Illinois U-Pick Strawberry Farms Welcome Families for a Tasty Adventure

Nothing offers a true taste of the season quite like fresh, locally grown strawberries. These berries taste even sweeter – and are even juicier – when your family visits one of the many U-pick farms across Illinois during the springtime.

Strawberry farms offer a fun outing for the entire family. Visitors get to be outside in the fresh air, work together to fill a box or basket and, best of all, enjoy strawberries at the peak of freshness.

We visited with three Illinois U-pick strawberry farmers for their tips on making the most of a strawberry-picking adventure and why locally grown strawberries are so full of flavor.

McLaughlin Strawberry and Vegetable Farm

At McLaughlin Strawberry and Vegetable Farm near Murphysboro, strawberries usually ripen around the first of May, says Greg McLaughlin, who farms with wife, Charlotte, and their adult daughters.

The McLaughlins planted their first U-pick strawberry patch about 15 years ago to diversify their crop and livestock farm. Each spring during strawberry season, they love welcoming visitors to their farm.

“It’s such a great experience for the whole family,” Greg says. “It’s so much fun to see kids coming out of our patch with big smiles and their faces all red from strawberry juice.”

Local, Illinois-grown strawberries stand out because you pick them at peak freshness.

“That means the strawberries are going to be as flavorful and juicy as they are ever going to be,” Greg says.

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Jefferies Orchard

Jefferies Orchard near Springfield has deep roots stretching back to the early 1800s when the family’s ancestors first homesteaded.

Today, Pam and Dale Jefferies, along with their children and other family members, raise and sell a wide range of fruits, vegetables and other products at their farm stand and other local outlets.

The Jefferies family, who have welcomed strawberry pickers to their farm for more than six decades, were also pioneers in U-pick strawberries.

“As far as we know, we were one of the first farms to try U-pick strawberries in Illinois,” Pam says.
The farm’s strawberry crop typically ripens right around Memorial Day. Jefferies Orchard also hosts family days during the strawberry season, when visitors can enjoy tractor rides and other activities on the farm, along with strawberry picking.

While you’ll be tempted to gobble up your strawberries before they even make it home, Pam suggests saving some to make pies and jams.

“You can’t beat the flavor and juiciness of freshly picked strawberries in pies and jams,” she says.

Much like the Jefferies family appreciates their farm’s generational roots, they also love welcoming families to the orchard and seeing everyone – from the youngest to the oldest – enjoying strawberry season.

“The kids love it,” Pam says. “It’s so much fun to see the excitement of the little ones picking strawberries for the first time. Lots of parents and grandparents, who have been coming here for years, bring their kids and grandkids to share the experience.”

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Rising Sun Family Farm

Amy and Michael Harris started Rising Sun Family Farm in 2014 as a fruit and vegetable extension to their family’s seventh-generation farm near Willow Hill.

The farm’s U-pick strawberries typically ripen in mid- to late-May, though that can vary depending on the season. When the time comes, the Harris family, along with some friends, pitch in to welcome and assist visitors with the berry harvest.

“Strawberry picking is a yearly tradition for many families who come to our farm,” Amy says. “We enjoy providing a venue where families and friends can slow down a bit, reminisce and make new memories.”

For berries not eaten right away, Amy suggests storing them in the refrigerator covered with a dish towel. They recommend waiting to wash strawberries until you are ready to eat them.

However, sometimes you want those fresh berries ready to eat. For a good way to keep the berries fresh and ready for a quick snack, Amy recommends washing them in water mixed with a splash of apple cider vinegar, then spreading them out on paper towels and allowing them to dry completely. Once dry, store the berries in the refrigerator, also covered with a dish towel, until you are ready to enjoy.

The Harris family appreciates that strawberry-picking season allows visitors to see firsthand how their food is grown and to meet the farmers who grow it.

“Visitors can ask questions about how strawberries and other food are grown on our farm,” Amy says. “They also get to meet and shake hands with the farmers who grew it. That’s really valuable.”

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