It’s vegetable planting season at Patyk Farm, a family-owned farm in Richmond, Illinois, that plans to supply locally grown produce and flowers for a second season at the Food Shed this summer.
Last year, Patyk’s homegrown sweet corn, peppers, beets, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, pumpkins, winter squash and potatoes filled the shelves at the co-op.
“Every year is a new challenge,” said John Patyk, who owns and farms 80 acres of Illinois farmland working alongside his wife Myra and teenage son Johnny. “We like to try new things—some things work and some things don’t. But in the end, it’s all good.”
They love farming and believe their life mission is feeding neighbors.
“What’s not to like about that,” John added.
Patyk Farm, known for its home-grown fruits, vegetables, flowers and farm-raised meat and eggs, is among the many McHenry County suppliers at the Food Shed, a community-owned, full-service grocery store in Woodstock, Illinois. The co-op—which just celebrated its 2-year-old birthday—is rooted in sourcing local food, sustainability and community ownership. All values the Patyk family shares.
“Certain times of the year you don’t have much choice and have to buy produce that comes from halfway across the world,” John said. “But if you want good produce, you have to buy local when it’s in season.”
From plumber to farmer
While John wasn’t always a farmer or raised on farm, he was inspired to become one by his grandparents.
His grandfather and grandmother grew vegetables in Skokie, Illinois, when the Chicago suburb was still farmland. By the early ‘60s the landscape was changing, so they decided it was time to sell their farm to a developer. They moved north to Big Foot Prairie, Illinois, to re-establish their farming operation and open a small vegetable stand near the Illinois-Wisconsin state line.
John, who grew up in neighboring Morton Grove, fondly remembers visiting his grandparents in Big Foot. At 16, his grandmother and grandfather passed and the family sold everything.
“That’s when I said, someday I’m going to get my own farm,” John recalled.
Life moved on. John became a plumber and saved enough over the years to buy the Richmond farm in 2003. Eventually, he and his wife, who had been a schoolteacher and firefighter paramedic, moved to the farm and started a vegetable business 17 years ago. Every year they have added a little more, including the farm’s first greenhouse.
Today, the farm is home to five greenhouses filled with young vegetable plants, blooming flowers, and hanging baskets. Myra raises Jersey dairy cows and some beef cows. They also planted and operate a 400-tree apple orchard.
They spend the winter months preparing for the next growing season. During the summer, John and Myra sell their home-grown fruits and vegetables at their farm stand, attend two large farmer markets—one in Skokie and another in Chicago—as well as supplying produce to the Food Shed.
“We’re still a small business,” John said. “I love being a farmer. This is our community right here.”
Article by Food Shed Co-op Staff Member
Christine Stebbins
May 2026