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.

The garden is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Members can visit at any time during the season, though guests must be accompanied by a member or the farmer. The farm follows organic and biodynamic principles, avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. It also practices Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), meaning members share in the harvest’s risks and rewards.

Nieuwe Akker is temporarily closed to new members, but you can join a waiting list for the next season. The farm is located between Schalkhaar and De Vijfhoek, near Deventer. There is no farm shop, but members occasionally share surplus produce. Parking is available.

What visitors say

Visitors pick fresh, organic vegetables and flowers straight from the fields. The produce is consistently described as delicious and healthy, with no additives—just “real” vegetables. Prices are fair, and the farm’s biological approach is a clear draw for many. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the staff are helpful, though there’s no mention of specific facilities for children. A few note the farm’s personal touch, like its connection to the local area. Most agree it’s a straightforward, honest experience, though one review from a few years back highlights the garden’s beauty more than the picking process itself.

Facilities in this u-pick farm

de Wildeling

4.0 km — overijssel

De Wildeling in Lettele is a pick-your-own flower farm where visitors can gather seasonal, locally grown blooms. The farm specialises in hand-tied bouquets, DIY flower bundles, and self-picking in its flower fields. You select your own stems and arrange them into bouquets or take home pre-harvested bundles to arrange later. The flowers are grown naturally and in tune with the seasons, with varieties changing throughout the year. The farm is currently closed due to illness, but when open, picking is available by appointment only. You can book a self-picking session or order pre-made bouquets and bundles for collection. Bouquets and DIY bundles are also available for delivery within the municipality of Deventer. The farm offers memberships for regular visitors, including a monthly flower subscription (“Wilde Fluistering”) and an exclusive self-picking membership (“Wilde Verwondering”), which allows multiple visits during the growing season.

De Oosterwaarde

6.3 km — overijssel

De Oosterwaarde in Diepenveen is a biological-dynamic farm where you can pick your own flowers, soft fruit and seasonal vegetables. The farm holds Demeter certification and grows over 50 varieties of vegetables, along with grains, fruit and flowers. The flower field is open from June to October. You can pick a bouquet during shop opening hours for €10, or buy a punch card for five visits (€42.50) or a season pass for 15 visits (€105). The farm provides scissors and twine; you pay at the shop. The fruit season runs from June to September. You pick raspberries, blackberries, redcurrants, whitecurrants, blackcurrants, jostaberries, gooseberries and autumn-fruiting raspberries. A kilo costs €12, or you can buy a season pass for 15 visits (€40). From 2027 the farm plans to offer pick-your-own vegetables as well.

Bij ons in de tuin

6.5 km — gelderland

Bij ons in de tuin in Terwolde is a pick-your-own flower farm where visitors can cut their own seasonal blooms. The farm grows a variety of flowers, including dahlias and zinnias, which are available from early summer until late October. The current season ends on 24 October 2026. The farm is open only on Saturdays during the picking season, from 10.00 to 15.00. Visitors select and cut their own flowers to create a bouquet, with prices determined by size at checkout—€10 for a small arrangement or €15 for a larger one. Payment is accepted via QR code or cash. Outside opening hours, the fields are not accessible, and dogs are not allowed.

De Zonnegaard

11.2 km — gelderland

De Zonnegaard in Voorst is a biological-dynamic farm where you can pick your own flowers, herbs and some fruit. The pick-your-own field is open daily from sunrise to sunset. You pay per stem: €0.40 for tulips and daffodils, €0.50 for other flowers. Scissors, vases and instructions are provided on site. The flower season starts in late March with tulips and daffodils, followed by spring flowers such as aquilegia and honesty. From June to October, summer flowers like cornflowers, zinnias, cosmos, larkspur, monarda and dahlias are in bloom. Some flowers can be dried for winter use. The farm also grows edible flowers, including calendula, cornflower, marigolds and dahlia petals, as well as kitchen herbs and small fruit such as berries and raspberries when they are ripe.