2024 Chicago and Northeastern Illinois Beet 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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Beet U-Pick Orchards in Chicago and Northeastern Illinois in 2024, by county

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

DeKalb County

  • Go-Ro Fresh U-Pick Vegetables - beets, broccoli, carrots, herbs or spices, kale, onions, peppers, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, watermelons, Honey from hives on the farm, farm market, porta-potties
    34565 Route 23, Genoa, IL 60135. Phone: (224) 764-8821. Email: linda@GoRoFresh.com. Open: Opening day for U - Pick Vegetables will be August 21st; 2020; We will be open till Mid October or the first hard frost. Directions: We are located 4 miles south of interstate 90 on Route 23. Located at the corner of Birch Road and Route 23. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . U-Pick vegetables open the middle August till the middle of October;. (UPDATED: August 10, 2020)
  • Walnut Grove Vocational Farm - beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, 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)

Kane County

  • Spring Bluff Nursery - Uses natural growing practices, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, gooseberries, herbs or spices, kale, onions, raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), rhubarb, Other fruit or veg, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, gift shop, restrooms, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals
    41w130 Norris Road, Sugar Grove, IL 60554. Phone: (630) 466-4278. Email: plants@springbluffnursery.com. Open: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday 10 am to 4 pm, April 1 to October 31. Directions: 5 miles North of Sugar Grove off Bliss Road at Norris Road. Six miles West of Aurora. Please call for specific directions. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
    Spring Bluff Nursery Facebook page. . We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. (ADDED: April 14, 2020)

McHenry County

  • Grace Farm Studios - Uses natural growing practices, aronia berries, beets, currants (red), currants (black), elderberries, gooseberries, saskatoons, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, gift shop, porta-potties, farm animals, school tours, group reservations
    2719 Franklinville Road, Woodstock, IL 60098. Phone: (815) 206-9958. Email: Studiohost@icloud.com. Open: Federal holidays except Christmas and Easter; for PUBLIC visitation; Please check our Facebook or Instagram site for emergency changes in hours, and to learn what is currently in season for picking. Directions: For your convenience, Grace Farm Studios is listed on Google Maps. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, PayPal, ApplePay, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
    Grace Farm Studios Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: (815) 790-8895. Fax: N/A. . Asparagus season is typically end of April to first week of July; haskap (honey berries) are usually the last two weeks of June; gooseberries are typically July through August; red and black raspberries first fruiting is typically July through August; second raspberry fruiting is September 1 through first heavy frost; elderberries and aronia come September through October; Vegetables July - October;. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. We do not charge per person or per carload. We are a biologically closed farm - please do not bring your pets. We do not allow pets to use the bathroom on our grounds. Thank you for understanding. During the COVID national emergency, we do require masks and social distancing. Thank you. (ADDED: January 17, 2021)
  • 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.(UPDATED: September 08, 2020)See comments about this farm here!

 

Pick Your Own Farms!

Beets Picking Tips, Recipes and InformationBeets

(a.k.a, "Beetroots")

When are fresh beets available?

Beets are a warm weather crop, and seeds won't germinante in cold soil, although once growing, they can handle cold and even light frosts. It takes them about 55 to 70 days from seed to harvest.

 In the U.S. beets typically peak in harvesting from June through October in the South, and in July to September in the North. But they can be ready as early as early June in many places, if the weather is good.

  

Before you leave to go to the farm:

  1. Always call before you go to the farm - it's hard to pick in a muddy field!
  2. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for beets, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
  3. 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 BeetsBeets

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

  1. Harvest beets when they are 1-1/4 to 2 inches in diameter. Small beets have a sweeter taste.
  2. The smaller younger leaves (beet tops) can also be eaten as greens. Some folks steam the leaves and putter butter on them.  Others use the smallest leaves in a fresh salad! The leaves should be 1.5 to 6 inches long.
  3. The beets should be firm not soft or mushy
  4. And red (not yellowish - unless you're picking yellow beets!
  5. Try to avoid beets with bug damage to the beet itself, or animal gnaw marks!
  6. Avoid placing the picked beets 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. Beets may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days

  

When you get homeCanned beets

  1. Cut the tops off, leaving about 2 inches of stem attached to the beet to keep the beet from "bleeding".
  2. Put them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge, in a loose plastic bag.
  3. They will be good for about a week like that.

  

Beet recipes and home canning

Now, get ready to can or freeze the extra beets - It is VERY easy! Click on the links for easy instructions.

  1. How to can beets
  2. How to make pickled beets
  3. How to freeze beets 

Beet nutritional facts

  • There are 43 calories in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of beets.
  • Raw beetroots are 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat.
  • Beet tops may be cooked and eaten, as they are an excellent source of vitamin A, iron, and betacarotene.
  • Beets are a great source of fiber, folate, and potassium, which makes them especially good for pregnant women..
  • Beets contain antioxidants, called betalains, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which prevent colon cancer and heart disease.

Weird beet facts

  • The scientific name for beets is Beta vulgaris.
  • Beets are naturally very high in sugar
  • Sugar made from beets took a large chunk of the sugar market away from sugar cane, since beets can be grown almost anywhere.
  • Beet seeds are actually dried beet fruits, like a raison and each containing a half dozen or more seeds! When you plant them, spread them out!
  • Ancient text from 800 B.C. mentioned beets growing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world.
  • Beet juice has been used as red dye since the 16th century.
  • Thomas Jefferson planted beets at Monticello.
  • Medieval cooks stuffed beets into pies.
  • In the TV show, The Office character, the character Dwight Schrute, owns a beet farm.
  • Some cultures believe that if a man and woman eat from the same beet, they will fall in love.
  • Beets are a traditional food at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
  • Beets are commonly red, but there are golden beets which are also are sweet, but  do not stain surfaces like red beets do.
  •  Beets are in the same family as Swiss chard.
  • The Victorians dyed their hair with beet juice in 19th century England.
  • Beet juice stains so well, you can dye your Easter eggs pink using cooked beet juice/water and some vinegar
  • Beets should be trimmed or peeled after cooking because the peel holds in the important nutrients.
  • You don't need to buy  "Superbeet" junk pills sold on TV.  Just eat beets, instead!

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

McSunley Stainless Steel 21QT Canner, Any Stovetop

Pressure Canners for all stovetops

Looking for canning equipment and supplies?

Water bath canner with a jar rack

Electric pressure canner

Pressure canners for gas, electric and induction stoves: Presto 23Qt or T-fal 22Qt

Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)

Ball Blue book (most recent version)

8oz canning jars for jams

Regular canning lids

Wide mouth canning lids

 


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Highly rated canning supplies:

McSunley Stainless Steel 21QT Canner, Any Stovetop

Pressure Canners for all stovetops