Courtesy Eckert's Farms
Get to pickin'.
It’s that time of the year again. You can almost hear the leaves crunching under your foot as Eckert’s Farms (951 South Green Mount Road, Belleville, Ill.; 618-310-1962) opens its doors for the apple picking season.
Yes, that’s right. Eckert’s Farms has opened its fields for its most popular season: apples. Crisp apples are yours for the taking at the Belleville and Grafton farms, while the Millstadt farm will open on Wednesday, September 7.
Honeycrisp apples will be available at both the Belleville and Grafton Farms late next week, but currently Gala apples are ready for picking. The Millstadt farm will have Jonathan apples ready to be plucked from its trees when it opens.
“Apple season is how Eckert’s got its start nearly 112 years ago – it’s highly anticipated and means even more this year as we celebrate the inaugural season of our Cider Shed at the Belleville farm,” President of Eckert’s Inc. Chris Eckert says.
The Cider Shed, opened earlier this year, will have a selection of house ciders made from the farms’ fruits. Mr. E’s Cider Donut and Custard Shop, which opened in tandem with the Cider Shed, will have various eats for guests.
An upcoming Orchard Date Night at the farm comes with hard cider and the ability to pick two pounds of apples. The date nights happen Thursday, August 25, and Thursday, September 1. Find more information here.
Apple picking ranges in price: Field access costs $2.50, and the apples cost $1.99 per pound. You can purchase tickets and check crop availability on Eckerts.com.
