Tourism Times Fall 2014

Vol.VII, Issue II, Fall 2014 • 1

hey say money doesn’t grow on trees. Well, when there’s a bumper crop, orchard owners would beg to differ. The 19 counties of ILLINOISouth are dotted with successful orchards where apples ripen throughout the summer and are ready for market, juicing… or for visitors to pick themselves… come mid summer or early fall. Alas, the time for peaches and pears has passed.The last strawberry was picked months ago. And first frost will have put the kibosh on the main produce to be had throughout the summer at John Brown Melons, in Carmi. But meanwhile, great pumpkins are everywhere to be had—it’s fall, after all. So, let’s visit three orchards and that melon patch: Eckert’s, whose main location is in Belleville; Schwartz Orchards, in Centralia; and Grissom’s “Lost Creek” Orchard, in Greenup.

Eckert’s It’s now the sixth and seventh generation of Eckerts working the rolling prairie just southeast of Belleville, where the family orchard has been since the 1800s. There’s also the “fun farm” in nearby Millstadt, and an open-air style market up north along the Big Muddy

at Grafton, where empty-nesters can savor a day, or two. Apples are the main attraction, of course, and Eckert’s has long been a destination for visitors from far and wide for its ever-popular “you pick” operation. (The ferocious winter meant peaches were not to be for public picking this season, but apples are a hardy crop.) Meanwhile, folks minding their vegetables can pick tomatoes and cukes, in season… or even a peck of peppers for pickling. There’s much for the family to enjoy in Millstadt, what with live music, carnival rides and even such grand foolishness as pig races and “punkin’ chunkin’”… experts in this enterprise load the orange spheroids into a special cannon for blasting a country mile. Back in Belleville is the big red barn, where since 2010 the country store has resided. And a fine one it is, indeed, what with artisan cheeses, pies baked on site, 200 labels of wine… open all year. Plus, the restaurant is a destination in itself.

Grissom’s Included in the first planting here, in 1963, were both apple and peach trees. The fuzzy fellows are typically available third week of July, with the harvest com-

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Visit one of our many ORCHARDS in ILLINOISouth: Shreve’s Pumpkin Patch (Barnhill) RR#4, Box 309 | Barnhill, IL 62809 | 618-896-5656 Taphorn Orchard (Beckemeyer) 1/2 Mile S. of Old Hwy. 50 on Bartelso Rd. | Beckemeyer, IL 62219 618-227-8839 Braeutigam’s Orchards (Belleville) 2765 Turkey Hill Ln. | Belleville, IL 62221 | 618-233-4059 Eckert’s Country Store and Farms (Belleville) 951 S. Green Mount Rd. | Belleville, IL 62221 | 618-233-0513 Lakeside Orchard (Carlyle) 20711 U.S. Hwy. 50 | Carlyle, IL 62231 | 618-594-8809 Voss Pecans (Carlyle) 10101 Slant Rd. | Carlyle, IL 62231 | 618-594-4122 John Brown Melons (Carmi) 1011 E. Main St. | Carmi, IL 62821 618-384-8355 Beal’s Orchard (Centralia) 471 Jasper Rd. | Centralia, IL 62801 618-822-6169 Schwartz Farms (Centralia) 1941 Copple Rd. | Centralia, IL 62801 618-532-8058 Hawkins/Schwartz Orchards (Dix) Rte. 37 1/2 Mile S. of Dix | Dix, IL 62830 | 618-266-7756 Green Acres Farm (East St. Louis) 6200 Rock Springs | East St. Louis, IL 62203 | 618-397-6237 Relleke Farms (Granite City) 1526 Sand Prairie Ln. | Granite City, IL 62040 | 618-797-6858 Grissom’s “Lost Creek” Orchard (Greenup) 680 IL Rte. 130 | Greenup, IL 62428 | 217-923-3736 Ayer Market and Greenhouse (Keenes) RR 2 Box 302 | Keenes, IL 62851 | 618-732-8558 Benson Blueberries (Lawrenceville) RR 2 Box 91 | Lawrenceville, IL 62439 | 618-928-2115 Dorney’s Pumpkin Patch (Lawrenceville) RR2 Box 14 | Lawrenceville, IL 62439 | 618-943-2699

Grissom’s Orchard

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