By Mike Orso
The recent string of hot weather in June has rapidly advanced the first you-pick crops on some McHenry County farms, in contrast to the chillier month of May that slightly delayed harvest of this year’s first fruits and vegetables.
“Last year, we started May 30th and it wasn’t until the 9th of June this year,” said Cody Purdom, on the progress of the family’s you-pick strawberry fields. Purdom and his wife Valerie, both 38, own and operate Cody’s Farm & Orchard north of Marengo. The family grows fields of strawberries and several other fruits and vegetables, some of which they open to the general public for picking and sell in their farm store. “It was a cooler spring so that kind of dictates when the crop is going to start flowering.”
Cody’s has welcomed hundreds of customers to their strawberry fields so far this year. The family grows them on four acres, with three open for picking and one newly planted with seedlings that will bear the tasty fruit for the first time next year.
“We generally try to plant a new acre every year because we are going to have to take one of our plantings out of production,” said Valerie. “The size of the berry dwindles after three years.”
In addition to welcoming visitors, the family used a two-row planter to drop strawberry seedlings by hand into the soil next to irrigation drip lines that will help them survive periods of extreme dryness and heat such as some of the recent ones in May and June.
“We have two varieties, Yambu and Jewel that we planted here,” said Cody next to the newly planted field. “11,000 plants on a little over an acre.”
Many in McHenry County and beyond know Cody’s for the farm’s sweet corn and other fruits and vegetables sold at Friday-through-Sunday farm stands in Crystal Lake and Woodstock since the late 1990s and early 2000s. The family now has approximately 50 acres producing everything from apples to zucchini that also includes an orchard and corn maze.
“My dad and uncle did some farmers markets in the 1990s and my grandmother had a produce stand in the front yard,” said Cody. “I wanted to purchase a four-wheeler, so we got started growing sweet corn in 1999.”
The couple reports this year’s sweet corn crop has progressed nicely thus far, with tasseling already starting to take place. They expect the first bi-color ears of goodness to be available in mid-to-late July.
“Part of the reason we are diversified as we are, is because sometimes you have a crop failure,” said Valerie. “We’ve had years where we’ve had a terrible strawberry crop but an excellent apple crop. We hope we won’t have all of our crops fail at once so that’s why we’re diversified.”
The family will be busy harvesting cucumbers, green beans and zucchini they expect to offer in their farm store before the sweet corn arrives. In addition to offering you-pick strawberries, the farm also now offers customers to pick sugar snap peas. Ultimately, the weather will dictate how much and how long both will be available for picking.
“With the weather-sensitive crop, sometimes people don’t understand that the strawberries are smaller,” said Valerie. “Or, sometimes the selection isn’t the best because we’ve had many people out picking and we need another day for it to ripen.”
Like many farms and farmers markets these days, the Purdom’s encourage you to watch their website (www.codysfarm.com) and social media pages to find out about what’s available for picking and at their farm store and stands. You can also call the farm store at (815) 568-7976 to find out the latest on what’s available. Cody’s Farm & Orchard will officially kick off the busy fall season the weekend after Labor Day.
Cody and Valerie Purdom in front of their farm store on River Rd. north of Marengo open 8-6 daily during strawberry season. The family also sells its fruits and vegetables at stands in mid-to-late July off Country Club Rd. and Eastwood Dr. (Route 47) in Woodstock and off Virginia St. (Route 14) and Linn Ave. in Crystal Lake.
Molly Purdom, 13, shows some of the strawberries harvested on their family's farm. The family will pause you-pick periods at times to allow berries to ripen. It costs $21 for a four-quart bucket or $5.25 for a quart container to pick your own from one of their fields. Check the farm's website and social media pages for the latest on availability.
Valerie, Molly and Cody Purdom dig for strawberries in one of their McHenry County strawberry fields. "You have to get down into the plants to find the right berries," said Valerie. "Looking above them, you can't see them very well." They also make strawberry donuts during strawberry season available in the farm store.