Strawberry picking season in Illinois is approximately late May through to July with late crops in September, although of course, as with any fruit, weather plays an important role in when these little gems will be ready for you to collect.
As always, check with the individual farm before you visit. So, lets take a look at the Best Places for Strawberry Picking in Illinois.
Heider’s Berry Farm – Strawberry Picking in Illinois
1106 N Queen Anne Rd, Woodstock, IL 60098
Heider’s Berry Farm is a real family affair and they invite you and your family to visit, enjoy their beautiful facilities and pick your own berries!
“Our land has been farmed by Heider’s for five generations, starting as a typical Midwestern farm with dairy, hogs, sheep, chickens, corn, oats and hay. From 1972 to 1986, we operated the largest berry farm in Illinois. After 25 years of landscaping, we’re back as Heider’s Berry Farm, on a smaller scale, to provide quality fruit and friendly service.
We invite you to spend time on our farm in Woodstock, IL. Wander into our fields to enjoy a true farm experience, all natural with no admission or parking fee.
We expect a plentiful supply of delicious, juicy berries and are looking forward to your visit this season. Picking containers are provided for your use and for taking berries home.
Berry Picking is a fun family outing. Supervised children of all ages are welcome. So come on out and bring the family.”
Strawberry and Raspberry pick your own available.
Cody’s Farm & Orchard
19502 River Rd, Marengo, IL 60152
When you visit Cody’s Farm and Orchard LLC be sure to treat yourself to their speciality – Strawberry Glazed Donuts – delicious!
“Cody’s Farm & Orchard LLC will provide high quality, fresh home grown fruit and vegetables to our customers.
Cody’s is a family business that values health, happiness of children, education and making family memories. We would invite people of all ages to come and visit our farm. Each year during the month of June Cody’s Farm & Orchard welcomes families from the greater Chicagoland area to come visit our farm and pick strawberries.
Fresh Vegetables we have by season…
July:
Sweet Corn, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beets, Radishes, Green Beans, Onions, Summer Squash, Potatoes, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Peppers, Tomatoes(late July)
August:
Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Sweet Corn, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beets, Radishes, Green Beans, Onions, Summer Squash, Potatoes, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Peppers, Tomatoes
September:
Fall Squash, Pumpkins(end of month), Apples & Peaches, Watermelon, Sweet Corn, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Green Beans, Onions, Potatoes, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Peppers, Tomatoes
October:
Apples, Sweet Corn(until 1st hard frost), Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beets, Radishes, Peppers*, Onions, Zucchini*, Cucumbers*, Fall Squash”
Jefferies Orchard
1016 Jeffries Rd, Springfield, IL 62707
At Jefferies Orchard their plan is to grow high quality produce that is fresh and in-season for our customers, while honoring the land and sustaining the family farm.
Jefferies Orchard offers a diverse range of fresh produce in season. The growing season starts with asparagus and rhubarb in the spring, followed by pick-your-own strawberries in late May. Pick-your-own blueberries start in late June or early July, which are the last u-pick crop of the year.
Summer crops include fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches and summer squash. These are followed by apples, winter squash, pumpkins, cider, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, peppers and much more.
Stade’s Farm and Market – U-pick Strawberries IL
3709 Miller Rd, McHenry, IL 60051
Stade’s Farm and Market has everything you need for a fun packed family day out in the country!
“Located in scenic McHenry County, Stade’s Farm & Market is approximately 50 miles Northwest of Chicago, Illinois. We produce 2,200 acres of corn, soybeans, and fresh fruits and vegetables that we sell directly to consumers through our Farm Market.
Stade Farm is a popular pick-your-own destination. We are offering both fruits and vegetables for you to harvest, including strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, peppers, and more. We offer a beautiful apple orchard with many of your favorite apples and about 30 acres of pick-your-own pumpkins in the fall. Stade’s is home to a large entertainment area, including a petting zoo, corn maze, giant slides, hayrides, and a large variety of unique attractions. Our fall festival, Shades of Autumn, is a harvest time extravaganza featuring 35+ farm-related attractions, pumpkin picking, special events, great food, and lots of family-orientated fun.”
Terrapin Orchards
1063 US-20 e, Elizabeth, IL 61028
At Terrapin Orchards they are passionate about the produce they grow and whole heartedly invite you and your family to visit, pick fruit and enjoy a day in the sunshine.
“At Terrapin Orchards we are committed to producing the best fruit you can find, while being friendly to natural pollinator, our customers, and mother nature. We depend on Integrated pest management as the backbone of our growing practice.
