In April and May, Michelle Pace Davis has a pile of napkins at the ready. Not that she wants to wipe away proof of her farm’s sweet springtime harvest: “Those red, juicy faces!” she laughs — she co-owns Pace Family Farms with her sister in Clayton. “There’s nothing better than seeing families of all ages coming together to spend time picking strawberries! All the red juice on smiling faces with red stained clothes is the best!”

Across Johnston County, gentle terrain and fertile fields have long made it a destination for outdoor activities. From April until the end of May, that means strawberry picking. Perfectly plump, riotously red, and devilishly delicious, the berries seem to taste even better when you pick them yourself. So, grab a basket and head to one of these local, family farms where you can load up on the fresh flavors of spring.

Stock up on you-pick berries at Pace Family Farms in Archer Lodge. Photography courtesy of Johnston County Visitors Bureau

Pace Family Farms

Pace Family Farms has been an anchor in the Archer Lodge community for more than 100 years. “My sister and I are blessed to be the sixth generation with hopes our children will be the seventh,” Davis says. Historically, Pace Family Farms rotated between tobacco, corn, soybeans, and wheat, but Davis and her sister introduced strawberries in 2016. With it came the decision to open up the farm to visits from the public — not just during strawberry season but throughout the spring, summer, and fall. “It was a little daunting,” Davis says. “It was the first time we opened the gates to say anyone and everyone can come to the farm.”

Watch little ones discover the wonders of local agriculture as they comb through the rows of strawberries. Photography courtesy of Johnston County Visitors Bureau

With the help of social media to get the word out and scheduling family-friendly events, they built a relationship with the surrounding community. “Our customers are like family to us,” Davis says. “It’s neat to see how some of those struggles from the first year have turned into traditions seven years later,” such as their popular superhero day where farm visitors are encouraged to dress in costume and the local fire department is there with a firetruck.

For the first two strawberry seasons, Pace Family Farms divided its resources between the berry crop and tobacco, but in 2019, they shifted to fully concentrate their late-spring efforts on strawberries. The shelter that once housed tobacco equipment now has picnic tables where you-pick visitors can enjoy ice cream and, in May, the Berries, Bluegrass, and BBQ event. Once strawberry season starts winding down, the farm crew uses the shelter to prep their popular CSA subscription boxes, which offer seasonal, farm-fresh fruit, vegetables, and beef and pork for pick-up each week in May, June, and July.

Pick ’em: During the strawberry season, Pace Family Farms is open Monday through Saturday, with limited Sunday hours. Check their website for updated hours, what’s in season, and special events.

If you’re running short on time, simply grab a bucket or flat of fresh-picked strawberries from WDW’s roadside stand. Photography courtesy of Johnston County Visitors Bureau

WDW Strawberry Farm and Roadside Stand

From April to September, be sure to pump the brakes when you pass the red-roof aluminum outpost off of Progressive Church Road in Princeton. This is WDW Strawberry Farm and Roadside Stand, your stop for native honey, handmade sauces and jams, and locally grown produce — which, in the spring, includes strawberries. Owners Denise and Wayne Worley started WDW in 2006, but farming roots run deep in Wayne’s family. He grew up farming alongside his father and grandfather. “Agriculture has always been a vital part of Johnston County’s makeup,” Denise says. “It was a way of life for many families growing up. It’s what people knew, and they were good at it.” In 1984, Wayne began his own farm with his brother in Princeton.

Since the beginning, tobacco, soybeans, corn, wheat, hay, and wheat straw have been the Worleys’ main crops. However, consumer changes in the tobacco market had the family looking to diversify. “We talked about doing strawberries for several years,” Denise says. “We decided that if we were going to do something different, we need to go ahead and do it.” In 2016, WDW debuted their first strawberry crop, and it opened a path to a whole new type of customer. Now, school groups make reservations in the springtime for strawberry-picking field trips and families visit on weekends to load their baskets with fresh berries. At the roadside stand, Denise’s homemade strawberry jams and sauces are customer favorites.

Pick ’em: WDW’s you-pick spots open for regular hours beginning in April and continuing until the end of May. Call ahead to check availability or schedule a field trip.

After you fill a bucket with berries at Sonlight Farms, treat the family to a playground trip or a picnic lunch at the farm. Photography courtesy of Johnston County Visitors Bureau

Sonlight Farms

Joshua and April Phillips are the sixth generation in their family to farm in Kenly. While their production spans tobacco, sweet potatoes, soybeans, corn, and cotton, their emphasis on family-friendly agritourism sets them apart. “We began Sonlight Farms so that families would have a safe, fun place to spend time together,” April says. “But we also want them to feel connected to the crops that are grown in our area.”

From the spring through fall, little ones come to Sonlight Farms and run straight for the playground, the pedal carts, the 80-foot slide, and — the crowd favorite — the corn crib, where children can swim around in piles upon piles of corn kernels. And in the animal barn, a host of animals awaits to greet visitors.

Beyond the strawberry patch, you can check out all of Sonlight Farms with a hayride around the property. Photography courtesy of Johnston County Visitors Bureau

Sonlight Farms is one of the most recent additions to Johnston County’s you-pick destinations, with their inaugural strawberry season in 2024. Eager to welcome school groups, the Phillipses pair agriculture education with the chance for students to get their own hands in the dirt. “We’re passionate about teaching children and adults about where their food comes from,” April says. She’ll walk visiting students through the plant’s life cycle and explains benefits of pollinators like honeybees. Then, the students are turned loose into the fields to pick their own mess of berries. Afterwards, they can linger, playing at the playground or eating lunch under the picnic shelter.

Pick ’em: Sonlight Farms is open several days a week and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check their website for up-to-date picking days and hours.

Hungry for more you-pick opportunities? Here are six other spots to harvest your own juicy strawberries in Johnston County:

Click here for more information about where to find fresh strawberries in Johnston County.