This year is tough for blueberry picking. Since we had such warm weather in March, the blueberry bushes began to bloom a month early. Then there was a series of freezes in April that destroyed the blossoms. So sad!
Fortunately there are still farms that have u-pick available. Some are even picking right now!
The first section of the list are farms within 1 1/2 hours of Western Springs and the second section is under 2 hours. Definitely call to check picking conditions and hours. I have been verifying blueberry availability, but haven’t heard from all of them yet. I will update the list as I get more information.
Knutson’s Country Harvest
13550 Townhouse Road
Newark, IL 60541
(815) 695-5905 or (815) 557-4629
(50 miles)
Merrillville Farms
6716 South Colorado Street
Hobart, IN 46342
219-947-0223
loumikolics@yahoo.com
(50 miles)
Tammen Treeberry Farm
37131 Essex Road
Wilmington, IL 60481
(815) 458-6264
(52 miles)
Valley Orchard
911 East State Street
Cherry Valley, IL 61016
(815) 332-9696
(72 miles)
updated 6/27/12: blueberries and raspberries are available right now
There are quite a few farms between 1 1/2 and 2 hours away in case you don’t mind traveling a little further to pick your own blueberries.
Evers’ Farm
13340 N. 700 West
DeMotte, IN 46310
(219) 987-2120
(73 miles)
not open for picking this year
Eenigenburg’s Blueberries
1 1/2 miles East of DeMotte, IN
On the South side of Highways 10 and 231
between DeMotte and Wheatfield city limits
(219) 987-2957
(74 miles)
not open for picking this year
Fritts Blueberry Farm
10301 N State Road 10
De Motte, IN 46310
(219) 987-2228
(75 miles)
updated 6/27/12: blueberries are available right now
Zylstra’s Blueberries
11881 W. 1200 North
DeMotte, IN 46310
(219) 987-2061
bobkatzyl@netnitco.net
(76 miles)
Billy Boys Blueberry Farm
650 Freyer Road
Michigan City, IN 46360
(219) 872-7477
(76 miles)
Blue Sky Berry Farm
15552 S. 1050 W.
Wanatah, IN 46390
(219) 733-2416
info@blueskyberryfarm.com
(78 miles)
VanKley’s Blueberries
2666 W. St. Road 10
Wheatfield, IN 46392
(219) 956-3687
melvk63@embarqmail.com
(79 miles)
Grandma’s Berry Patch
9895 W. 1700 S.
Lacrosse, IN 46348
(219) 733-9080 or (219) 671-1889
(80 miles)
updated 6/27/12: blueberries and blackberries are available right now
The Original Vandermolen Blueberry Farm
4501 W. 800 North
Rensselaer, IN 47978
(219) 956-3578
(81 miles)
not open for picking this year
Blueberries of Indiana
2388 W. 1000 North
LaPorte, IN 46350
(219) 326-8686
(82 miles)
updated 6/27/12: tons of blueberries are available right now and they said they will have picking for another 5-6 weeks
Stateline Blueberries
9957 North Frontage Road
Michigan City, IN 46360
(219) 874-7721
drake@statelineblueberries.com
(83 miles)
Bonnell’s Blueberry Patch
4840 S. 600 West
North Judson, IN 46366
(574) 896-5365
info@bonnellsblueberries.com
(90 miles)
Tips:
Planning Your Trip:
- Always call before you go picking to verify hours. Ask if the fields are picked over or still have a decent amount of blueberries to pick. The length of the season is greatly affected by the weather, especially with berries.
- Some farms do not supply containers, or charge you for them- so you can plan for that too. When we have gone blueberry picking in the past we have used small buckets or metal coffee cans with soft rope through each side.
- I also recommend asking when the fields were sprayed. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to pick right after they sprayed that morning or even if they sprayed the day before and it hasn’t rained. It’s way more fun to pick if you can sample along the way!
Things to Bring:
- I would recommend wearing a hat while picking. Sometimes you can stand in the shade of the blueberry bushes, but shade isn’t always available in the field. When bringing a baby I would set up a blanket with an umbrella in the middle of the row and make sure your little one is in the shade. Dress lightly and bring sunscreen. We have gone picking and didn’t need to wear bug spray, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring that along too.
- Water! Drink it often!
- Bring a picnic lunch or at least a snack and a blanket to eat on.
- Don’t wear nice clothes or shoes. Especially with kids you almost always get blueberry juice on your clothes… which is really hard to get out!
Picking Tips:
- Blueberries are ripe when they are all dark blue. The portion around the stem turns color last, so don’t pick berries that are just blue on the bottom. If the berries are slightly red around the stem they are good, just a little tart.
- If you have a bucket or coffee can with a rope tied to it, you can hang it around your neck to allow the berries to fall into the container as you pick (much faster).
- Often there are great berries in the center of the bush, or down low which is perfect for your little ones!
When you get home:
- Don’t wash your blueberries until you are ready to eat them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
- Freeze your blueberries: It is better to freeze blueberries without washing them so they do not get icy. Just pour them into a ziplock bag and place in the freezer. Blueberries can keep for months in the freezer!
