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Nature|Wildlife & Farms

The Largest Family-Owned Pick-Your-Own Orchard Is Right Here In Illinois

Eckert’s Farms in Illinois offers a year-round country store and restaurant, along with seasonal pick-your-own produce experiences.

Published Apr 7, 2021

Written by 

Melissa Mahoney

In the western part of Illinois and close to St. Louis is Eckert's Farms which claims to have the largest family-owned-and-operated pick-your-own orchard in the country. Eckert's actually has three farms in Southeastern Illinois in Belleville, Grafton, and Millstadt. The Belleville location is, by far, the largest with a restaurant and a store open all year long and a seasonal pick-your-own orchard, while the other locations are open seasonally.

The farm's long history began in 1837 when Johann Peter Eckert began farming in the area after emigrating from Germany. In 1910, one of his descendants, Alvin O. Eckert, opened a roadside produce stand, marking the farm's humble beginnings.

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Eckert's Country Store & Farms/Facebook

Over the years, Eckert family descendants have operated and grown the business. Today, it is run by the 6th and 7th generations.

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Eckert's Belleville Farm is open year-round with a country store and restaurant that are open daily. The pick-your-own produce season starts sometime in May when the crops are first ready.

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Eckert's Country Store & Farms/Facebook

The massive country retail store has wine, a bakery, a deli, a meat market, and fresh local produce, much of which is grown on the farm. So, if you don't want to pick your own fruit and vegetables, you can find what's in season at the store.

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Krissy Goff/Google

As for pick-your-own fruit and vegetables, the season normally begins sometime in May, but a number of factors like weather and climate can, of course, affect the exact time when crops are ready. But when things are ready, it's a fun-filled experience the whole family can enjoy!

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Eckert's Country Store & Farms/Facebook

Throughout the pick-your-own season, Eckert's Belleville Orchard will have strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and veggies like tomatoes, onions, and peppers, just to name a few.

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Eckert's Country Store & Farms/Facebook

Fall brings pumpkins and apples and in the winter, visitors can pick out and cut their own Christmas trees.

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There's nothing quite like picking your own fresh fruit and vegetables right off the tree, plant, or vine.

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Eckert's Country Store & Farms/Facebook

If you don't want to pick your own produce, that's okay! Eckert's has plenty of in-season fruit and vegetables available for purchase at the Country Store.

While you're at the Belleville farm, stop in for a meal at the family restaurant which serves up some incredible down-home style cooking. Their famous fried chicken is the one menu item you can't leave without trying.

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Eckert's Country Store & Farms/Facebook

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served here seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Have you visited Eckert's Farms for pick-your-own? If so, what fruit or vegetables did you pick? Please tell us all about it in the comments.

For more information on Eckert's, including store and restaurant hours, locations, events, and pick-your-own schedule, visit the website or Facebook page. If you're looking for additional pick-your-own fruit farms, head to this post.

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Nature|Wildlife & Farms

Here Are The 7 Absolute Best Pumpkin Patches In Illinois To Enjoy In 2024

Updated Jul 29, 2024

Written by 

Linze Rice

Flannels, mums, and hay rides — oh my! Autumn in Illinois is the best time of year, and one of our greatest traditions is spending an afternoon at the pumpkin patch, carefully selecting our favorite orange gourds. Growing up in the country, I was surrounded by family farms, many of which offered pumpkins for sale once fall rolled around. Add in extras like cider doughnuts, corn mazes, and outdoor attractions and we're really feeling the spirit. To help spread some autumnal joy, we've rounded up the seven best pumpkin patches in Illinois — perfect for a small-town day trip.

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1. Goebbert's Farm — South Barrington and Pingree Grove

A vibrant pumpkin patch with various pumpkins in the foreground and a red barn with a large pumpkin decoration in the background.
Goebbert's Farm - South Barrington/Facebook

Starting our journey in Northern Illinois, we head to Goebbert's Farm, which has locations in South Barrington and Pingree Grove. This massive outdoor fall playground is recognizable from miles away by its distinctive and beloved pumpkin smiley face silo — something I always loved seeing growing up in the area. Since 1972, the farm has delighted families with its massive pumpkin patch, and today, it has nearly everything one could dream of and more: a garden center, a bakery and fresh produce shop, tons of pumpkins, and a fall festival that runs through Halloween. The fest includes a haunted house, jumping pillow, a pumpkin-eating dinosaur, wagon rides, pig racing, gem mining, magic shows, a corn maze, and more. The festivities run from Sept. 7 to Oct. 30, 2024.

Get the most current updates on Goebbert's Farm website, the South Barrington Goebbert's Farm Facebook page, and the Pingree Grove Goebbert's Farm Facebook page.