We have about 4 acres of Strawberries at Terrapin Orchards. The berries typically start to ripen around Memorial day (last weekend in May) and continue to be available through the end of June. We have pre-picked berries for the folks who are just in it for the flavor, but we also offer pick your own berries for those who want the full experience. For those looking to do some canning, baking or are looking to pick a whole bunch of berries, we offer a discount for bringing your own bucket or ice cream pail to pick into. We simply weight your pail empty and again when full and charge by the pound.
If you’ve never had a farm fresh strawberry, you’ve never really had a strawberry. Our berries are fully ripe when picked and offer a tremendous amount of flavor. Our strawberries have a red juice filled center, instead of the unripe white pith that we have come to view as normal. Children who wear a white colored shirt to pick strawberries typically leave with a red colored shirt and a huge smile!”
Braffet Berry Farm
9010 E 2250 North Rd, Carlock, IL 61725
The Braffet Berry Farm is located in central Illinois in the northwest part of Mclean County. Owners, Curt & Peggy Braffet, have been growing strawberries there since 1995. You are invited to visit with you family to enjoy picking your own beautiful juicy berries.
“We at Braffet Berry Farm worked very hard to plant, mulch, weed, and water to get the strawberries ready for you to pick.
Backwoods Berry Farm
27244 Hettick Scottville Rd, Hettick, IL 62649
There is an impressive array of produce to pick and enjoy at Backwoods Berry Farm, Illinois. “We are dedicated to providing top quality, home grown products in a family friendly atmosphere. Please come and enjoy the great outdoors with us. We started growing specialty crops in 1990 with a few blackberries. We have since expanded into asparagus, berries, peaches, and canned & baked goods.
We are dedicated to providing top quality, home grown products in a family friendly atmosphere. We started growing specialty crops in 1990 with a few blackberries. We have since expanded into asparagus, berries, peaches, and canned & baked goods.
Late April – Asparagus available by orderLate May – Upick StrawberriesLate June through mid July – Upick and picked Blueberries by order
Mid July through mid August – Upick Blackberries by appointment and available picked by order
Mid/Late July through mid August – Upick Peaches, picked peaches readily
available in our market.”
Sun Berry Orchard Farm – Mundelein
28111 N Fremont Center Rd, Mundelein, IL 60060
At our new Mundelein location, you can buy any fresh produce and farm products and purchase some of our freshly squeezed apple cider! Experience our newly built market store, cider mill, and petting zoo.
Sun Berry Orchard Farm offers you and your family the full farming and fresh produce experience. In addition to the impressive range of home grown fruit and veg, there is also superb cuts of meat available, plus a farm shop and a petting zoo to enjoy.
“Sun Berry Orchard Farm-the perfect place to visit, if you like fresh and organically-grown foods. During your visit, you can pick your own fruits, veggies, and enjoy our gorgeous orchards. Depending on the season, at our farm store, you can purchase delicious produce, free-range eggs, natural raw honey and, grass-fed meats, grown with love by our family. Our mission is to deliver natural and organically grown foods for your families. Practicing sustainability and supporting our community, we believe everyone deserves fresh produce that influences the balance and function of a happy and healthy lifestyle. We are so grateful to Mother Earth!”
Sun Berry Orchard Farm – Woodstock
2318 Greenwood Rd, Woodstock, IL 60098
“Hours: Opening Mid Summer for Vegetable Picking
Welcome to the Farm! Here we have our fields with products you can pick from as well as lots of family entertainment to offer! From a hayride to a corn maze! Come visit our farm and enjoy a day in nature learning about the supply chain and where all of our tasty products come from!
U-PICK
3712 Greenwood Rd, Woodstock, IL 60098
At this location, we have Pick-Your-Own strawberries, raspberries and apples! As well as our food truck and a picnic area for your family to enjoy refreshments at. Follow our Facebook page for updates on season availability and field weather conditions!”
Crosswind Farms
14435 W Manhattan-Monee Rd, Manhattan, IL 60442
Those at Crosswind Farms hope that people will join them for some amazing, healthy outdoor fun, picking berries and enjoying the sunshine. They also offer tours of the barn and the farm.
“Crosswind Farms we made the decision to open a u-pick orchard to the public so we can share the love we have for this farm with you.
You can come to our house in the summer to pick strawberries, blackberries and red raspberries. We will have produce for sale from our garden. In the fall you can pick concord grapes and aronia. We sell pre-picked pumpkins in October and have a small corn pit for the kids. Our goats & baby goats are out and waiting to be fed on weekends. We sell fresh cut Christmas Trees starting the day after Thanksgiving. And our honey is for sale all year round.”
Also look at our post on the best farms in Illinois as well as Strawberry picking near me.