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Brief Box:
What: Pontious Farm
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: White Heath, Illinois, 15 miles west of Champaign, off Interstate 72

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If you’re looking for a day of old-fashioned fun in the outdoors, Rick Pontious wants you to go west. Well, west to White Heath, that is.

Pontious is the owner of White Heath-based Pontious Farm, a U-PIK–“we grow ‘em, you pick ‘em”–business just fifteen minutes from Champaign. The farm is unlike many retailers in that once customers are introduced to the farm’s system during standard business hours, they’re free to return any time, day or night, to pick and pay on the honor system.

Offering a variety of products, including red raspberries, a few vegetables and an herb garden, the farm’s specialty is blueberries.

“It’s unique in that we’re one of the only farms within a hundred miles that raises blueberries,” said Pontious.

Since a full list of what’s available currently is always updated on the farm’s website, you will also never have to worry about missing out on something good.

Beyond the food, though, Pontious said providing a fun atmosphere is an important part of the farm’s appeal.

“It’s a place for people to come and pick, spend a day, bring their families,” said Pontious. “We’ve got people who will come out and spend all day out here to picnic and relax.”

Pontious added that the farm is great for kids in particular.

“Mothers will bring their kids out and put them in the sandbox while they go out and pick. They can hear the kids, so if there are any problems, they can hear them out there in the field,” said Pontious. “And [kids] can learn where the product actually comes from instead of the grocery store.”

Rebecca Smith, a Savoy resident, came to the farm with her son Sam to find fresh blueberries but left impressed by the other offerings as well.

“It seems nice,” Smith said of the farm. “They have a lot more stuff than I thought they were going to have. I thought they just had blueberries and beans.”

According to Pontious, the farm gets a significant amount of business from younger customers looking for organic food in addition to families.

“It’s increased in popularity with a lot of people who want fresh products, something that is not sprayed with chemicals,” said Pontious. “We don’t use any pesticides out here. We do use a little fertilizer occasionally, and to help control the weeds, we’ll use some herbicides. People ask us if we’re organic, and we’re not certified organic because I don’t want to go through that process. But we do use organic practices.”

As an added bonus, the benefits of attending the farm can extend well beyond the date of your visit. In addition to getting fresh produce to use right away, many customers pick enough to last through the year, so they can “have fresh berries to eat from the freezer throughout the whole winter.”

While it doesn’t provide a sustainable income by itself–a sign in the barn notes that both Rick Pontious and his wife Nancee have full-time jobs elsewhere–he said that providing White Heath with quality fresh produce has become an important tradition in the last twelve years since he became owner.

“The goal is to serve the public and provide a fresh product for the people to enjoy,” Pontious said. “It’s an enjoyable experience.”