Discover U-Pick farms

Field of corn ready to be picked

Discover U-Pick farms

Purslane farms

Pick Your Own Purslane: A Weedy Wonder Awaits

Forget the perfect rows of tulips for a moment. There’s a different kind of treasure waiting for you on several Dutch farms: purslane. This little plant, with its juicy, succulent leaves and mild, lemony tang, is often called a weed – but trust us, it’s a superstar in disguise. It’s crunchy, it’s zesty, and it’s basically begging to be picked by you.

The Great Purslane Hunt

Picking purslane is the most laid-back harvest you’ll ever do. The season runs from June to September, until the first frost. It grows low to the ground, spreading like a happy, fleshy carpet. Here’s your game plan:

Dress for mess: Wear old shoes and comfortable clothes. You’ll be bending over a lot.
The technique: Don’t yank, or you’ll pull up the whole plant. Use scissors or just your fingers to snip the stems 2-5 cm above the base, and leave the lower part so it can regrow. You’re aiming for the leaves and the tender stems – skip tough, woody or flowering stems, which taste bitter.
The timing: Go in the morning, when the plants are cool and crisp, and lay your harvest loosely in the basket so it doesn’t get crushed.

What to Do With Your Bounty

Once you’re home, wrap it in a damp paper towel in a closed container in the fridge, where it keeps for 3 to 5 days. Rinse it well (it grows close to the sandy ground) and spin it dry just before use. Purslane is incredibly versatile. The leaves have a mild, sour kick (thanks to oxalic acid, also found in spinach) and a satisfying crunch.

Two Simple, Delicious Recipes

1. Purslane & Feta Summer Salad

This is the easiest dish you’ll make all year. No cooking required.

Ingredients: 2 cups fresh purslane leaves, 1 large ripe tomato (chopped), 1/2 cucumber (diced), 50g crumbled feta cheese, a handful of kalamata olives.
Dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper.
Method: Toss everything together. The purslane acts as the “lettuce” but with way more personality. The salty feta and creamy olives are a perfect match for the plant’s tangy crunch.

2. Sautéed Purslane with Garlic & Chili

A warm, savory side dish that works with fish, chicken, or a fried egg.

Ingredients: 4 cups purslane (leaves and tender stems), 2 cloves garlic (sliced), 1 small red chili (diced, or a pinch of flakes), 1 tbsp olive oil, salt.
Method: Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chili for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pile in the purslane. It will wilt quickly, like spinach—about 2 minutes. Stir only once or twice, as you want some leaves to stay a bit crunchy. Season with salt and serve immediately.

'T Leeuweriksveld

vegetables, berries, herbs
drenthe

At ’t Leeuweriksveld in Emmen you pick your own vegetables and herbs from April to October. The farm grows a wide variety of seasonal produce, including leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, and kale, root vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, and parsnips, and crops like beans, peas, and courgettes. Herbs like basil, parsley, and oregano are also available for picking. The selection changes throughout the season, with early crops like radishes and spring onions giving way to tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins later in the year.

Sfeer van Willems

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
gelderland

At Sfeer van Willems in Wijchen, visitors pick their own seasonal vegetables, herbs, and soft fruit from a one-hectare plot. The farm grows over 40 varieties, including spinach, kale, leeks, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines, strawberries, and an assortment of herbs like basil, dill, and coriander. The selection changes with the season—spring brings early greens and radishes, while autumn offers pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, and root vegetables. A weekly email or on-site notice board lists what’s ready for harvest.

Hof van Gunterstein

vegetables, flowers, herbs
utrecht

Hof van Gunterstein in Breukelen is a biological farm where visitors can pick their own flowers and vegetables. The flower field is open from late June to the end of September, daily from 08.00 to 20.00. You walk through the rows, choose your own blooms and pay by scanning a QR code. No reservation is needed. The vegetable garden operates as a self-harvest scheme. You buy a share for the season and come weekly to pick from around 60 varieties, including early crops like turnips and broad beans and late ones like kale and winter purslane. Shares for 2026 are sold out; the waiting list for 2027 is open.

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.

Oogstland

vegetables, herbs
drenthe

Oogstland in Zuidlaren is a community-supported regenerative vegetable garden where members pick their own produce. The garden grows a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and small fruits, including familiar crops like carrots, lettuce, beans, courgettes, pumpkins and cabbage, as well as less common varieties such as meiraap, radicchio and chioggia beetroot. Membership works through a harvest share system. For the 2026 season, a full share costs €325, covering weekly access from mid-May to mid-December. Members receive a weekly email listing what is ready to harvest and where to find it in the garden. Picking is self-service, available any day from sunrise to sunset. Children under five pick for free; older children pay a reduced rate. Members bring their own bags or crates and a knife to harvest without damaging the plants. The garden operates on trust, with guidelines to ensure fair sharing among all members.

Buurtboerderij Nieuweweg

fruit, vegetables, herbs
noord-holland

Buurtboerderij Nieuweweg in Haarlem is a pick-your-own farm where visitors harvest their own vegetables, herbs and fruit. The season runs from April to November. Each week, the farm publishes a list of what is ready to pick; crops include courgettes, peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbages, pumpkins and various herbs. Some less common vegetables, such as kohlrabi, Swiss chard and winter purslane, are also grown. The produce is organic and seasonal, so the selection changes throughout the year.

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.

Het Plukparadijs

vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs
overijssel

Het Plukparadijs in De Krim is a pick-your-own garden where visitors harvest their own vegetables, fruit and flowers. The farm grows around 40 types of vegetables, including common varieties like lettuce, beans, carrots and tomatoes, as well as less familiar ones such as Swiss chard, turnip greens, winter purslane and black radish. There is also a selection of small fruit and over 40 types of flowers. The season runs from May to December, with the widest choice available in summer.

Nieuwe Akker

vegetables, herbs, berries, flowers, fruit
overijssel

Zelfoogsttuin Nieuwe Akker in Schalkhaar is a pick-your-own vegetable garden where members harvest their own produce year-round. The farm grows a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, including kale, leeks, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, Swiss chard, New Zealand spinach, parsley, beetroot, pumpkins, tomatoes, aubergines, and broccoli. Some crops, like winter purslane, are available well into winter. Membership is required to pick here. The farm operates on a subscription model, with annual or trial memberships available for different age groups. Members pay in advance for a full season (May to March) and can harvest as much as they need for their household. The farm provides guidance on how to pick each crop, with weekly harvest updates sent to members. You bring your own containers and tools, though some are available on-site.

Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof

vegetables, herbs, berries
friesland

At Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof in Appelscha you pick your own organic vegetables and herbs from mid-May to November. The farm works on a membership system called oogstgenoot, or harvest partner. You pay an annual fee at the start of the season, which covers the whole household. The standard fee is €275 per share, but you can choose to pay between €200 and €350 depending on your budget. Children under 10 pick for free, and those aged 10 to 18 pay half price.

De Hommelhoeve

fruit, vegetables, berries
gelderland

De Hommelhoeve in Empe is a small, nature-inclusive farm where visitors can pick their own seasonal vegetables and fruit. The farm operates a self-harvest garden, open to subscribers who pay a fixed fee for the season. For €375 per adult (reduced rates for children), subscribers can harvest fresh produce weekly from April or May until the winter, when supplies run out. The garden yields a variety of crops, including strawberries, peas, beans, fennel, kohlrabi, onions, lettuce, radishes, and herbs, depending on the season.

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.