FarmHER Stephanie Stade Townsend’s commitment to bringing homegrown goodness to her community and helping execute the vision of her father, Vernon Stade, to bring the carnival experience to the farm is truly inspiring. Her dedication to creating a fun and welcoming environment for all visitors, from the youngest to the oldest, is evident in every aspect of the farm. When you step onto Stade’s, you’re not just a visitor—you’re part of the farming and the fun.
Stade’s Farm & Market
Located in McHenry, Illinois, Stade’s Farm & Market offers a unique blend of agritourism and family-friendly activities that bring the fun of the state fair to the property, a short drive from Chicago. While at Stade’s, you can pick your apples and green beans and then take a spin on the 100-year-old carousel, slide down the giant slide, and shoot the pumpkin cannon! This one-of-a-kind farm and market has something for everyone to enjoy, and not just the kids—mom and dad, too!
The whole family helps run this agricultural mecca, including Stephanie, who runs the front-facing part of the family operation—which includes the you-pick portion and the carnival rides. She also started managing their farmer’s market after her father’s wife, Gail, retired a few years ago. Her dad says she was made for this life on the farm.
“She stepped up and never looked back –and it’s going gangbusters,” Vernon said. “But yeah, she’s my little farmer girl. When she was just a young kid, [she could operate] a thousand-bushel grain car and a huge tractor, wheels that thing around like she’s been doing it for 40 years.”
With approximately 28,500 farms across the country embracing agritourism, Stade’s stands out with its exciting theme park right on the farm. From the vintage carousel and giant slides to the petting zoo and more, there’s no shortage of fun activities to enjoy. The farm’s commitment to adding new attractions each year ensures that there’s always something fresh and exciting for returning customers.
Stop and Smell the Flowers
But there’s more to Stade’s than fun and games. They also cultivate 2200 acres of corn, soybeans, fruits, and vegetables, taking pride in providing the community with locally grown food since the farm’s founding in the 1970s. Just a short drive from the sprawling metropolis of Chicago, Stephanie is proud of their role in showing many of their visitors a way of life they’ve never seen before.
“It’s great because we get all kinds of people that come here, and all they’re used to is a city,” Stephanie explained. “They’ve never seen a field full of flowers like this or, you know, all the other vegetables we grow. They don’t even know how they grow. I think that one of the best parts of it is showing people who don’t know what they’ve never seen it before.”
Forging HER Path in the Family Business
Carving out a niche in the family business for herself, FarmHER Stephanie Stade Townsend and her husband, Sean, are the second generation on the land. They helped her father continue to expand the operation by adding a direct-to-consumer beef program. From pasture-raised eggs to homegrown beef, Stephanie and Sean are dedicated to offering quality produce to their customers.
Their journey into the beef business began unexpectedly, and they’ve since found great success. Popular cuts like New York strips and ribeyes and their farm-fresh eggs fly off the shelves of their on-site farmer’s market faster than they can raise them!
As if that wasn’t enough excitement, Stephanie and Sean recently welcomed their newest addition, baby girl Tilly, making Stade’s not just a family business but a growing family itself.
