Courtesy Eckert's
Pick-your-own farms are good places for outdoor family activities and easy alternatives to the crowded supermarket. They also happen to be one of the few summer traditions left mostly unscathed by the COVID-19 pandemic. With relatively light recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, farms including Eckert’s, Herman’s Farm, and Thies Farm have opened up for their pick-your-own seasons.
All the farms have switched to reservations in order to spread out the flow of visitors. At Eckert’s Belleville farm and Grafton farm, there’s a sense of normalcy in that it’s the same orchards, fields, and crops. “I think the biggest change for us is that we want guests to register beforehand because it allows us to minimize the amount of congregating that sometimes happens on busy days,” says Chris Eckert, president of Eckert’s. “It also allows us to pair that up exactly with the number of wagons we have available to take people to and from the fields.” The wagons are operating at a reduced capacity, and people are encouraged to wear face masks while on the ride as well as in any stores.
Courtesy Thies Farm
Donut peaches at Thies Farm.
“We’ve found that it’s actually more relaxing to do it by appointment,” says Tom Goeke, who operates Herman’s Farm in St. Charles with his wife, Elsie. “It’s one of the neatest newest things we’ve found out about. Now we don’t have 25 people waiting to pick.” At the farm, guests make an appointment and are assigned to a row of crops for periods of 30 minutes. Partitions and fans are being used in indoor areas. Goeke and his wife are enjoying it because they get to spend more time with individual visitors. “We’re doing what we can to make this work for everybody,” he says. “My wife and I are both in our mid-70s so we have to be careful ourselves, and we are.”
Anne Thies, general manager of her father Dave's Thies Farm in St. Louis, noted how farms are particularly well-suited spaces to gather people in a safe way. “Due to the fact that we are open-air, there was never an issue with distancing for us,” she says. Because it’s feasible to distance properly out in the fields, masks are only required in their retail markets. “There’s no better way to socially distance and get produce than to go out to the farm itself,” says Eckert. “We want people to be comfortable as they enjoy the fresh air, take in some sunshine and get some great produce. It’s a great thing to do with your family to be healthy.”
In the spring, Thies says the farm was busier earlier than ever before because people who were stuck at home decided to work on their gardens. The Goekes also invited groups to their farm for a socially distant learning session on growing a garden at home. “Luckily, there’s enough space that it’s very safe for the customers and us,” says Goeke. “There’s room for everyone to be here, to be involved, and to keep their distance from other people.” says Goeke. Herman’s Farm is in the process of setting up a drive-thru operation and orders can already be placed over the phone.
“We’re grateful that people are so interested in coming out and picking produce,” Eckert says. “We’ve seen great demand for what we do, and great flexibility from our customers. It’s such a strange year so people have been very open-minded and willing to endure a different tradition.”
