Carthage

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East Grove Farms Winery and Vineyard

Located in Southeast Iowa, East Grove Farms Winery and Vineyard specializes in honey wine (also known as mead) made from various fruits like Elderberries. Our headquarters is the O.A. and Emma Garretson House, which has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The farm itself is the oldest continuously-settled farm in Iowa, and was established in 1837.   The farm served as a station on the Underground RR and farm founder Joel C Garretson was the stationmaster.

All are welcome to visit during our open hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm (or by appointment) for free wine and mead tastings. During the summer we offer wagon rides, and in the winter (weather permitting) we offer sleigh rides. East Grove Farms focuses on sustainable agricultural practices, and strives to be pesticide-free whenever possible. Feel free to wander through the fields, go hiking through the timber, fish for dinner in our pond.

Learn more about this land:

East Grove Farms invites you to pitch your tent in the former hazelnut thicket that our ancestors and the East Grove community safely hid freedom seekers from Missouri in the 1840's.   It is located 1/4 m north of the winery near the vineyard and tree line and you can usually drive to the camp on a grass path thru the elderberry patch.  It offers complete privacy and has a fire ring, picnic table, a prep table, and shade.  Firewood is available if you ask.  

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THERE ARE NO ELECTRICAL HOOKUPS, WATER, OR TOILET AND SHOWER FACILITIES.  WE NO LONGER HAVE A PORTA JON AT CAMP! TOTALLY PRIMITIVE CAMPING.  

There is a pond for fishing and some trails, and of course all campers are welcome to visit our headquarters for a free tasting of our wine and mead!  Wagon rides can be arranged and on occasion there is live music at the meadery on weekends.  For those interested in the underground RR, there is an excellent museum in nearby Salem, the Lewelling Quaker Museum, a National Park Service noted site for abolitionist activity.

This is what the campsite looks like.  We have a picnic table and a food prep table in the shade.  We have two small fire rings and grates for cooking.  We hope to add a larger fire ring.

You can park your vehicle at the main headquarters or in most cases you can drive directly to the site from June through October when the path is dry.

This is East Grove's headquarters, the historic O.A. & Emma Garretson house.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been completely restored to its near original condition.

When the area was settled in 1837, this was a hazelnut thicket, later offering safe passage on the Underground RR.  It is now one of the areas we grow our elderberries, aronia berries, and grapes.  The camp site is behind the vineyard along the tree line.  

There is ample parking and space to pitch a tent in the open grassy area or in the shade.

This is the main entrance to East Grove Farms.  The stone pillars were built in 1937 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the farm.

This is the way you will drive to hip camp.  Drive thru the elderberries and follow the path between the aronia berries and pond.  It is hidden from view from 335th St which offers privacy.

Hawkeye will greet you at the farm.  He's very friendly but will bark when you arrive,

Trash

Railroad creek camp ground

Learn more about this land:Come enjoy primitive camping while you commune with nature and  hunt geodes  and fossils in the famous Keokuk Geode region.  Property is within close proximity to Nauvoo, Illinois and within a very short distance to the Mississippi River.   The camping area is level ground and surrounded by trees.  The property has a hillside geode mine on it and there is a creek running through it that has a lot of geodes in it.     

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