Family Fun Review: Strawberry Picking at Heider’s Berry Farm in Woodstock, IL

One of the items on our summer bucket list includes going strawberry and berry picking. We know that the strawberry picking season is here for a limited time, so we wanted to get picking right away! We saw that one of our good friends had a great time at Heider’s Berry farm, so we decided to see for ourselves. So glad we did! It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon with the family. Check that off our bucket list!

Nitty Gritty:

Admission: FREE!
Prices: U-Pick strawberries $10/4 qt. box; rasberries $3.50/pint; prices differ if you want pre-picked

Parking: Parking is free and plentiful

 Highlights:

• Cool story. This farm goes back 5 generations. After a hiatus of 25 years, the Heider’s are back at it again.
• Simplicity at its best! Nothing but picking berries with the family. It’s a no-frills operation,
• Close to the action. We didn’t have to walk very far to reach the orchard, which is very convenient for this 8-month preggo momma!
• Plenty to pick from. There are 2.5 acres of raspberries and about 4.5 acres of strawberries. Plus, we heard that that they’ll have more strawberries from August to late October, and raspberry picking will continue until late October. Their black raspberries will be available about July 10 until late July, and in 2015 they will have blackberries to pick from.

• So delicious! There’s nothing like picking fresh berries off the vine. You can definitely taste the difference from those store bought.

• No harmful chemicals. Natural just used fungicide (stuff used in hand soap).
• A fun educational experience. It was great to show the kids where food comes from and how things grow, especially for fruits that they love to eat.

Tips to enjoy Heider’s Berry Farm:

• Since this was our very first time strawberry and raspberry picking, John Heider, one of the owners taught us a few tricks of the trade:
  • With raspberries, the redder the better, watch out for those with mold on them, you should easily remove the raspberries from the vine with your thumb with little to no effort
  • It’s best to stay in one spot and try to go to the middle of the bushes to find unpicked raspberries. People tend to just go down the aisle and pick as they see them.
• Baskets are provided after you check in.\
• Bring cash! They only accept cash or check.
• Stay tuned! They will have fall berries as well. We saw the golden raspberries starting to sprout.
• Wear close-toed shoes. It will be much easier to walk around.
• Go ahead, bring a picnic. There is a place to sit and enjoy, and they will be expanding the area with more benches.
• Hurry! You have until about July 10 for strawberry picking, but like I mentioned they’ll have more strawberries to pick from starting in August, raspberries, and even black raspberries.

Bottom Line: 

What a fun summer day! We loved this experience and will be back. Next time you are at the farm say hi to John or Sue. They are a pleasure to speak with!