Christmas greetings from Stade's Farm & Market in McHenry, Illinois!

We would like to take this opportunity to recap the events at our farm in 2011, to tell you about our plans for 2012, and most of all to thank all of our wonderful customers, employees, friends, and family for your continuing support and encouragement.

A year in review: 2011 was a year of weather extremes. The spring was very cool and wet until June. Then, June was beautiful for our strawberry picking season. Next, the horrific wind on July 10 was very destructive to buildings, trees, and the corn crop – I'm sure many of you noticed the flattened cornfields. The rest of July was extremely hot and dry. August and September turned wet again creating problems for the maturing crops, which need sun and heat. Fortunately, the weekends of September and October were very nice allowing our car show, tractor show, and Shades of Autumn to be very enjoyable.

Even though we encountered many weather calamities in 2011, we still managed to harvest a respectable crop. God always provides a way!

Our special events calendar in 2011 continued to grow: Contemporary Christian Worship services began on Memorial Day weekend and continued each Sunday through October 30. An incredible array of talented speakers and musicians presented throughout the season. We also had a special patriotic ten-year Remembrance Service for September 11, complete with the Spring Grove Firefighters' presence. Thank you to all who enrich our community through your commitment to protect and serve.

U-pick strawberry season ran from June 13 through July 10. The crop was excellent this year and we were now up to eight acres. We started strawberries in 2008 and have added two acres each year. This year we also had our attraction area open for the kids during the strawberry picking.

Next on the event schedule was our first annual Bandstand Night on the Farm featuring the popular show band, New Odyssey. It was held on the beautiful summer night of July 30. Everyone had such a great time that we immediately booked them again for July 28, 2012!

Sunday, August 21 featured the Fourth Annual Praise on the Farm. Six Christian bands performed inspirational music all afternoon.

On August 27, Gayle, our market manager presented a canning class, teaching people how to preserve fruits and vegetables. Everyone who attended can now preserve our fresh fruits and vegetables for the winter months.

Our fall festival, Shades of Autumn, began on September 10 and ran eight weekends through October 30. The Classic Car Show, as always, was held on the first weekend after Labor Day. It featured cars of all vintage on both days. A real crowd-pleaser was the burnout contest held on stage. It was quite a spectacle! It will be bigger and better next year!

Tractors for Charity was hosted at the farm on the second weekend of Shades of Autumn. This annual show draws hundreds of antique tractors, trucks, and construction equipment. Thousands of people enjoyed reminiscing about the machinery and people that built our great country. All proceeds went to the FISH Food Pantry of McHenry.

The next six weekends of Shades of Autumn celebrated the abundant harvest of the Midwest. It included pumpkin-picking, hayrides, farm animals, corn maze, lots of fun rides and attractions for kids and adults, music, great food, and happy faces everywhere!

The market is now closed, all harvest is completed, and everything is cleaned up and put under cover. Lots of people ask, "What do you do all winter, go south?" Actually we are just as busy in the winter as we are during the growing season. We spend most of our time in the office or workshop. We are now busy planning next year's production which includes researching new hybrids, choosing crop rotations, studying soil tests, repairing machinery, and hundreds of details which need to be addressed to operate a produce farm efficiently. Planning next year's special events and creating new attractions are also part of the busy winter schedule. By the way, we are able to get away but mainly to business-related conventions and trade shows.

Now on to 2012! Here is a brief schedule:

• May 1 – Farm Market opens with bedding plants, our own fresh-picked asparagus, and fresh bakery products including donuts .
  
  
• May 27 – Our first Christian Worship Service. Services are held every Sunday at 10:00 am through the end of October.
  
  
• Mid-June – Pick-your-own strawberries begins and usually lasts for approximately 30 days.
  
  
• July 4 – TBA
  
  
• Mid-July – Our own sweet corn is ready!!
  
  
• July 28 – Bandstand Night on the Farm, featuring New Odyssey.
  
  
• August 18 – Benefit concert for American Cancer Society. Bands TBA.
  
  
• August 19 – The Fifth Annual Praise on the Farm. Charities this year will include Hoodies of Hope (clothing the homeless) and Compassion International (clean water project). Bands TBA.
  
  
• September 8 & 9 – Classic Car Show and opening weekend for Shades of Autumn.
  
  
• September 15 & 16 – Tractors for Charity
  
  
• September 15 – October 28, Weekends – Shades of Autumn
  
  

As you can see, there are some additions to our event schedule and, therefore, 2012 will be even busier than 2011. To assist us in planning our special events, fieldtrips, birthday parties, and worship services, a good friend of ours, Jeanine Weintz will be joining our staff as Events Coordinator/"Director of Fun."

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Vern's Visions

Stade's Farm & Market continues to evolve to fit the needs of the community. It started as a dairy farm in the 1970s and '80s; expanded into roadside stands in the '90s; and now agritourism in the new century. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to be in this business. A lot of great employees, friends, and family have helped me make this what it is today.

Without you, our loyal customers, none of this would be possible. Your support and appreciation make our sometimes seemingly insurmountable tasks achievable. You complete the purpose for which God put me on this earth!

The future is exciting! We have all kinds of ideas for new crops, products, and entertainment. Our goal is to keep the focus of our mission statement which was written a long time ago: To provide healthy homegrown farm products, agricultural education, and fine family entertainment at reasonable prices to our local and surrounding communities.

We invite you and your family to ride with us on this journey. The best is yet to come!

May the Christmas promise fill you with the kind of happiness that will brighten the days ahead and fill the New Year with peace and contentment. I will end with a simple, yet most profound statement from my good friend Gerry Graef: "Be Bold For The Lord!"



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