Pack House Farm
Providing fresh picked fun and a connection to agriculture
The Strength of the Farm is the Pack!
Meet NC State Punter Caden Noonkester at Pack House Farm – Saturday, July 12, 2025
Football and farming may seem many yards apart—but on Saturday, July 12, they come together in a celebration of hard work, community, and Wolfpack pride! NC State punter Caden Noonkester is bringing his unique story to Pack House Farm for a special meet-and-greet event you will not want to miss!
This special opportunity, hosted in partnership with OnePack NIL, offers a unique experience for fans, families, and friends of farming to connect with one of the Wolfpack’s stars—both on the field and in the field. It’s a day that brings to life our motto for the event: “The Strength of the Pack is the Farm. The Strength of the Farm is the Pack.” Whether you’re a die-hard NC State fan, a curious mind, or someone who believes in the future of North Carolina agriculture, this event is for you.
About Caden Noonkester
Caden Noonkester didn’t grow up farming, but since arriving at NC State, he’s quickly become a strong voice for North Carolina agriculture. After walking onto the football team and earning his place as starting punter, Caden also found his passion in Crop & Soil Sciences, graduating with a degree in Agronomy and continuing into graduate studies focused on ag sales and consulting. His story is one of grit, growth, and purpose—whether flipping the field for the Pack or helping growers make better farm decisions.
About Pack House Farm
Located in Apex, Pack House Farm is a small, seasonal pick-your-own operation owned and operated by Beth and Kevin Farrell, both proud NC State alumni and lifelong supporters of Wolfpack athletics. Since opening to the public five years ago, the farm has become a place where community, agriculture, and Pack pride all come together. We’re honored to welcome Caden—and you—to the farm
What to Expect
Join us for a fun and inspiring day at Pack House Farm filled with football, family, and fresh-picked fruit:
- Meet & Greet with Caden Noonkester: Get an autograph and a photo with Caden starting at 11AM! We’ll provide the photos—just bring your Wolfpack pride.
- Pick-Your-Own Berries: Our blueberries and blackberries should be in peak production, so plan to take home a taste of NC summer.
- Exclusive Event T-Shirt: We have created a limited-edition t-shirt design for this special day. A portion of the proceeds supports NC State student-athletes like Caden. Get yours here!
For the Next Generation of Fans and Farmers
This event is specially designed with Wolfpack families in mind. If your kids dream of playing under the lights—or getting their hands dirty in the soil—this is the perfect way to show how big dreams and hard work go hand in hand. Caden’s story proves that you don’t have to grow up on a farm to find a passion for agriculture, and that every field has room for new players.
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
- Time: The farm will be open 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM; Caden will be there at 11AM
- Location: Pack House Farm, 1896 Marthas Chapel Road, Apex, NC
- Activities: Meet & Greet, Autograph Signing, Photo Opportunities, Berry Picking, and information on NC agriculture
- T-Shirts: Available online here!
Mark your calendars, wear your red and white, and join us for a one-of-a-kind day celebrating the intersection of sports, agriculture, and community.
The strength of the Pack is the Farm. The strength of the Farm is the Pack!
2025 Pack House Farm Season
The 2025 berry picking season is quickly approaching at Pack House Farm! This is our 6th year having farm friends and neighbors come out to pick berries and enjoy time on the farm. We work year-round to grow the best fruit we can and provide a fun farm experience for all.
The farm will be open Saturdays from 8:30 until 12:30 this season. We are excited about adding a few themed events to our calendar this year – see the schedule below:
- June 14 – Pack House Farm Opening Day
- June 21 – Bees, Birds, and Berries!
- June 28 – She Farms Apex 2025 Farm Tour
- July 4 – Special July 4th picking
- July 5 – Red, White, and Blue(berries)
- July 12 –Meet & Greet with NC State Punter Caden Noonkester (OnePack NIL)
- July 17 – Summertime Blues
Be on the lookout for more information on social media over the next few weeks!
More information on visiting Pack House Farm:
- Wear closed-toe shoes and don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray! Picking is best in the morning.
- Kids are encouraged, but please keep an eye on them. Please do not bring pets to the farm for food safety purposes.
- Beware of Fire Ants! Do not disturb any fire ant mounds that you may see. We do treat for fire ants, but they are an uncontrollable pests in our area. Learn more about fire ants here.
- Blueberries are $5/pint ($6 pre-picked) and blackberries are $6/pint ($7 pre-picked). We have picking containers for you to use.
- No charge for conversation, advice, or time relaxing on the farm!
