You Can Pick Your Own Produce In Illinois At Stade's Farm And Market
By Melissa Mahoney|Published May 25, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
There’s nothing like picking your own vegetables and fruit from a garden or orchard. Between the smell of the earth and the freshness of picking something ripe right off of a plant, tree, or vine, you know you’re getting the freshest and healthiest produce. If you don’t have your own backyard garden, getting fresh crops from a local farm is a very close second especially at one where you can pick your own.
Now, not all farms in Illinois have pick-your-own produce available, but there is one in McHenry that does. Stade’s Farm and Market has become a popular location for customers to pick both fruit and vegetables while enjoying a day of fun and learning about agriculture.
Stade's Farm started out as a dairy farm back in 1977, when it was owned by Vern Stade. Over the years, he began to grow and sell vegetables. In 2006, the farm expanded into a destination for agritourism with the addition of a market, petting zoo, and entertainment area with attractions.
Farms offering GMO-free fruits and vegetables for visitors to "pick their own" have become a very popular option for customers. After all, there's something quite special about harvesting your own food while making memories with your family.
The field of strawberries is nearly 20 acres and the season normally starts around mid-June. The farm offers both summer and fall raspberries that can be picked from early July to early or mid-October. As for apples, a wide variety of the fruit is grown from mid-August/early September until late October.
Fresh vegetable crops include green beans, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, and several varieties of peppers including bell, poblano, habanero, serrano, and more.
During the fall, Stade's Farm hosts their annual Shades of Autumn Fall Festival. In addition to picking pumpkins and apples, the whole family can have fun on hayrides, participate in games and activities, visit the petting zoo, and so much more!
Mid-July through late September brings the happy, cheery sunflowers, which are also available for you to pick out in a two-acre field. Zinnias are also available as well, and flower clippers are provided if you need them.
Occasionally, the fields and orchards are closed due to inclement weather. If that's the case and you would still like some farm-fresh fruit and vegetables, you can purchase some that have already been picked inside at the market. But we can all agree that picking your own is more fun!
Have you been to Stade’s Farm and Market to pick your own produce? If so, what did you pick? We would love to hear about your experience!
