|
|
|
||
|
|
 |
|||||||
| Favorite Fall Flavors | |||||||
|
Explore the outdoors this autumn at these
Midwestern pick-your-own farms. By Janice M. Kresin |
|||||||
| As cool weather sets in and harvest begins, fall is the perfect time to explore the fresh tastes of the Midwest. Find your sense of adventure by scoping out local farms and orchards that offer pick-your-own apples and pumpkins. Illinois Goebbert’s Pumpkin and Farm Market Illinois is the No. 1 pumpkin-producing state in the country, according to the state’s bureau of tourism. That means big business for Goebbert’s Pumpkin and Farm Market near Chicago. Goebbert’s boasts more than 100,000 pumpkins from which to choose. The South Barrington location also offers a market with gourds, Indian corn, squash, pies, jellies, apple cider and caramel apples. For the true pick-your-own experience, head to the Hampshire farm, where tractor-drawn wagons will take you into the fields to choose your own pumpkin right off the vine. Hot cider, pumpkin slices, apple slices and apple caramel slices are on the menu in South Barrington, while at the Hampshire farm, visitors can watch machines cranking out apple cider donuts or sample freshly baked pies. The Hampshire farm is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the last week in September through Oct. 31. The South Barrington farm opens the second week in September from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays until Oct. 31. Eckert’s Country Store and Farms Near St. Louis, Eckert’s Country Store and Farms operates one of the largest pick-your-own orchards in the United States. Three farms in Belleville, Millstadt and Grafton host a variety of activities. The Grafton farm offers the true country experience and was the first location to offer pick-your-own options in 1964. Starting Aug. 28, visitors at all three farms can hop aboard tractor-drawn wagons to pick Jonathan, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples. Fuji and Granny Smith varieties ripen in October, said Angela Gordon, who handles marketing for the farms. The farms will host Apple Fest the last three weekends in September. Visitors can take part in activities from wagon rides to live entertainment. On Sept. 25–26, guests can join a birthday party for Johnny Appleseed, including the history of the legendary figure, before they head off to pick apples. Pumpkins ripen in early October and are available all month. Guests will find pie pumpkins, gourds and jumbo pumpkins (weighing up to 150 pounds) at each farm. A Jumpin’ Pumpkin Jamboree with festive food, country music and wagon rides to the pumpkin patches will run the first four weekends in October. The pick-your-own experience is free at the Belleville and Grafton farms. A small admission fee applies at the Millstadt farm because it is connected with a children’s fun corral. Shawnee hills orchard trail If a country drive is more your style, follow the Shawnee Hills Orchard Trail to six orchards in southwestern Illinois that offer fruit and other tasty samples. Not all offer pick-your-own options, but fresh fruit is available at roadside markets. Visit http://www.enjoyillinois.com/3-day/sug_11_wine.htm for more details. MISSOURI WESTON RED BARN FARM Fall is the perfect time to visit the Weston Red Barn Farm, 30 minutes north of Kansas City, Mo. The educational farmstead grows apples and pumpkins, and opens its doors starting the third week in August for apple harvest. The orchards are within walking distance of the farmhouse, and guests can select from Gala, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Braeburn and Jonagold varieties. The farm features dwarf apple trees so even children can pick their own fruit, said Steve Frey, who co-owns the farm with his wife, Cindy. Frey is passionate about apples. He’s a direct descendent of John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. In fact, Frey’s middle name is Chapman. The farm’s country store sells ready-picked apples–including Red Delicious and Fujis, which are not available for picking in the orchard–apple cider, jellies, jams and a variety of farm-related items. Weekend visitors can take a trip back in time on a hayrack ride pulled by draft horses weighing in at 4,500 pounds. The 20-minute ride starts at the apple orchards and gives visitors a narrated tour of turn-of-the-century farming. Pumpkins mature by early September. Visitors can hop aboard a tractor-drawn hayrack for a leisurely ride to the pumpkin patch, or they can walk. Miniature pumpkins and gourds are also available. Ready-picked pumpkins, gourds and unusual heirloom varieties are available near the farm’s second country store, which is only open in September and October. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily for apple picking and the store. On weekends in September and October, visitors can pick their own pumpkins and take the hayrides. HUFFSTUTTER ORCHARDS Located in the heart of Missouri about 25 miles west of Columbia, Huffstutter Orchards offers a retreat from everyday life and the opportunity to pick apples and pumpkins. Beginning Labor Day weekend, the owners designate sections of the orchards where visitors can pick their own fruit. They can select from Jonathan, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome and Winesap varieties, said owner Rick Huffstutter. Additional types are available at the orchard’s market. Beginning in mid-September, visitors to the farm can grab an individual wagon that they can use to load up their own pumpkins. The farm offers traditional carving and pie pumpkins in all sizes. It also sells squashes and decorative gourds at the market. The farm is open for picking fruit from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and closes to the public Oct. 31. INDIANA TUTTLE ORCHARDS About 15 miles east of Indianapolis, visitors can pick apples starting Labor Day weekend at Tuttle Orchards, a 32-acre family orchard that’s been in operation since the 1920s. In fact, founder Roy Tuttle discovered a new strain of a current apple variety, called the Stark Supreme Staymared (Stayman Winesap). Guests can pick Gala, Jonathan, Cortland, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious varieties in September. Other varieties like the Empire, Ida Red, Goldrush and Stayman Winesap are available already picked in the market, along with products like apple dumplings, apple cider, applesauce and apple butter. Pumpkin pickers get their chance to explore the eight-acre pumpkin patch starting Oct. 1. A tractor-pulled wagon takes guests to and from the patch. Decorative miniature pumpkins and gourds are ready-picked and sold at the market. Visitors can pick their own apples and pumpkins from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday). COUNTY LINE ORCHARD County Line Orchard, located three miles from exit 15A off Interstate 80 and exit 21 off Interstate 90, uses specially constructed wagons to transport guests to the apple orchards where they can pick varieties like Cortland, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Jonathan, McIntosh, Granny Smith and Rome, as well as lesser-known apples like Suncrisp and Sundance. Last year, the owners moved an old barn, piece by piece, more than a mile to their farm. It now serves as the store where visitors can buy apples, gourmet foods, jellies, caramel apples, pumpkins, gourds, cider and apple-cinnamon donuts. The “Welcome Shed,” along with four smaller buildings, also has been moved to the site from a neighboring farm and refurbished. Owner David McAfee is a farm boy at heart, according to his wife, Bonnie. He couldn’t bear to see the old buildings torn down, so he moved them to their farm. A pumpkin house takes shape each fall, made of a wood frame, with pumpkins filling in to make the walls. Visitors can take a wagon out to the 20-acre pumpkin patch to pick their own pumpkins, visit a 10-acre corn maze or haunted woods. The farm is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 30–Oct. 31, with longer weekend hours during special events. Picking from fall’s great bounty is a chance to get away from the city and enjoy precious time with your family. Find an orchard or farm near you and feed your senses. Janice M. Kresin is a contributor from Shawnee, Kan. |
 Above: Visitors shopping for pumpkins at the Weston Red Barn Farm near Kansas City, Mo. Missouri Division of Tourism photo Below: A youngster enjoying a fresh-picked apple. Eckert’s Country Store and Farms photo 
|
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part unless expressly authorized in writing by AAA Traveler Magazines.
Copyright © 1999 - 2007 AAA Traveler Magazine | 12901 N. Forty Dr. | St. Louis, MO 63141 |
|||||||