Pick Your Own Strawberries & Experience Farm Life This Spring In Georgia
A visit to Blue Ridge feels even sweeter when it includes a stop at one of the region’s most cherished farms. Mercier Orchards has become a favorite destination for families and travelers who want to experience a working orchard that blends tradition with fun. In spring, the fields come alive as strawberry season begins, inviting visitors to pick fresh berries straight from the vine.
The experience goes beyond the fields, with tractor rides, a bustling market filled with baked goods, and cider tastings that highlight the farm’s long history. Wide open spaces, mountain views, and a welcoming atmosphere make it easy to spend hours exploring without feeling rushed.
Whether you are planning a full weekend in the mountains or just looking for a memorable day trip, Mercier Orchards offers a hands on experience that captures the simple joy of farm life.
1. Scenic Tractor-Drawn Wagon Tours
Climbing aboard a tractor-drawn wagon and rolling through 300 acres of working orchard with mountain ridges filling the horizon is the kind of simple pleasure that sticks with you long after the drive home. Mercier Orchards offers these wagon tours Friday through Sunday, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the spring strawberry season. The pace is relaxed, the views are genuinely stunning, and the guides tend to share interesting details about how the farm operates.
The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop as the wagon winds through apple and peach trees, open fields, and berry patches. Spring brings soft green color to every hillside, making the scenery feel almost painted.
Young children especially love the novelty of riding behind a real working tractor, while older visitors appreciate the chance to slow down and take everything in without rushing. Arrive early on weekends since tours can fill up quickly during peak season.
2. Family-Friendly Farm Activities
Farm life has a way of capturing a child’s imagination like almost nothing else, and Mercier Orchards leans into that beautifully. Kids who have only ever seen fruit on a grocery store shelf suddenly get to understand where food actually comes from, and that connection tends to stay with them. Picking their own strawberries gives children a genuine sense of accomplishment that no souvenir shop item can replicate.
Beyond the berry fields, the farm atmosphere itself is endlessly entertaining for younger visitors. There are animals to observe, open spaces to explore, and the constant sensory experience of being on a real working farm. Parents often find that kids are more focused and engaged here than at typical amusement-style attractions.
Mercier Orchards has built its reputation over decades as a multigenerational destination, and that family-first spirit shows in how the property is organized and maintained. Strollers can navigate most paved areas, though the fields themselves require steady footing.
3. Fresh Baked Goods from the Bakery
Few things pair better with a morning of strawberry picking than a warm pastry from a real farm bakery. Mercier Orchards runs an on-site bakery that turns out seasonal treats worth planning your visit around, including strawberry cream fried pies and apple cider donuts that have developed a loyal following among repeat visitors. The smell alone when you walk through the door is worth the trip.
Seasonal specialties rotate with what is growing on the farm, so spring visits tend to highlight strawberry-forward creations that feel fresh and genuinely local rather than mass-produced. The bakery also stocks fruit cobblers, breads, and other baked goods that make excellent road-trip snacks for the drive back.
Lines can form on busy weekend mornings, so swinging by early or during a weekday visit tends to mean shorter waits. Picking up a few extra items to bring home is always a smart move since these baked goods tend to disappear fast once family and friends catch a whiff.
4. Hard Cider and Wine Tastings
Mercier Orchards grows its own fruit, and the tasting room gives adults the chance to experience exactly what that means in a glass. The orchard produces a range of hard ciders and fruit wines made from apples, peaches, and other crops grown right on the property, giving each pour a genuinely local character that commercial brands simply cannot match.
The tasting experience tends to be casual and unhurried, with staff who are happy to walk visitors through the different varieties and explain what makes each one distinct. Apple-forward ciders are a natural highlight during spring, though the lineup changes based on seasonal production. Pairing a tasting with a bakery treat from across the property makes for a particularly enjoyable afternoon.
Visitors who fall in love with a particular cider or wine can typically purchase bottles to take home, which also makes for a memorable and locally rooted gift. The tasting room is best suited for adults, so families may want to plan around this stop accordingly.
5. The Farm Market Experience
Walking through the Mercier Orchards farm market feels like stepping into a love letter to Georgia agriculture. Shelves are stocked with an impressive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, homemade jams, jellies, preserves, and specialty food products, most of which are sourced from or inspired by what grows on the property. The variety on display during spring strawberry season is particularly impressive.
