SAME SWEET TASTE, NEW LOCATION FOR ILLERS' BERRIES

Joan Illers stands beside the new blackberry and blueberry blossoms. These berries won't be available until next year.

Don Illers checks the thermometer that is placed next to the berry patches. Temperature is very important to the well being of strawberries.

Taking care of the berry patches is a year-round job.

The Illers stand beside the sign that reminds their customers of their new location in Millersville. From left to right, Joan Illers, Don Illers, Ami Illers and Chris Illers.

Ami Illers gets an early start picking strawberries.

Family members get involved with the work. Staci Illers and Kyle Wells usually ate more than they picked.

Those looking for the sweet taste of Illers' strawberries will have to travel a little farther to get them. The Illers insist it will be worth it.

Illers' Top of the Hill Berry Farm has moved from its location in for 12 years in Jackson to Millersville on Highway 72 bordered by the Whitewater River.

Don Illers runs the business with his wife, Joan, and son, Chris, and he doesn't think the move will hurt his business.

"I think we'll pick up a lot of new customers," he said. "Like the people here in Millersville."

Traditionally, Illers said, customers have traveled to get their fix of strawberries anyway so he doesn't think the extra few miles will stop people from coming.

They have loyal customers from Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, Benton, Perryville and a few have even come from St. Louis.

The decision to move from their original location came with the desire to add blackberries and blueberries to their selection.

"We moved because we wanted to expand," Joan Illers said. "That was a wonderful location but it was rented ground. We wanted to add blueberries and blackberries and you don't want to do that on rented ground."

Illers said this is because of the longer commitment required for these types of berries.

Don't look for the new berries this year. It takes longer to prepare the ground for blackberries and blueberries. Those should be available next year.

The location in Millersville may be new for the Illers' strawberry customers, but the farm has been in the family for many years.

It was settled by Joan Illers' ancestors in 1803 and has been in her family every since. The Illers have done a lot of work to prepare the new land for strawberries.

They have installed drip irrigation as well as the solid-set overhead system to protect and provide the best growing conditions for the berries.

An indoor area has been provided for the customers with cooling devices to keep the berries fresh.

But it will be the berries that will keep the customers coming back. The Illers have been well-known for the several varieties of strawberries. The earliest bloomers are the earliglow. These supposedly have the sweeter taste than the others and are very popular.

The red chief variety accompanies the jewel strawberry mid season with all-star strawberries blooming last.

It's a short season with only four or five days between each crop. The whole season only spans three to four weeks.

Many people enjoy picking their own and tasting as they pick, putting them in the waxed boxes that are provided.

There's a reason the strawberries are so good. The Illers know what they're doing. They attend strawberry and small fruit conferences every year during late February and early March in Missouri and Illinois to keep up with the latest developments and regulations.

They are also meticulous with their crops. Care of the berry fields is a year-round job; the only time fields do not require attention is from late November to mid March when the straw mulch is protecting the crop.

During the blooming process in April and early May, frosts and temperatures are watched 24 hours and overhead irrigation is started when ground temperatures reach 34 degrees to protect blooms and fruit development.

But the Illers can't do it all alone. Local people are employed and begin picking each morning to provide fresh, ready-picked berries for those not wanting to pick their own. Additional family members help out when they have the time.

The Illers have a wide range of customers. Several people in their 80s and 90s have remained faithful pickers over the years. The operation welcomes children in the fields if they are supervised by their parents.

Joan Illers says that Americans are becoming more health-conscious. Strawberries are very high in vitamin C and an excellent source of dietary fiber.

But the main reason people eat the strawberries is for the taste. And nothing beats fresh fruit.

"The number one thing is the taste," said Chris Illers. "There is no comparison between California shipped-in strawberries and fresh strawberries."