BELLEVILLE, IL. — Eckert’s Farm in Belleville has kicked off its strawberry season, and starting today, April 24, reservations are available for picking your own strawberries. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and strawberries are priced at $4.49 per pound, plus a fee for field access.
The farm is also hosting its annual Strawberry Festival on May 4 and 5, and will continue every Saturday and Sunday until Memorial Day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Festival highlights include tractor rides, carnival rides, wagon rides, a petting zoo, and various festival foods. While the festival is free to enter, some activities may require a fee.
New this year is the Sip, Shop, & Support Series. Funds from the Pick-Your-Own Season will be donated to a different charity for each produce. Eckert’s will have “round up” donation jars, donate $1 of each season’s highlighted hard cider sold, and contribute 10% of Pick-Your-Own sales on designated Fridays to the featured charitable organization.
Here are the designated charities for each Pick-Your-Own Season’s Sip, Shop, & Support Series:
Pick-Your-Own Strawberries: Eckert’s will support the National Alliance on Mental Illness – St. Louis (NAMI) in honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month. The farm will donate $1 from every pint of Strawberry Hard Cider sold in the Cider Shed from May 1-31 and will donate 10% of Pick-Your-Own Strawberry sales on Friday, May 17.
Pick-Your-Own Blackberries: Eckert’s will support The Air Force Wounded Warrior Program during Pick-Your-Own Blackberry season to aid wounded veterans in need. The farm will donate $1 from every pint of Blackberry Hard Cider sold in the Cider Shed from June 1-30 and will donate 10% of Pick-Your-Own Blackberry sales on Friday, June 21.
Pick-Your-Own Peaches: Eckert’s will support The Belleville District #118 Foundation during Pick-Your-Own Peach season to aid the local school district’s needs. The farm will donate $1 from every pint of Peach Hard Cider sold in the Cider Shed from July 1-31 and will donate 10% of Pick-Your-Own Peach sales on Friday, July 19.
Pick-Your-Own Apples: Eckert’s will support VarietySTL during Pick-Your-Own Apple season to provide children with special needs access to medical equipment, therapy, and innovative programs. The farm will donate $1 from every pint of Apple Hard Cider sold in the Cider Shed from Sept. 1-30 and will donate 10% of Pick-Your-Own Apple sales on Friday, Sept. 20.
For more information about Eckert’s or the Pick-Your-Own season’s events, visit www.eckerts.com or follow Eckert’s on Instagram and Facebook.