2. Kuipers Family Farm — Maple Park

A vintage truck with pumpkins parked near a farm, surrounded by autumn foliage and a clear blue sky.
Kuipers Family Farm/Facebook

I'll always have a special place in my heart for the Maple Park favorite Kuipers Family Farm. Not only did I briefly work on the pumpkin farm myself one year, but my grandpa played Santa there during the Christmas season and pulled tractors full of eager apple and pumpkin pickers for years. Kuipers is truly a family-operated farm and is one of the best in the state. It offers fields of pumpkins, a farm store, a mountain slide, a jumping pillow, pig races, a haunted forest and scream shed, farm animals, hayrides, and so much more as part of its fall Funfarm. Plus, on the other side of the property is a huge bakery and shop with wine, apples for picking, and more. This year, events run from Sept. 1 to Nov. 2, 2024.

Get all the most recent announcements on the Kuipers Family Farm website and the Kuipers Family Farm Facebook page.

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3. Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm and Fall Festival — Homer Glen

A red barn with a tractor in a garden, surrounded by trees and a quaint building, under a cloudy sky.
Bengston’s Pumpkin Farm/Facebook

Next, we head to Homer Glen for another incredible world of seasonal fun at Bengston's Pumpkin Farm and Fall Festival. Part pumpkin patch-part theme park, this farm is host to 13 family-friendly rides, including a Barnstormer Wave Swinger, spinning barrels, Barnyard Dance Cow Coaster, a Gemstone and Arrowhead Mining Sluice, and many more. Of course, plenty of farm animals will be on hand for pets, plus a family selfie station, hayrides, a railroad, and a pumpkin chucker.

Start planning your trip by visiting the Bengston's Pumpkin Farm website and the Bengston's Pumpkin Farm Facebook page where this year’s dates will shortly be announced.

4. Lindberg Pumpkin Patch — Caledonia

A pumpkin patch display featuring a train, large pumpkins, and decorative pumpkin cutouts in a rural setting.
The Pumpkin Patch/Facebook

Just south of the Wisconsin border is the Lindberg Pumpkin Patch in Caledonia, a 7-acre U-pick patch filled with perfectly pickable pumpkins. The farm includes a barnyard, corn maze, shopping, food (make sure to get some cider doughnuts!), and great family photo ops. For many, this place has become an annual trip not to be missed! The events get underway from Sept. 12 to Oct. 31, 2024.

Learn how to make Lindberg Pumpkin Patch your next fall adventure by checking out the Lindberg Pumpkin Patch website and the Lindberg Pumpkin Patch Facebook page!

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5. Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch — Champaign

A large statue of an archer stands among rows of pumpkins under a blue sky with fluffy clouds.
Bertram Ludaescher/Google

In Central Illinois is the family-owned Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch, a Champaign must-visit destination since 1977. The farm has pumpkins available for picking or in its shop — all perfect for carving, pie-making, or decor. On the farm, you'll also find horse-drawn wagon rides, a giant slide, a pumpkin jumping pad, a corn maze, pony rides, a kids' area, a goat petting zoo, a playground, an orchard store, a cafe, and much more. Show up between Aug. 31 and Oct. 27, 2024 for all the fun!

Start planning your visit by checking out the Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch website and the Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch Facebook page.

6. The Great Pumpkin Patch — Arthur

A pumpkin patch with rows of bright orange pumpkins surrounded by trees in autumn foliage.
The Great Pumpkin Patch/Facebook

In Illinois' Amish country, we find The Great Pumpkin Patch, a serene farm with stunning views of the countryside. This pumpkin patch boasts about 300 varieties of pumpkins and displays more than 5,000 gorgeous mums. Pick your own pumpkins or pick your favorite from the hundreds of freshly harvested. While you're there, enjoy the mazes and wagon rides, Homestead Bakery, a sweets shop, historic buildings, live music, and thousands of beautiful flowers. The farm opens on Sept. 18 and runs through Oct. 31, 2024.

Find out about new updates at the The Great Pumpkin Patch website and The Great Pumpkin Patch Facebook page.

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7. Pumpkin Blossom Hill — Red Bud

A vibrant pumpkin patch with various pumpkins and gourds displayed in wooden crates against a rural backdrop.
Pumpkin Blossom Hill

In Southern Illinois, the family-owned Pumpkin Blossom Hill offers an idyllic pumpkin patch experience with tons of gourds to choose from, plus a corn pit, slides, mechanical bull, swings, a tractor playground, a craft/antique store, and areas for picnicking families. Pro tip: Visit on a weekend day to try the kettle corn!

