Pick Your Own (U-Pick)

Pick-Your-Own (PYO), also referred to as U-Pick, occurs when farmers “invite the public onto the farm to harvest their own food.

Overview

This publication provides an overview of PYO marketing in Kentucky: a discussion of PYO as part of the agritourism economy, key considerations for farms considering adding PYO to a marketing plan, successful PYO innovations in Kentucky and nearby states and a primer about specific farm financial management issues related to PYO.

Crops and Other Considerations

Pick-your-own farm offerings include fruits and vegetables, as well as “U-Cut” flowers, Christmas trees and other ornamental crops. Pick-your-own was once the main reason for consumers to visit a farm; it is now more often one activity out of many on-farm agritourism activities. Farms have also offered activities incorporating principles of PYO, such as “cut your own bouquets” of cut flowers, on-farm classes that include harvesting and arranging herbs and ornamentals, and using products harvested on the farm to make crafts, like Christmas wreaths.