2024 Chicago and Northeastern Illinois Pea U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!
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Pea U-Pick Orchards in Chicago and Northeastern Illinois in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for peas that we know of in this area.
Not all areas of a state have peas farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!
Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!
PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.
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DeKalb County
Walnut Grove Vocational Farm - beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, flowers, herbs or spices, onions, peas, peppers, raspberries (Spring, red), summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, restrooms, weddings and wedding parties, school tours 33600 Pearl Street, Kirkland, IL 60146. Phone: (815) 793-0950. Email: nutmeg214@gmail.com. Open: U-Pick Strawberry patches typically start in mid-June. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Walnut Grove Vocational Farm Facebook page. Use this link to sign up: https://bit.ly/2N67dxx. Pick-your-own started in 2018. For everyone's safety: U-Pick is open only to adults & supervised children 12+. (ADDED: August 03, 2017)
McHenry County
Stade's Farm and Market - apples, beans, beets, peas, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, red), strawberries, tomatoes, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, picnic area, inflatables or bounce houses, jumping pillow, ziplines, train rides (train on a track), pedal kart track, petting zoo, school tours, group reservations, events at your location (call for info) 3709 Miller Road, McHenry, IL 60081. Phone: (815) 675-6396. Email: thefarm@stadefarm.com. Open: Pick - Your - Own is open 9 am to 5 pm whenever applicable; Visit our Facebook Page and website for current picking information. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Stade's Farm and Market Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: (815) 979-9212 Picking updates: Click here for picking updates Stade's Farm host several special events a year. Please refer to our website for all information about our Classic Car Show, Truck and Tractor Show, and Arts & Crafts on the Farm. UPick strawberries are available from mid June to mid July; Our fall festival in September and October. 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 40+ farm-related attractions, pumpkin picking, special events, great food, and lots of family-orientated fun(UPDATED: September 08, 2020)See comments about this farm here!
Pea
Pea Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Peas (English, Snap peas, Snow Peas, Crowder Peas, etc.) are very easy to grow. They thrive even in poor soil.
In fact, as a legume, pea plants are able to take nitrogen from the air and fix it in nodules in their roots with bacteria to enrich the soil. Whether you grow them yourself or pick them at a PYO farm, or buy them at the
market, they're available fresh almost everywhere.
Here's what to look for!
English peas
Pick English Peas when the pod is full and green and the peas are still tender and sweet. Test for maturity frequently by
picking a couple of pods and examining them for firmness. Harvest the Chinese and snow peas, which are eaten pod and all, when the pods are 1-1/2 to 2 inches
long and the peas are about the size of BB's. The pods are usually picked 5 to 7 days after flowering.
Snap Peas - aka, edible-podded peas
Similar to English peas, except the pod itself is also sweet and tender, like the peas inside.
Snow peas, aka Chinese peas
Like snap peas, the pod is edible, except you want to pick them while they are still flat, before the pod starts to swell with peas inside.
Harvest Chinese and snow peas, which are eaten pod and all, when the pods are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and the peas are about the size of BB's.
Specialty Peas
There are many varieties, like purple hulled peas, crowder peas, black-eyed- peas. Each has their followers!
When are peas available?
Peas are a cool, even cold weather crop, and can tolerate frost and cold soil.
In the U.S. Peas typically peak during February (in the Deep South) through October in the North. Peak season is February through June before the weather gets
hot. Some farms plant a Fall crop too, as they only take 45 to 60 days from the time the
seed is planted!
Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - it's hard to pick in a muddy field!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Peas, but they
may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to
bring containers.
Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can
work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the
sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem while the weather is still cool, but some deet might be good to bring
along if it has been rainy.
General Picking Tips
Whether you pick Peas from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here
are a few tips to keep in mind.
Look for Peas that are :
firm
Bright
green (not yellowish!)
smooth, shiny pods, not wrinkly on the surface - that's an old or dried out pea.
The Peas in the photo at right are, from left:
- old and yellowing,
- overripe and lumpy; and
- dried out and damaged.
Avoid placing the picked Peas in the sunlight
any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree
or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as
possible after picking. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Peas may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days
It is best to shell English peas and either freeze them or use them promptly.
When you get home
Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra Peas - It is VERY easy!
Click on the links for easy instructions.
The Peas in the photo at right are, from left:
- old and yellowing,
- overripe and lumpy; and
- dried out and damaged.
Avoid placing the picked Peas in the sunlight
any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree
or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as
possible after picking. I prefer to bring a cooler with ice in it. Peas may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days
It is best to shell English peas and either freeze them or use them promptly.
When you get home
Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra Peas - It is VERY easy!
Click on the links for easy instructions.