2024 Southern Illinois Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Southern Illinois in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blackberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blackberries orchards 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.

Madison County

• Reinhardt's Berry Patch - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries.
  7508 Kerin Rd, Alhambra, IL 62001. Phone: 618-633-2888. Open: Call for availability and picking appointments. Click here for a map and directions. . Pick Your Own/U-Pick: fresh berries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries; squash, pumpkins, gourds, ornamental Indian corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, fresh cut sunflowers and dried sunflower heads for bird seed, and dried hard shelled gourds for crafting.
• W. J. Donahue - strawberries, blackberries, asparagus
  3540 Fairmont, Collinsville, IL 62234. Phone: 618-345-0766. Email: donahuesunshinefarm@yahoo.com. Open: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Click here for a map and directions. . . Pick Your Own . Custom picking available for strawberries & blackberries.

Marion County

• Sager Farms - blackberries, strawberries.
  55251 Kell Road, Kell, IL 62853. Phone: 618-822-6637. Open: See their Facebook page for availability and hours. Click here for a map and directions. 8 Roadside Market: fresh apples, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes & sweet corn. Cherries should be ready late June. Peaches should be ready early July.

Randolph County

• G and C Meyer Farm - blackberries, pumpkins.
  4370 Rockcastle Road, Steeleville, IL 62288. Phone: 618-965-3800. Click here for a map and directions. UPDATE for 2021, Their Facebook page is gone; There's nothing else about them on the internet, so I assume they have closed. If you have any information to the contrary, please write me. black raspberries start in mid June; pumpkins in September and October, 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday; 1 pm to 5 pm, Sunday; call for appointment otherwise. Roadside Market has already picked strawberries, blackberries, red & black raspberries, garden vegetables in season, pumpkins. A visitor tells me on May 28, 2009: "Called this farm to ask about picking schedule on the evening of 5/28/09 and the woman who answered said they are not doing strawberries." (They are still doing blackberries and pumpkins, though!)

St. Clair County

• Braeutigam Orchards - apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, eggplant, peaches, peppers, plums, pumpkins, tomatoes, other vegetables, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, farm market, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours
  2795 Turkey Hill Lane, Belleville, IL 62221. Phone: (618) 233-4059. Open: Seasonal from June to October Monday thru Friday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Saturday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Directions: 20 miles Southeast of Street Louis. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Braeutigam Orchards Facebook page. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates.
• Eckert's Millstadt Farm - apples, hayrides, jumping pillows, pumpkin cannon, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, pumpkins, Christmas trees
  2719 Eckert Orchard Lane, Millstadt, IL 62260. Phone: (800)745-0513. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. . click here for farm directions. Only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, your whole family will love Eckert's Millstadt Fun Farm! Visit the incredible creations in Uncle Aubrey's Workshop, squeal with delight at Billy Bob's pig races, ride the Deere Express through the orchard, then plunge into the 70-foot underground slide at Eckert's Mining Company! Wagon rides to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch are a favorite for all. Visit Uncle Aubrey's Workshop, or join us for a Haunted Hayride this September & October - if you dare! There's so many activities for the kids see and do.. you will wear the kids out.. and Mom and Dad, too! Our jumping pillow is a giant colorful, inflatable pillow that is so much fun and will keep your kids entertained. Fun for adults, too! We can't forget about the amazing pumpkin cannon, the Jack-O-Lobber. The Jack-O-Lobber fires a pumpkin a half-mile! Shows are every hour on the hour Friday through Sunday. If you are craving mouth-watering country food like roasted sweet corn or chicken shish kababs be sure to stop by Bob's N'Cobs Food Stand. Of course, hotdogs, bratwurst, KettleKorn, homemade ice cream and funnel cakes are always on the menu too! Eckert's is known far and wide for its great country entertainment. Watch a real live melodrama play out on the Grand Stage. (ADDED: August 26, 2011, by Blake)

Union County

• Blue Berry Hill Farm - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelons.
  675 Wrights Crossing Road, Cobden, IL 62920. Phone: 618-893-2397. Open: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Directions: Strawberry farm is just off Hwy 51, north of Cobden. . Click here for a map and directions. Blue Berry Hill Farm Phone:, 7 days a week. Fresh peppers, squash and turnips. Typical harvest dates: strawberries (May 10- June 10), blackberries and blueberries (June 20-July 31), red & black raspberries (June 7-July 14). Will take drive in orders but does not ship. Call for more info.
• Hallsberry Farms - Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries
  20 United Missionary Ln, Buncombe, IL 62912. Phone: (618) 559-6127. Click here for a map and directions. 46573/?rf=204237323 We are a family owned farm in Buncombe, IL. We provide our community with fresh local strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Twenty years strong! A family owned farm that started with a small patch of blueberries in 1994. As we've grown, we now offer to our community fresh local blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries! (ADDED: September 3, 2017, JBS)

 

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. Blackberries typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Blackberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. 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, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Blackberries

1. There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries 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. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forgage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers