Discover U-Pick farms

Field of corn ready to be picked

Discover U-Pick farms

Chives farms

Pick Your Own Chives in the Netherlands: A Snip Above the Rest

There’s something quietly satisfying about wandering through a Dutch farm field on a sunny afternoon, scissors in hand, with the scent of fresh green in the air. And when it comes to herbs you can pick yourself, chives are the perfect starter crop—no drama, no thorns, just a happy little snip and you’re done.

The Picking Experience

Chives grow in tidy, grass-like clumps, with bright green hollow stems and (if you’re lucky) cheerful purple pom-pom flowers. You can pick them from April to October. You don’t need a green thumb or a botanist’s guide: simply grasp a handful of stalks and snip them a few centimetres above the soil. Don’t pull, as that can uproot the plant. Leave the base standing and the clump grows back, so you can harvest it several times a season. Bring the kids, bring your picnic basket, and make a morning of it. The only challenge? Not eating them straight from the field (they’re that mild and oniony-fresh).

Once You’re Home: What to Do With Your Bounty

Chives are the herb that plays well with almost everything. They’re delicate enough for a garnish, punchy enough for a main event. Sprinkle them over scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, or a simple buttered pasta for instant flair. And don’t toss those flowers—they’re edible too, with a milder onion flavour and a beautiful pop of colour.

Chive & Honey Tea
A surprising, soothing brew for a chilly afternoon.

Ingredients:
- 1 small handful fresh chives, roughly chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)
- Juice of half a lemon
Instructions:
1. Heat the water to 80–90°C (just off the boil, to avoid bitterness).
2. Place chopped chives in a teapot or mug.
3. Pour the hot water over them, cover, and steep for 3–5 minutes.
4. Strain into cups, stir in honey and lemon.
5. Sip slowly—it’s like a warm hug with a whisper of onion.

Decoration Ideas for the Flowers

If you snagged some chive flowers on your picking trip (those purple pom-poms are magnificent), here’s how to use them:

Salad toppers: Scatter individual florets over a green salad or a bowl of soup. They look like little confetti.
Ice cubes: Freeze whole flowers into ice cube trays with water. Drop them into a glass of lemonade or sparkling water for an instant garden party.
Table centrepiece: Place a small vase of chive stems and flowers with a few other herbs from the farm (mint, dill). It’s rustic, fragrant, and costs nothing but a little snip.

Final Tip

Chives are best used fresh. Wash them just before use, and store them wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel in a perforated bag in the fridge for 5–7 days. Or chop them, freeze them in ice cube trays with a splash of olive oil, and pop out a cube whenever you need a taste of that farm day.

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Groene Pluk | Zelfoogsttuin

vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
flevoland

At Groene Pluk in Zeewolde you pick your own organic vegetables, herbs and flowers from May to the end of November. The farm grows around 30 types of vegetables, including familiar ones such as tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes and pumpkins, and less common ones like bimi, salsify and kohlrabi. The selection changes weekly with the season. You also pick herbs and edible flowers from the herb garden. Groene Pluk works as a community-supported farm. You buy a season share, which gives you the right to pick a weekly portion of whatever is ready. The share costs between €395 and €475 for the season, depending on your income. One share is enough for one person or for a couple who eat from the farm three or four times a week. You can harvest from Wednesday to Saturday, 10.00 to 20.00. Each week the farm sends an email listing what is ready and how to pick it. You bring your own bags or baskets.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
noord-brabant

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten in Rijsbergen is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest organic vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers from April to October. The vegetable season runs until the end of October, while flowers are available from July to October. The farm operates on a subscription basis for vegetables: you pay an annual fee to pick a weekly share of produce, enough for a household. Prices depend on the number of people in your group, with reduced rates for volunteers and those on a low income. Flowers can be picked without a subscription, with prices based on the size of your bouquet.

Moestuin Leyduin

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
noord-holland

Moestuin Leyduin in Vogelenzang is a pick-your-own vegetable garden where visitors harvest seasonal produce directly from the fields. The farm grows around fifty types of vegetables, including pumpkins, beets, lettuce, fennel, kale, herbs, and root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, as well as twenty varieties of herbs, soft fruit, apples, pears, and flowers. The selection changes weekly depending on what is ready to pick. The farm operates on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. Participants buy a harvest share at the start of the season, choosing from three price tiers (€339, €399, or €449 in 2026) to ensure affordability. In return, they visit the garden each week during the harvest season—from mid-April to mid-November—to pick their own vegetables. The harvest is shared among all participants: if the yield is low, everyone takes home less; if it is abundant, there is more to go around. The farm does not use chemical fertilisers or pesticides, focusing instead on natural soil health and biodiversity.

