🍓 Rutherford's Farm
- Family-owned since 1976
- You-pick strawberries
- Fresh broccoli, cabbage, onions
- Locally grown produce
- Appalachian Grown certified
Okay, so my kids have been bugging me for strawberries since mid-April hit, and I finally found the real deal right here in Maryville. Rutherford's Farm has been a family-run operation since 1976 (can you believe that?!), and they're just down Mint Road not even five minutes from our house.
The strawberry season kicks off mid-April and runs through June, which is exactly when you need those berries for pie, or just to eat them until your kids' teeth hurt (don't judge me - we've all been there). They've got the you-pick experience going, which my kids absolutely love - nothing beats picking your own berries straight off the vine, even if it takes forever to get a pint.
Outside of strawberry season, they've got a rotating selection of vegetables - broccoli, cabbage, onions, beans, all kinds of stuff. I've picked up their broccoli a couple times and it's consistently fresh. They're Appalachian Grown certified, which I actually care about because I try to support real local farms when I can.
The hours vary by season - right now they're open Saturdays 8am to 8pm, and Mon/Wed/Fri from 8am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm. I'd call ahead or check their Facebook if you're going on a weekday, just to make sure they're at it.
This is the kind of place that makes me happy to live in Maryville - a real, working farm that's been here forever, still run by a family that actually knows what they're doing. My kids love the experience, the strawberries are good, and it's just a nice spring morning activity that doesn't cost a fortune.
Pro tip from a mom who's been there: Saturday mornings are best for avoiding the crowds. Show up before 10am if you can, and bring your own containers - the kids can fill them, then you weigh and pay at the end.