Strawberry jam made from the orchard’s own berries is a perennial bestseller, and for good reason. The flavor is noticeably brighter and more complex than commercial spreads, and a jar or two makes a practical souvenir that actually gets used at home. Locally sourced honey, apple butter, and seasonal fruit products round out the selection nicely.
Even visitors who come primarily for the U-Pick experience tend to spend a surprising amount of time browsing the market. The layout is easy to navigate, the staff are approachable, and the overall atmosphere feels warm and genuinely welcoming rather than tourist-trap commercial.
6. Catch-and-Release Fishing Pond
Not every visitor comes to Mercier Orchards purely for the berries, and the catch-and-release fishing pond is a perfect example of why this destination draws such a wide range of guests. Stocked with bass, bream, and carp, the pond offers a surprisingly peaceful escape from the busier parts of the farm, tucked into the natural landscape of the property.
Fishing here has a decidedly old-school, unhurried quality that feels rare in an era of constant digital noise. Kids who have never held a fishing rod before find it surprisingly easy to get started, and the catch-and-release format means there is no equipment needed beyond a pole and some patience. Some families bring their own gear while others inquire on-site about availability.
The pond area tends to be quieter than the main market and U-Pick zones, making it a solid choice for anyone who wants a calmer corner of the farm experience. Early morning visits offer particularly tranquil conditions.
7. Year-Round U-Pick Seasonal Crops
Strawberries get most of the spring spotlight, but Mercier Orchards keeps the U-Pick calendar busy well beyond May. Blueberries, blackberries, apples, and various vegetables take center stage as the seasons shift, giving the farm a reason to be visited in almost any month of the year. Each crop brings its own rhythm, its own crowd, and its own particular charm.
Apple season in the fall is arguably the farm’s most iconic period, drawing visitors from across the Southeast to pick varieties that range from sweet to sharply tart. Blackberry picking in early summer offers a slightly wilder, more adventurous feel compared to the tidy strawberry rows of spring.
Planning a visit around a specific crop is a smart way to get the most out of the experience, since availability depends on weather and growing conditions each year. Checking the Mercier Orchards website before making the drive is always recommended, as U-Pick windows can open and close quickly depending on the harvest.
8. Family Adventure Course
For families who burn through energy faster than a tractor burns fuel, the adventure course at Mercier Orchards delivers a welcome physical outlet. Featuring 13 different challenges, the course blends balance, coordination, and a healthy dose of laughter into an experience that works for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. It is the kind of activity that turns a farm visit into a full-blown adventure.
The obstacles are designed to be approachable rather than intimidating, making the course accessible for younger children while still offering enough challenge to keep older kids genuinely engaged. Parents often end up joining in, which tends to produce the most memorable moments of the whole trip.
Pairing the adventure course with the U-Pick fields and a bakery stop creates a natural full-day itinerary that keeps everyone happy and occupied without requiring much advance planning. Comfortable athletic shoes and clothes that can handle some dirt are strongly recommended for this particular activity.
9. Strawberry U-Pick Fields
There is something almost magical about crouching down in a warm field and pulling a perfectly ripe strawberry straight from the plant. Mercier Orchards opens its U-Pick strawberry fields each spring, giving visitors the chance to fill their baskets with fruit that was literally on the vine minutes earlier. The difference in flavor between a store-bought berry and one picked at peak ripeness is hard to overstate.
Rows of strawberry plants stretch across sun-drenched hillsides, and the picking pace is entirely up to you. Families tend to make an afternoon of it, letting kids scramble along the rows while adults enjoy the fresh mountain air. Comfortable shoes are a smart call since the terrain can be uneven.
Berries are priced by weight, so there is no pressure to pick more than you can use. That said, most visitors leave with far more than they planned, inspired by just how good the fruit looks and tastes.
10. Educational Farm Tours
Behind the strawberry fields and the bustling market, Mercier Orchards carries a rich history of sustainable farming that guided tours help bring to life. The orchard has been in operation for generations, and the knowledge accumulated over those decades shows in how the land is managed and how the crops are cultivated. Learning about that history adds a layer of meaning to everything else you experience on the property.
Tour guides tend to cover topics like soil health, crop rotation, integrated pest management, and the challenges that come with running a large-scale fruit operation in the mountain South. These are not dry lectures but practical conversations that make visitors genuinely appreciate the effort behind every berry they pick.