CSA tuinderij Plantalia

vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, berries
zeeland

At CSA Tuinderij Plantalia in Ritthem, you pick your own organic vegetables, herbs and seasonal fruit from May to November. The farm grows over 40 types of vegetables, including courgettes, tomatoes, beans, carrots, beetroot, kale, spinach, leeks and various cabbages. Herbs include basil, parsley, dill, coriander and thyme. Strawberries are available in season, and the farm plans to add more fruit bushes in the future. Plantalia works on a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model. Instead of paying per kilo, you buy a harvest share at the start of the season. This covers a weekly supply of fresh produce, which you pick yourself from the fields. Shares are available for a single month, the full season or a full year. Prices for the 2026 season start at €295 for an adult, with discounts for children. A trial month costs €45. If you prefer not to pick, the farm can harvest your share and deliver it to a collection point in Middelburg or Vlissingen for an extra fee.

De Wickevoorter Stadsboeren

vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
noord-holland

De Wickevoorter Stadsboeren in Cruquius is a pick-your-own organic farm where you harvest vegetables, herbs and flowers directly from the fields. The main season runs from mid-May until Christmas, with limited winter harvests in January and February. You can pick daily from sunrise to sunset. The farm operates as a self-harvest garden (zelfoogsttuin), a form of community-supported agriculture. You pay a fixed fee at the start of the season and then harvest your own produce whenever you choose. Around 50 to 60 types of vegetables are grown each season, along with fresh herbs. A separate flower field is open from July to the end of September, where you can pick seasonal blooms. The farm also offers a vegetable crate scheme, with weekly boxes of seasonal produce available for collection.

Bij Buurman

vegetables, flowers, herbs
friesland

Bij Buurman in Kortehemmen is a pick-your-own vegetable and flower garden where members can harvest fresh produce weekly during the growing season. The farm operates on a membership basis, with the season running from May to November. Members pay a seasonal fee—€250 to €350 for adults, with children aged 5 to 17 paying ten times their age and younger children free—and can visit the garden from Tuesday to Saturday between 9.30 and 17.00 to pick what they need. The farm grows around 60 to 80 varieties of vegetables and herbs, including standard crops like lettuce, carrots and courgettes, as well as less common ones such as kohlrabi, parsnips and coloured carrots. A greenhouse now also produces tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Weekly newsletters and orange signs in the garden indicate which crops are ready for harvest.

het Proefveld

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
groningen

At Zelfoogsttuin de Proefvelden in Haren, you pick your own vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers and mushrooms from late May until December. The farm grows a wide range of seasonal produce, including potatoes, strawberries, beans, courgettes, carrots, beetroot, various types of cabbage, spinach, lettuce, radishes, leeks, onions, pumpkins and herbs such as basil, parsley, mint, rosemary and thyme. There are also soft fruits like raspberries, blackberries, red and white currants, and flowers including marigolds.

Martinushoeve Pluktuin

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
noord-brabant

At Martinushoeve Pluktuin in Ossendrecht, visitors pick their own vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers and eggs from May to October. The farm grows a wide range of produce, including tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, beans, peas, carrots, beetroot, potatoes, leeks, onions, various types of cabbage, spinach, lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, plums and cherries. Herbs include basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mint and dill. There is also a wildflower meadow and a selection of edible flowers. Fresh eggs are available from the farm’s chickens, and honey from its beehives.

Stadsakker Wageningen

vegetables, herbs, berries
gelderland

Stadsakker Wageningen is a pick-your-own vegetable farm on the Wageningse Eng, where members harvest their own produce year-round. The farm operates on a seasonal subscription basis: adults pay €279 for the season (April to January), with reduced rates for children and a maximum household fee of €837. There is currently a waiting list of 3 to 5 years for new members. The farm grows over 40 types of vegetables, including strawberries, carrots, courgettes, beans, beetroot, kale, pumpkins, and spinach. The selection changes with the seasons, with a wider variety available in summer. Members receive a weekly harvest list indicating what is ready to pick, and can visit any day of the week, 24 hours a day. Picking is done according to household size, and crops are intended for fresh consumption unless stated otherwise.