Start making your plans by heading to the Pumpkin Blossom Farm website and the Pumpkin Blossom Farm Facebook page.

(Editor's Note: It is uncertain whether the event will take place in 2024 due to the unfortunate passing of Don, one of the owners. Please keep checking the above links as the season gets closer.)

Which of these best pumpkin patches in Illinois have you visited? Which are on your fall bucket list? Have another favorite pumpkin patch? Tell us in the comments! And if you're like me and want to make sure you're full on-theme for the fall, this adorable bestselling pumpkin sweatshirt from Etsy has more than 6,000  positive reviews and is the perfect way to stay comfy and cozy during autumnal adventures like these:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/beautiful-fall-destinations-il/

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Nature|Wildlife & Farms

Touring This Alpaca Farm In Poplar Grove Might Be The Most Extraordinary Animal Encounter You Can Have In Illinois

Published Jul 8, 2024

Written by 

Daisy Dow

Illinois has its fair share of wild animals that many of us regularly encounter. When I see a rabbit, squirrel, groundhog or deer, I barely register it. Seeing an alpaca, on the other hand, is something I would not expect to run into. Alpaca Pines in Poplar Grove, IL offers open houses when you can stop by the farm and fiber mill to get up close to its herd of alpacas.

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Located just south of the Wisconsin border, Alpaca Pines is a 40-minute drive from downtown Rockford.

Sign for Alpaca Pines Farm and Fiber Mill, featuring alpacas and patriotic bunting, with a sunset in the background.
Alpaca Pines llc Farm and Fiber Mill/Google Reviews

Owner Vicki Glenn-Donley began the business in 2011 and has since built it into a working farm and fiber arts studio.

Glenn-Donley is a third generation farmer who values introducing young people to animals.

A rustic farm scene featuring weathered barns, a silo, and green grass under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Lori Seekamp/Google Reviews

The farm houses almost 40 alpacas, a llama, sheep, ducks, chicken, turkeys and a goose.

The entire operation began when Glenn-Donley adopted two male Suri alpacas.

Two llamas, one white and one black, lean over a wooden fence to eat from a person's hand.
Mark Devino/Google Reviews

From there, she was inspired to try fiber arts. The farm expanded as a working mill and studio that offers fiber processing services.

Alpaca Pines offers tours when coordinated in advance, so be sure to call ahead if you'd like to interact with the herd.

A group of alpacas grazing on green grass, surrounded by trees and a fence under a clear blue sky.
Alpaca Pines LLc Farm and Fiber Mill/ Facebook

There is a lot of nitty-gritty business that has to go on behind the scenes to ensure that the alpacas are being well taken care of. Many of the alpacas have been rescued, so the team at Alpaca Pines makes sure every animal is comfortable interacting with people before having guests feed them.

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Having honed her skills as a fiber artist, Glenn-Donley offers classes and workshops at the fiber mill.

A group of five people sitting at a table, engaged in a crafting activity with various materials.
Alpaca Pines LLc Farm and Fiber Mill/ Facebook

Past classes have included yarn spinning using a Turkish spindle, crochet classes, and needle felting classes.

There is a working loom in the yarn and gift shop at the front of the farm.

A wooden loom in a craft studio, with woven fabric and colorful yarns displayed in the background.
Mark Devino/Google Reviews

With a colorful assortment of hand-spun yarns, the shop is a joy to walk through. Alpaca Pines also sells pillows, pottery, and imported items from Peru.

If you call ahead and schedule a tour, be sure to wash your hands first (and after!).

A woman and a child wearing masks interact with a friendly alpaca at a farm.
Mark Devino/Google Reviews

During National Alpaca Farm Days in late September every year, Alpaca Pines hosts a family-friendly event where visitors can buy a cup of food and feed the animals.

This family-owned and operated farm, mill and shop really puts Illinoian craftsmanship on display.

Three llamas with varying fur colors peering over a wooden fence inside a barn.
Dawn Unger/Google Reviews

Whether you want to see the farm, partake in a fiber arts class, or pick up some yarn, Alpaca Pines is certainly worth a visit. There are many sweet faces all around wanting to say hello!

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Be sure to check Alpaca Pines' website and Facebook page to confirm open hours for tours and visits. Not too far from Alpaca Pines, you can also stop by Magic Meadows Alpacas Farm if you want to pack a day with multiple alpaca farms visits in northern Illinois. No matter how many alpacas you are hoping to see in a day, I'd suggest having some hand sanitizing spray in your pocket. It's thoughtful to use it before and after touching an animal to all creatures involved safe!

What other spots in Illinois are worth exploring for unexpected animal encounters?

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