- We will have Pack House Farm honey and jams/jellies available for purchase. We accept cash and credit cards. We do ask for a $10 minimum for credit card purchases.
- Water and frozen treats will be available for purchase again this season. Picking berries is hot work!
- *NEW* Pack House Farm hats and t-shirts can now be purchased online here.
- Parking is available at the farm – please follow the signs
- Restroom (port-a-potty) and hand-washing station are available for farm guests.
We hope to see you at the farm this summer (behind the big red barn)!
Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts
Our hearts have been broken for WNC.
Beth grew up in Piney Creek, near the Ashe/Alleghany line and the New River. Damage from Hurricane Helene is catastrophic across the whole mountain region, including many places that are not making the news.
Creston is a community in Ashe County, and we received a request for immediate supplies. A dear friend is taking a pickup truck of supplies up on Sunday to this community.
From a friend back home:
I just returned from Creston. It’s an absolute war zone up there. Power lines are still lying in the highway. I counted 5 houses completely demolished. I did find out specific needs of residents who are trapped:
- Bleach
- Powder milk
- Non-dairy shelf stable milk
- Instant coffee
- Batteries all sizes
- Lamp oil
- Dish soap
Pack House Farm be collecting donations on Friday (10/4) and Saturday (10/5) from 5-7 pm both days. The address is 1896 Marthas Chapel Rd, Apex NC.
This isn’t going to be a fast or easy recovery. Many still don’t have electricity or cell service.
Every little bit helps . . . Please keep WNC in your prayers!
2024 Picking Season is Here!
The 2024 Picking Season at Pack House Farm starts this Saturday, June 15! Here are the details you need to know when planning a visit.
- We will be open on Saturdays from 8:30AM to 12:30PM for the next several weeks. Other select picking hours will be announced on social media posts, including hours for the 4th of July!
- The early pickers get the best berries! Plus, there is a little shade first thing in the morning.
Wear closed-toe shoes (we are in a Fire Ant area…we don’t like them either), bring sunscreen, and stay hydrated while picking.- Learn more about Fire Ants here.
- Learn more about Fire Ants here.
- We are looking forward to sharing a few new things at the Farm for 2024!
- Pack House Farm hats to celebrate our 5th season of picking.
- Water and frozen treats will be available to purchase – picking berries can be hot work!
- New markers for the parking area (to the right of the red barn).
- Port-a-potty and handwashing station (partially grant-funded by the NC Agromedicine Institute)
- Who had a massive cicada brood hatch attacking blueberry bushes on their 2024 Bingo Card? We have had some damage to plants, which unfortunately will decrease our yields this year.
- Click here to learn more about Cicadas and Blueberry bushes. Although the farm in this article is not ours, we have very similar impacts. Don’t worry, the berries are safe to eat – and delicious!
- Click here to learn more about Cicadas and Blueberry bushes. Although the farm in this article is not ours, we have very similar impacts. Don’t worry, the berries are safe to eat – and delicious!
- We will have honey (later in the season), jams, and jellies for sale – and maybe a few other surprises. Keep an eye on social media for announcements.
- Our season is short! The picking season usually lasts 5-6 weeks, with peak picking around July 4th.
We work hard throughout the year so we can invite the public to our farm a few weekends each summer – please come out, visit, and enjoy!
2023 Picking Season Details!
Pickin’ Season starts Saturday, June 17! We will be open Saturdays from 8:30AM to 12:30PM.
Our season usually lasts 4-5 weeks, with peak picking around July 4th 
We may get picked out, so come early. We’ll post on Social if we get picked out. We’ll still have jams and honey available 
We hope to offer Twilight Pickin’ on Wednesday evenings, so keep your eyes open! 
While we know you love your pets, please leave them at home for food safety reasons.
Can’t wait to see y’all at Pack House Farm this summer!!
Sights from Opening Day 2022
Opening Day for 2022 picking at Pack House Farm was Saturday, June 18th. This was a couple of weeks earlier than we had anticipated, so we weren’t completely ready for visitors. We have added a new covered area for sales and relaxing in the shade – so no more working under a tailgating tent!
We plan to be open every Saturday 8am to Noon between now and the end of July. We are no longer picking by appointment only. Depending on how the berries come in, we’ll be opening for a few “Twilight Picking” sessions too. The best place to find out about those are on Facebook – or feel free to give us a call. I love talking about berries!
