2024 Chicago and Northeastern Illinois Asparagus U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

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

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for asparagus that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have asparagus 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.

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LaSalle County

• Guelde Strawberries - asparagus, pumpkins, strawberries
  4779 E 1525th Road, Earlville, IL 60518. Phone: (815) 246-9609. Open: See their website for most current information; They are typically open May, June, September, October; 7 Days a week, 9 am to 6 pm, weather permitting. Click here for a map and directions. Click here for a map to our farm

McHenry County

• Spears To You - Uses natural growing practices, asparagus, porta-potties, group reservations
  5810 Schultz Rd, Harvard, IL 60033. Phone: (630) 779-6249. Email: jminalt88@gmail.com. Open: Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 4 pm; Typical Season is from May 1st to June 15; Subject to weather. Directions: From US 14 in Harvard proceed east on McGuire Road to Schultz Road North. Located on the corner of Schultz Road and Lincoln Road. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Payment: Cash, Venmo, ApplePay, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Venmo, ApplePay, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
  Spears To You Facebook page. (ADDED: April 06, 2022)

Will County

• Dunn's Farmstand - asparagus, strawberries, green beans, okra, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant.
  21302 W. Angle Road, Wilmington, IL 61481. Phone: 815-476-7667. Open: 9 am to 5 pm, daily. Click here for a map and directions. Appointments welcome2 miles east of Wilmington off Route 102. Follow signs.

 

Asparagus

Asparagus Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

 Asparagus is one of the first crops to harvest in the early Spring. Asparagus is usually green, but there is a white (blanched) version that has been kept covered until harvested, so no light reaches it, and even a purple version.

Pick your own asparagus

Pick your own asparagus is pretty rare in the U.S., much more common in the U.K. and Europe. U-Pick white asparagus is REALLY hard to find in the U.S. Eckerts in Belleville, Illinois, has it.
To pick asparagus, just look for asparagus spears are about 6 to 10 inches above the soil line, are firm, with tightly closed tips.
Then just cut at the base (ground level) or snap each spear; they usually snap off cleanly at the ground level.

Canning, Freezing and Asparagus recipes

• Freezing asparagus
• Canning Asparagus
• Canning pickled asparagus
• Canning one jar of pickled asparagus
• Oven-roasted Asparagus recipe
• Cheesy garlic roasted asparagus
• White asparagus

Grow your own asparagus (white or green)

The Old farmer's Almanac has a good page about how to grow your own asparagus, white or green.  I've been growing it for years.  It's probably the easiest thing you can grow.  And after you harvest in the spring, you let it grow, and it produces 5 ft tall fern-like leaves that make a nice background hedge at the back of the garden. So don't plant it where it will block the sun from other parts of the garden.  The leaves suck up energy from the sun and store it in the roots to produce next Spring;'s crop.

 

 

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

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers