MADE is part of a paid partnership with Little Lake County.
Welcome to MADE in Lake County! MADE introduces you to the people and stories behind local Lake County businesses. Today it is our pleasure to introduce you to Chris & Katie Aspegren. Chris and Katie are the owners of Aspegren Farms in Mundelein.
For most of us, autumn means welcoming pumpkins and pumpkin-flavored treats! But for Katie and Chris Aspegren of Aspegren Farms, autumn means welcoming customers to their family’s pumpkin farm in Mundelein. Katie and Chris grew up in Lake County and have been involved in agriculture all their lives. In addition to working full-time in other professions, they opened Aspegren Farms to provide a fun place for families to enjoy time together.
“We strive to provide a locally grown product and a fun family outing. Family time is a priority for us, and we like to promote that for others, too!”
The Aspegrens have always farmed soybeans, but when they were ready for something different, they chose pumpkins. Katie is obsessed with all things Halloween and she saw pumpkin farming as a way to sell directly to her community instead of to a market.
One of their favorite things about running Aspegren Farms is meeting new people. Katie and Chris love that her customers are so understanding. Farming is highly dependent on weather and because of that, almost anything can happen. For example, in 2017 the farm suffered severe crop losses after the July flooding. One of the hardest things the Aspegren’s have ever had to do as business owners was decide not to open last year.
“The floods really ruined our crop. We only had about 50 pumpkins, so we donated them to the library and a few teachers we know for their classes.”
For Katie and Chris, the hardest part of running a business is balancing time working on the weekends with taking care of their children. The Aspegren’s have two children ages 2-1/2 and 6 months. Katie says her toddler’s favorite thing to do at Aspegren Farms is ride the tractor and help pick pumpkins. She hopes that her children can get involved with the farm as they get older and that Aspegren Farms can eventually expand to include another pick-your-own-crop.
In her free time, Katies likes to travel with her family, swim, and cook. What would her kids say about her? “Probably that I do a million things each day, but my favorite is to snuggle with them!” Aspegren Farms opened for the season on September 22. More information about dates and times can be found on their Facebook page.
Mention “Little Lake County” during the 2018 pumpkin season, and get a free mini pumpkin or gourd with your purchase (while supplies last).
Expires: 10/31/2018 or while supplies last
Aspegren Farms
21675 W Hawley Street, Mundelein, Illinois 60060 | (847) 949-5931
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Disclosure: Aspegren Farms is our featured Business of the Month. This series is part of a paid promotion partnership with Little Lake County. All thoughts and opinions belong to the writer of the story. If you are interested in featuring your locally-owned business in our series, please contact the sales team.
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