Blueberry Picking Near Springfield: What You Need to Know
Illinois blueberry growers cluster in the sandier soils of the southern part of the state, with several u-pick farms within range of Springfield that have amended their ground specifically to lower the pH blueberry bushes demand.
Midwest Blueberry Picking
Michigan is one of the top blueberry-producing states in the country, and the fruit belt along Lake Michigan's eastern shore has built its identity around the crop for well over a century, helped enormously by the lake's moderating effect on the local climate. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin all support smaller highbush farms concentrated on the sandier, more acidic soils within their borders, while Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and the Dakotas see only limited, soil-amended production given their generally heavier or more alkaline ground.
Best Time to Go Blueberry Picking Near Springfield
July, with southern Illinois farms on sandier soil typically having the most reliable crops.
Tips for Your Springfield Blueberry Picking Trip
Southern Illinois blueberry farms tend to have more reliable crops than those further north, so it may be worth the extra drive from Springfield. Call ahead, since these are smaller operations than the Midwest's major apple orchards.