers today.
It started as a place to sell produce. Now it’s packed with much more, and browsing can easily take longer than planned.
The bakery turns out freshly baked pies and cider donuts. Those donuts alone justify a detour, especially on a crisp afternoon.
Shelves hold local honey, maple syrup, breads, pasta, and specialty foods. You’ll also find jams, jellies, sauces, cheese, local eggs, and grass-fed beef.
The farm makes its own applesauce and apple cider. Sparkling cider is on hand too, which makes a fun, fizzy treat for the whole family.
Gifts and flowers round out the mix. It’s an easy stop for a hostess present or a last-minute birthday surprise.
The stand operates year-round, with longer hours in the busy season. Checking current hours before you head out is always wise.
Brookdale Fruit Farm even won New Hampshire Magazine’s Best Organic Farm Stand award in 2009. Not bad for a building that began as a produce shed with big dreams.
Ice Cream, Animals, And A Corn Maze Keep Kids Happy
Spud’s Ice Cream Stand might be the most important stop of the day, at least according to anyone under ten. It serves Annabelle’s Ice Cream, a well-known New Hampshire brand.
Picnic tables sit nearby. That gives everyone a spot to enjoy a cone before it melts down their wrist.
Animals add another layer of fun. The petting zoo features animals and chickens, giving little ones a reason to linger.
Chickens are surprisingly entertaining to watch. They strut around like they own the place, which, in fairness, they kind of do.
Fall brings a corn maze to the mix. It’s offered seasonally, so plan your visit for the right time of year if mazes are on your list.
Getting a little lost is the whole point. Just set a meeting spot first, because someone always wanders off chasing a shortcut.
A garden shop also offers plants and gifts. Gardeners can grab something green to take home and grow their own little harvest.
Put it all together, and a fruit-picking trip becomes a full outing. Pick, snack, explore, repeat.
Kids rarely complain when ice cream is part of the itinerary.
Smart Growing Methods Started Here Before They Were Trendy
Long before many farms caught on, this one was trying something new. Brookdale Fruit Farm was among the first orchards in New Hampshire to adopt Integrated Pest Management.
Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a thoughtful approach. Farmers watch crops closely and use different strategies to keep fruits and vegetables healthy.
The farm is mostly conventional. Still, some organic growing happens on land that suits it well.
Heirloom potatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers are part of that organic effort. It’s a nice example of matching crops to the right soil and space.
The 450 acres hold a wide mix of plantings. That diversity helps explain how picking season stretches from June into November.
Size matters here too. Brookdale ranks among the largest retail, pick-your-own, and wholesale fruit and vegetable growers in the state.
Wholesale reaches far beyond Hollis. The farm supplies grocery chains like Hannaford, Market Basket, Shaw’s, and Whole Foods.
It also sells to more than 100 other farm stands in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. So you might have tasted their produce already without realizing it.
Picking straight from the source just feels a lot more satisfying.
Plan Your Trip To This Charming Corner Of Hollis
Getting there is the easy part. You’ll find the farm at 41 Broad Street, Hollis, NH 03049, in a pretty slice of southern New Hampshire.
Hollis sits close to Nashua. That makes Brookdale Fruit Farm a simple day trip for many families in the region.
Timing your visit is key. U-Pick runs June through November, but each crop has its own short window.
Following the farm’s updates helps you catch the fruit you want. Strawberries in June won’t wait for a July visit.
Weekend visitors get the wagon rides from 11 am to 5 pm. Weekdays can be a nice choice if you prefer a slower pace.
Pack a few basics before you leave. Sunscreen, water, comfortable shoes, and a cooler for the ride home all come in handy.
Leave room in the schedule for the farm stand. Pies, cider, and donuts deserve a proper browse, not a rushed grab.
Spring visitors might find even more color. The farm planned tulip and peony picking in 2024, adding flowers to the fruit lineup.
Whenever you go, you’ll leave with sticky fingers, a full trunk, and probably plans for your next trip.
