Descendants of Rollin Braeutigam have been working the land at these Belleville orchards since 1831. The farm offers several pick-your-own options and a great selection of just-harvested fruits and vegetables for sale in its farm market. (The farm’s also well-known for its bakery, which features pies and apple cider doughnuts.) If your heart is set on picking your own, then keep an eye on the farm’s social media channels, or call 618-233-4059 before heading out, as the peaches, apples, pumpkins, and other goodies sometimes need to be picked by the pros. Whether you and your little farmers are picking or not, though, there’s plenty to see and do—tractor rides into the fields and meeting the farm animals are always popular options. 2795 Turkey Hill Lane, Belleville, Illinois.
While Broom Orchard is awash in glorious tree fruits throughout the summer, the Carlinville farm begins its you-pick apple season in late August, offering 20 varieties that hit their peaks at various times throughout the late summer and early October. You can enjoy the bounty courtesy of your own handiwork, or you can pick up a jug of the orchard’s award-winning cider, too. Why not do both? 12803 Broom Road, Carlinville, Illinois.
This multi-generation Augusta farm and orchard is steeped in history, which may come as no surprise at a place that bears the distinction of being founded the same year that Missouri became a state. Although the farm played a prominent role in the development of the state’s wine country, it’s now known for its delightful pick-your-own blackberries, which are trellised and thornless for easy handling. The farm also offers pick-your-own apples, which usually begins around the end of August, as well as pick-your-own pumpkins in the fall. Don’t miss the farm’s market, which is located in an old barn that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 199 Jackson Street, Augusta.
Something is always happening at Eckert’s. The Belleville location is open year-round with a restaurant, live music, workshops, and more family-friendly events. The other three locations—including Illinois farms in Grafton and Millstadt, as well as an orchard in Versailles, Kentucky—have seasonal farm fun to share in spring, summer, and fall. All four locations put a strong emphasis on learning about the role that farms play in our lives. Crops arrive on nature’s time, of course, but the Belleville season generally starts with strawberries. The blackberry fields are usually producing from mid-June to mid-August. Vegetables come into season throughout the spring and summer and include tomatoes, beets, zucchini, cucumber, kale, onions, peppers, squash, asparagus, and corn. You can harvest peaches and strikingly lovely sunflowers in high summer, apples a bit later, and pumpkins once fall comes. And at year’s end, pick out your perfect family Christmas tree. The Grafton location offers blackberries, peaches, apples, and pumpkins, while Millstadt offers just apples and pumpkins. See website for location information.
At Herman’s, July and August are for the tomatoes, peaches, blackberries, and more. The farm specializes in tomatoes, with more than a dozen heirloom varieties. September sees apples, and October is pumpkin-picking time. Pickers should plan on waking up early depending on the weather, as Herman’s is known to close the fields as early as noon on especially hot days—though you’ll be able to buy freshly picked produce in the market, even if you can’t be the one to harvest it. Call 636-925-9969 before you head out because, as these farmers will tell you, nature is in charge. Hayrides, farm tours, and a castle playground ensure a great day of making memories. 3663 MO-94, St. Charles.
Since 1988, this gorgeous blueberry farm in Farmington has been the area’s go-to for pick-your-own blueberries. Liberty offers two different varieties of the delicious fruit: the Bluecrop, which are sweet-tart, large in size and have a lovely aroma, and the Patriot, which are sweet and juicy. Season typically starts in the beginning of June and lasts for three-to-four weeks, though it’s best to check the farm’s social media to get the most up-to-date information. 1450 State Highway OO, Farmington.
Things get swinging—at least for the public—in mid-late July at Mills Apple Farm, though the pick-your-own apple season usually begins sometime in late August. The Marine, Illinois, farm also offers the you-pick experience through its pumpkin patch and fresh Christmas tree offerings. The fun does not stop there, though: Mills offers a variety of family-friendly activities, including animal encounters, a maze, hayrides, wagon rides, and even train rides. 11477 Pocahontas Road, Marine, Illinois.
At this New Haven gem, you’ll find a wonderful pumpkin patch and cut-your-own Christmas tree farm, but what sets it apart is its Summer Sweet Corn Festival, held in late July, which is a celebration of all things corny. There’s a corn-eating contest, all-you-can-eat corn (included with admission), wagon rides through sunflower fields, and a pick-your-own corn and sunflower experience to cap off a lovely summer day. 2317 Highway E, New Haven.
A staple of the Soulard Farmers’ Market, Scharf’s Millstadt, Illinois, farm offers pick-your-own strawberries in season, which usually begins in early May, as well as a cut-your-own zinnias experience, which starts in late summer/early fall. Picking flowers amongst the butterflies on a beautiful autumn day is among the St. Louis’ region’s most memorable experiences. 8132 State Route 163, Millstadt, Illinois.
If you’re in search of a pick-your-own experience that offers something different—including a transportive trip to Provence—Edwardsville’s Tenderloin Farms has you covered. The stunning lavender farm began in 2016, though it traces its legacy all the way back to 1917, when the Stalhut family purchased the land and established it as a dairy farm. It’s been home to a variety of agriculture in its century-plus of operation, but when current owners Kim Hansen and Kris Straub took over, they decided to forge their own path. In addition to their u-pick option, the sisters also offer a variety of lavender products and plants in their barn shop. The season typically starts in late May or early June and is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, usually through June. Check social media or the website to see what’s in store this season. 6368 St. James Drive, Edwardsville, Illinois.
This year at Thierbach Orchards, the season starts with cherries and blueberries, most likely in June. Peaches and blackberries should be ready in June and July, and an impressive variety of apples—including relatively unknown but fabulous varieties, such as the Mutsu and Missouri Red—ripen between August and October. Buy them at the market, or pick apples in the orchard on Saturdays and Sundays by catching a (free!) hayride into the orchard. After you’ve bagged your crop, hang out with farm-animal friends, or enjoy some cider on the patio. The orchard markets, one located just north of Marthasville and another in Washington, offer fruit and vegetables, as well as such goodies as jam and salsa made field-fresh, and seasonal décor and flowers. 301 East Fifth Street, Washington.
Pick your own fruits as part of a new Missouri adventure at Thies Farm’s new location on the Katy Trail. The operation also offers u-pick options at its original homestead, The Farm, on Hanley Road. (The Maryland Heights Market location stocks plant starts and produce, but it doesn’t have a pick-your-own option.) The family-run farm has been in operation since 1885, and though different generations have each put their own spin on things, the family has consistently put quality and freshness at the forefront. See website for location information.
