Pick-your-own farms for peaches in Ontario are gloriously ushering in the next phase of summer as we transition from July to August, welcoming a season of salads, preserves and pies.

Pre-picked peaches will be available as early as this weekend at Great Lakes Farms on Union Road in Port Stanley. Previous to this, people were able to pick their own strawberries at the farm.

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You'll be able to pick your own peaches at Great Lakes when their Peach Fest begins on Aug. 14. Tickets are required, and will go on sale online Monday for the following Saturday.

Pardo's Berrie Farm on Talbot Trail in Blenheim has approximate dates for peaches listed as Aug. 7 to Sept. 5, but you can always call them for confirmation.

The main market and washrooms at Parkway Orchards will remain closed for 2021, but the farm is now open for peach and plum picking. You're asked to wear a mask and gloves when visiting. Peaches usually last until September, and plums go fast though there will be some late plums in mid-September.

Peaches at Cherry Avenue Farms are ready right around now, though everything is dependent on weather so it's advisable to check ahead with them too. They're using a prepaid basket system starting at $5 for a 1.5 litre basket. Take note that weekends get super busy, and it's calmer during the weekdays.

They have a bag policy where they're checking personal items upon exiting the orchard due to people unfortunately bagging up extra fruit, but what's nice is that their picnic area is now open in Step 3.

Smith Two Century Farms, which has been in Grimsby since 1788, will have pick-your-own peaches available starting in mid-August.

"Peaches are still small and green, we suspect they will be ripe mid-August," the Smith family tells blogTO.

They don't know prices yet but will update their website as soon as they know the market value, and they have a newsletter you can sign up for if you want to be notified as soon as the peaches are ripe.

Some farms have already sold out because of demand, and it's different this year at some farms where picking was done by appointment and all slots are already booked up.