School groups visit regularly, and the educational programming is well-suited for curious kids of all ages. Adult visitors who care about food sourcing and sustainable agriculture often find these tours among the most rewarding parts of their Mercier Orchards experience. Worth scheduling in advance when possible.
11. Live Music and Special Events
A working farm with live music and community events has a particular kind of atmosphere that is hard to manufacture and impossible to replicate indoors. Mercier Orchards hosts live music performances and special events throughout the year, transforming the property into something that feels more like a gathering place than a tourist attraction on those days. The spring and fall seasons tend to see the most active event calendars.
Musical acts typically lean toward acoustic, bluegrass, and Americana styles that feel naturally at home in the Blue Ridge Mountain setting. The combination of fresh mountain air, orchard scenery, and live sound creates an experience that appeals to visitors of all ages, not just music enthusiasts.
Checking the official Mercier Orchards event calendar before visiting is the best way to catch a performance or special event during your trip. Some events draw larger crowds than typical weekend visits, so arriving early on those days helps secure good parking and comfortable access to the grounds.
12. Pet-Friendly Policies and Service Dog Access
Traveling with a four-legged companion adds a layer of logistical planning to any outing, and it is useful to know exactly what to expect before arriving at Mercier Orchards. Pets are not permitted inside the orchard picking areas or the main market building, which is a reasonable policy designed to protect both the crops and other visitors. However, service dogs are welcome inside the market with their handlers.
For visitors who bring dogs along on road trips, the outdoor areas of the property offer some space for a comfortable stretch between activities. Keeping pets leashed and hydrated during warm spring days is essential, and shade can be limited in the open field areas.
The policy is clearly communicated on the Mercier Orchards website, making it easy to plan accordingly before the visit. Guests who want to explore the full range of activities, including the U-Pick fields and bakery, may find it more practical to arrange pet care for the day.
13. Unique Souvenirs and Local Gifts
Finding a souvenir that actually reflects a place rather than just bearing its name is rarer than it should be, and Mercier Orchards gets this right. The gift section of the property stocks locally crafted items, orchard-branded apparel, specialty foods, and artisan products that feel genuinely connected to the farm and its surrounding region. These are not generic trinkets but items with a real sense of place.
Strawberry preserves, apple butter, locally sourced honey, and orchard-branded merchandise are among the most popular picks. Visitors who want something beyond food gifts often find handcrafted items from regional artisans tucked in alongside the farm products, giving the selection a pleasantly curated feel.
Shopping at the farm market doubles as a way to support local agriculture and the broader Blue Ridge Mountain community, which adds a satisfying dimension to what might otherwise feel like a simple retail transaction. Picking up gifts here tends to feel more intentional than grabbing something from a highway rest stop on the way home.
14. Scenic Picnic Spots Across the Property
Some of the best moments at Mercier Orchards happen not during an organized activity but simply while sitting on a blanket with a view of the mountains and a basket of freshly picked strawberries within reach. The property offers scenic spots where visitors can pause, unpack a lunch, and absorb the landscape without any agenda. Spring brings particularly vivid color to the hillsides, making outdoor dining feel like a genuine treat.
Bringing a packed lunch or supplementing with bakery items from the farm market are both popular approaches. The combination of fresh air, mountain scenery, and homemade food creates a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere that feels increasingly rare in everyday life.
Weekday visits tend to offer more space and quiet for picnicking compared to busy weekend afternoons. Shaded spots can be limited depending on the time of year, so a light blanket and sun protection are practical additions to any packing list for a spring visit to the farm.
15. Community Events Like Customer Appreciation Day
Few things say more about a business than how it treats the people who keep coming back year after year, and Mercier Orchards makes that appreciation tangible through events like its annual Customer Appreciation Day. This community-focused celebration brings together loyal visitors and first-timers alike for a day that leans into the farm’s role as a genuine gathering place for the Blue Ridge region.
Events like these typically feature special pricing, activities, and a festive atmosphere that elevates the standard farm visit into something more memorable. The crowd on these days tends to include a healthy mix of longtime locals and visitors from across Georgia and neighboring states, creating a warm, communal energy that reflects the orchard’s reputation.
Staying up to date with the Mercier Orchards event schedule through their official website or social media channels is the most reliable way to catch Customer Appreciation Day and other community events. These occasions book up fast in terms of parking, so arriving early is always wise.