Here are a few things to plan on when coming out to pick berries:
- Wear closed-toed shoes and be on alert for fire ants
- Apply sunscreen and bug spray
- We take cash and venmo (still figuring the credit card thing out)
- We have honey, jams, jellies, and salad dressings available too
- Blueberries are $5 per pint container
- Blackberries (pre-picked only) will be available in July
- Feel free to ask questions – and have fun!
Our goal is to provide fresh picked fun and a connection to agriculture through our farm. We work all year long so that we can share this with others for a few short weeks each summer. We hope you will come out and join us!
2021 Picking Protocols
Berries are turning color and will soon be ready for picking! Below are our 2021 Picking Protocols:
- Picking will continue to be by appointment only. This will give your family lots of space in the field! We plan to allow up to 5 families per hour. The sign-up form will be posted to Facebook for each day that we’re open. Of course, weather is subject to change. We anticipate Saturday June 19th to be our opening day this season.
- Blueberries are $4 per pint U-pick. Blueberries and blackberries are $5 per pint pre-picked and subject to availability. We accept cash, Venmo, or PayPal. We will also have cold water and other treats available for purchase.
- We will supply baskets for picking and pint-containers to take your berries home in. You can bring your own picking containers and we will portion them out into pints at check-out.
- We know that times have been tough for many families. While we cannot accept EBT, we would like to offer $2 a pint (up to 4 pints). Please discreetly show us your EBT card at check-out.
- Parking is to the right of the red barn. We will have a sign this year at the driveway.
- No pets please, but children are welcome! After all, we all know it’s hard to resist eating a berry or two off the bush.
- Wear closed-toe shoes and don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray.
- Feel free to call us at 919-210-6574 if you have any questions.
Blueberry & Bacon Pizza
One of our favorite pizza joints in Cary closed a few years ago, and we’ve missed their unique flavor combinations (hello, pimento cheese & jalapeno pizza). When the first berries started turning deep blue this year, we created a pizza that would’ve been worthy of their fantastic menu!
Blueberry & Bacon Pizza
- Ingredients
- Pre-Made pizza crust (you could also use a pie crust – that’s what we had!)
- Precooked Bacon, crumbled
- 1 pint Fresh Blueberries
- 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- Dash of Garlic Salt
- Dash of dried Basil (as much or as little as you like)
- Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes
- Arugula (optional garnish)
- Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Stretch out pizza dough and place on baking sheet
- Generously sprinkle garlic salt, dried basil, and red pepper flakes on dough
- Cover dough with thin layer of ricotta cheese, leaving edges bare for crust
- Place crumbled bacon, thinly sliced red onion, and blueberries onto pizza
- Top pizza with Mozzarella cheese
- Bake in preheated oven at 425 for 15 minutes (or until crust is done and cheese is melted)
- Optional: cover with Arugula prior to serving
- Enjoy!
Tips for Picking & Handling Fresh Blueberries
Whether you have visited Pack House Farm, another local pick-your-own farm, or are selecting berries at the grocery store, these tips will help you get the best berries this summer!
- Size doesn’t equal ripeness, it’s all about color! Ripe berries are deep blue-purple to blue-black in color.
- You may notice that some berries will have a cloudy appearance, called “bloom”. This film is a waxy silver-white substance that protects the berry. Bonus – it helps keep the berries juicy!
- Look for berries that are firm and smooth-skinned. When picking, leave those that the birds have pecked on for their snack!
- Blueberries will continue to ripen once picked, but only if they have already started turning blue. Let the green and pink ones wait a little longer.
- Reddish berries are not completely ripe, and may be bitter. These are best used in baking with additional sweetener. (Hello muffins, cakes, and pies!)
- Wash your berries just before eating or tossing in a recipe.
- Get your berries into a refrigerator as soon as you can. An airtight container is recommended and always put a paper towel in to soak up any extra moisture.
- In the refrigerator, berries will keep for a week to 10 days.
Wishing you the berry best this summer!
Blueberry Day at the State Farmers Market!
My earliest childhood memory is helping my grandparents sell sweet corn and other produce at a Farmers Market in Carrboro, NC. Thirty-some years later, one of my favorite things to do is visit a Farmers Market. I’m sure it is the combination of business, agriculture, and salt-of-the earth people that attracts me to any Farmers Market or road-side produce stand I pass.
Today was Blueberry day at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh and I made time to visit. I enjoyed browsing, sampling, and buying local North Carolina products. Blueberries were on full display! A few of photos of my experience are below.
Take time to visit a Farmers Market this summer! Encourage your friends and family to do the same by sharing this information. If you’re in Raleigh, a calendar of special events at the State Farmers Market can be found here.
Pack House Farm 