Driving Wind Berry Farm | A Glorious Urban U-Pick Oasis

Written by Megan Noel and Sara Keller

Driving Wind Berry Farm began welcoming visitors to pick blueberries on its acres off Michigan Road in Indianapolis over a decade ago. The farm has been growing and diversifying its U-pick options ever since. In addition to blueberries, Driving Wind has become a favorite local destination for strawberries, blackberries, pumpkins, and more!

Summer 2022 brought to the property an adorable cafe full of house-made treats and a stage to host local talent for weekend shows. This venue is all about offering fresh options, so even if you’ve visited Driving Wind in recent years, it’s time to plan a trip back with the whole family.

Find Driving Wind Berry Farm Minutes from Downtown

 

Indianapolis native Josh Welch, now based out of Russiaville, owns and operates Driving Wind. The farm is a family endeavor, so you may spot other members of the Welch family working around the store, cafe, or berry fields. The farm typically opens for u-pick strawberries at the beginning of June and then the blueberries and blackberries are ready for picking starting in early July. Fall brings a pumpkin crop as well.

Driving Wind Berry Farm is located at 64th and Michigan Road, and if you’re not looking for it, you may miss it. It’s easy to forget you’re only minutes from downtown. The property’s grassy picnic area, surrounding trees, and thriving crops make you feel as though you’ve escaped to the country rather than driven to the middle of a major city. The staff and owners you’ll meet are friendly and welcoming. Once you’ve arrived, you may never want to leave.

U-Pick Produce Throughout the Season

 

Strawberry Picking is a Breeze

 

The first crop guests can rush to the farm to pick in the summer is strawberries. Driving Wind Berry Farm provides a really unique strawberry-picking experience as compared to other farms in the Indy area. This location uses upright, hydroponic pots to grow its strawberries, which means no stooping or bending when you pick! All those juicy, delicious berries can be found at a much more comfortable height. 

The hydroponic strawberries at Driving Wind Berry Farm are also an ever-bearing variety. Their season lasts much longer than the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, two-to-three-week season of more common cultivars. Call ahead before you show up to pick! While the ever-bearing plants produce berries for longer each summer, they also produce fewer at one time. Checking with the farm ensures that you’ll have ripe berries to pick when you arrive.

Be on the lookout for even more strawberries at Driving Wind Berry Farm beginning in 2024. The owners are currently developing a field for traditional, in-ground strawberry plants to provide a more robust crop early in the summer.

Blueberries: The Original Driving Wind Crop

 

You can’t miss the crop that started it all. Home gardeners may know that blueberries are often challenging to grow in the Indy area, but Driving Wind seems to have the technique perfected. Sweet blueberries begin to ripen towards the end of June. The blueberry plants are draped in green netting, protecting the farm’s five different blueberry types from hungry birds.

Just ducking under the nets will make your children feel as if they are stepping into a fruit-picking adventure. The berry picking is plentiful, however, it’s best to pick in the morning to be sure they aren’t over-picked.

More U-Pick Crops

 

Driving Wind Berry Farm also grows blackberries, which begin to ripen in late June to early July. These berries are often available as late as August. Guests can pick their own pumpkins during the fall. Fall 2024 is expected to bring a brand-new apple-picking experience to the farm’s newly-planted orchard.

Coffee, Treats, and Shopping

 

Don’t Miss the Cafe’s Fresh Popsicles

 

Two buildings are located directly off the gravel parking lot when you arrive at Driving Wind Berry Farm. One is a gift shop. The second has a patio and an adorable robin’s egg blue door. Inside is the café, which opened to the public in May of 2022 and offers espresso drinks, smoothies, Driving Wind’s famous popsicles, and more.

If you visit on a quiet day before many of the farm’s crops ripen, you may have the place to yourself. However, business begins to boom when the strawberry crop ripens. With a full menu of iced and hot coffees and teas, as well as a refrigerated case stocked with snacks and locally-made baked goods, the cafe is a welcome air-conditioned oasis for refueling after a morning or afternoon of berry-picking.

Definitely plan to treat your kids – and yourself – to a popsicle while you’re here! In the freezer chest opposite the coffee counter, you can see chunks of real strawberry and drizzles of fresh blueberry puree in these treats, which are made nearby using fruit from the farm in the summer months. Choose from tropical fruit flavors, chocolatey flavors like cookies and creme, or even Gansito, based on the Mexican snack cake. Dairy-free options are offered for those that prefer them.

The Farm Store Features Artisanal Products

 

In the farm store is an ever-expanding selection of products sourced from small-scale artisans across the country, focusing on items made with all-natural materials. One day’s perusal revealed caramels from Vermont, headbands from a maker in New York, and an extensive line of jarred products from Driving Wind’s own produce. There’s something for everyone – including the kids!

Outside the store, you’ll find a seasonal display of plants. You can even buy your own blueberry bush to plant at home, giving your family a front-row seat to the full process that produces Driving Wind’s original summer crop.

Events and Farm Experiences

 

Picnics Welcome!

 

Cafe customers who prefer to eat outside can carry their purchases to the picnic tables in the shaded field across the parking lot. You are also welcome to enjoy a packed lunch here if you come for U-pick. If you find yourself looking for a restroom, it’s back inside the café. There’s no changing table, but it’s kept very clean! Be sure to also stop by and see the farm’s chickens and the very vocal donkey.

Summer Friday Night Concerts

 

In 2022, Driving Wind Berry Farm opened its silo stage and began hosting family-friendly concerts featuring local artists on Friday evenings. These first events were a hit and are expected to continue. Follow the Driving Wind Facebook page to keep up with the summer concert schedule. This page also shares regular updates regarding the beginning of the U-Pick season, daily berry availability, and fresh goods for sale in the cafe and farm store.

Parties and Tours

 

Looking for a lovely, fun venue for a birthday party, baby shower, wedding shower, or another special event? Driving Wind Berry Farm might be the location for you. The cafe space is rentable and party packages start at $150 at the writing of this article. Plenty of customizations and add-ons are available. Contact the farm via their website to learn more about options.

Driving Wind also offers family and group tours, as well as events designed to help Boy and Girl Scouts earn specific farm-related badges. Enjoy a personalized experience just for you and yours by scheduling your own event.

This family-favorite farm just keeps finding new ways to add fun and interest to your experience. Whether you’re there for the berries, entertainment, hosting a party, popsicles with your kids, or coffee with friends, there’s something for everyone at Driving Wind, all season long!

Things to Keep in Mind

 

• This is a working farm and the ground can be uneven. Wear comfy shoes that can get a little muddy!
• The parking lot is gravel and a little difficult to get a stroller through. We made it work, but you may want to carry or wear your baby.
• Follow Driving Wind Berry Farm on social media! Their café and farm hours shift around seasonally, so use the times listed on their page to plan your trip. You’ll also see announcements regarding crops and new offerings in the café and farm store.
• If you’re picking strawberries, go in the morning! The ever-bearing plants have a longer season than you’ll find at other farms, but fewer berries may be available on any given day. They do sometimes get “picked out.” We recommend calling ahead or checking social media to verify availability no matter what crop you’re hoping to pick.

Driving Wind’s Crops and Seasons

Strawberries: Late May/Early June
Blueberries: Late June
Blackberries: Early July
Pumpkins: Fall
Apples: COMING 2024

 

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Address
6410 Michigan Road
Indianapolis
IN
46260

Visit Driving Wind Berry Farm | A Glorious Urban U-Pick Oasis

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