Food always tastes better when you have a hand in its harvest. And though summer is approaching, there are still plenty of opportunities to pick your own produce in the Phoenix area.

Here are four great local farms that would love to let you into their orchards right now.

Schnepf Farms

The month of May means the return of a very important Phoenix-area tradition, the Schnepf Farms Peach Festival. And you'd better hurry, because the last days to take advantage of the event will be this Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17. Attendees will be able to take a hayride out to the orchards to pick your own fruit, then return to the festival to sample peach preserves, peach pancakes, peach salsa, peach cinnamon rolls, and a variety of other peachy goods.

If you miss the peach festival, don't worry — they'll also have apples available around May 30th. For updates keep an eye on the Schnepf Farms website.

The Farm at Agritopia

Citrus season has just about died down at The Farm at Agritopia in Gilbert, but The Farm re-opened its orchards to the masses last weekend and will do so again this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The farm's peach trees are laden with fruit that's ours for the picking. U-Pick peaches are currently priced at $2.50 per pound.

Agritopia also has plenty of budding apples and nectarines, which we're told will be ready for harvest in a few weeks.

Fenway Park Orchards

Located in Morristown, Fenway Park Orchards is a great place to pick all the best produce of the season. The farm opened Mother's Day weekend for the summer U-Pick season. They've got four varieties of peaches ready to pick right now, and will have apples available towards the end of May. Check out their website for a coupon for a free pound of peaches when you buy ten pounds.

Cotton Lane Citrus

Oranges might be on their way out of season, but Cotton Lane Citrus still has plenty of lemons and grapefruit ready to pick. The citrus grove, located in Surprise, loves hosting U-Pickers — but these sour little beauties won't last long. Cotton Lane recommends calling ahead to ensure availability. Check out their website for more information.

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