Cherry Picking Near Concord: What You Need to Know
New Hampshire's cherry orchards are a smaller part of the state's fruit-growing landscape than the more prominent apple operations, but sweet and sour cherries do grow in the southern tier of the state and along the Connecticut River valley. Cherry picking near Concord is available at several farm operations from mid-June through early July, typically at the same farms that run their larger apple picking programs in fall.
New England and Northeast Cherry Picking
The northeastern states grow both sweet and sour cherry varieties in their orchards, with the best operations concentrated in New York's Hudson Valley, Massachusetts's Connecticut River valley, and the highlands of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The cherry season in the Northeast runs from mid-June through early July—briefer than apple season but equally rewarding for those who plan for it. The same farms that run large apple picking programs in the fall often run quieter, more intimate cherry picking programs in early summer, offering a chance to experience orchard country when it's less crowded and the landscape is at its early-summer best. Heritage sweet varieties and old-fashioned sour pie cherries coexist at many of these farms, and the fresh-pressed cherry juice available at farm stands is worth seeking out specifically.
Best Time to Go Cherry Picking Near Concord
Mid-June through early July for the southern New Hampshire and Connecticut River valley cherry orchards, with the season running later than in the mid-Atlantic states.
Tips for Your Concord Cherry Picking Trip
New Hampshire cherry picking in June is a briefer experience than the state's famous fall apple season, but the farms that grow cherries tend to be excellent operations that manage the harvest carefully. Following their social media or email lists in late May gives you the advance notice you need to be there at peak ripeness rather than past it.