Close your eyes and say the words "Jersey Fresh" to conjure up images of fat, juicy, fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes and crisp, sweet, direct-from-the-field corn. Famous for its fresh produce, it is South Jersey's family-run farms, many of which have been handed down for generations, which give the state its nickname "The Garden State."

When the crops come in, it is almost a celebration of abundance with roadside farm stands and markets dotting the countryside. Some farmers invite you to get in on the act with pick-it-yourself orchards and fields. And come autumn, many turn their farms into agricultural playgrounds with hayrides, corn mazes and other activities.

In Gloucester County, at Duffield's Farm in Sewell, you can pick peas, strawberries, and pumpkins, as well as take hayrides, wander through a corn maze and experience the hands-on learning center. In Mullica Hill, you can fill your basket with just about every fruit under the sun at Moods Farm Market. You'll have your pick of okra, tomatoes, greens, collards, chowder peas and more at Royal Acre Farm in nearby Williamstown. And if the old adage about an apple a day keeping the doctor away is true, then you'll want to head to Heritage Station where they grow almost a dozen varieties of apples.

In the heart of South Jersey, Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill also sells u-pick strawberries, pumpkins and other vegetables, along with New Jersey's own signature wines, produced from three Garden State vintners.

Nearby in Burlington County, Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford has u-pick strawberries, sweet corn, peaches, nectarines, sweet cherries, apples, pumpkins and more. Indian Acres Tree Farm is open mid-September for pumpkins and after Thanksgiving for Christmas trees. If blueberries are your favorite fruit, you've come to the right place. First cultivated in New Jersey, the blueberry is the official state fruit and they are plentiful. In fact, there are more than a dozen farms where blueberries not only abound but where you can pick your own.

And there's lots more in our fields. Pick everything from spinach and squash to peppers and pears at Conte Farm and Four Winds Farm in Tabernacle, Grossman Farms, Strawberry Hill Farm and Russo's Orchard Lane Farm in Chesterfield, Lew's Farm and Peaches Plus in Moorestown, Lewis Farm in Indian Mills, River Side Homestead Farm in Cinnaminson, Robson Farm and Greenhouse in Wrightstown, and Specca Farm in Mt. Holly.

To find out what is ready for harvest and where to go to pick your own, the Jersey Fresh website has all the details.