This is such a charming storefront. Located within Prairie Crossing, the heart of the conservation…read morecommunity is alive within this store. Organically grown vegetables and products from local farmers. There is a small but great selection of dry goods, refrigerated fruit, vegetables, and dairy, frozen meats, and pre-made frozen meals. You can see a list of what is available on a given week on their website. This is a place where bringing your own bag is encouraged. Occasionally when I've forgotten one they've provided me a box to carry my items out in or a paper bag. An excellent local gem, and a great way to be able to eat from local farm to table.

Small farm-stand is now in a small commercial space in the complex. It's more accessible and it's…read morea lot more than just veggies and eggs. The nice volunteers are there to answer questions. They offer flour from Janie's Mill, the best grain mill locally. And dairy!!!! Cheese, cream, butter , yogurt and some of the best milk I've ever made cheese with!!!!!! My feta came out excellent! I'm sooo happy to find them.

We came for the Sunflower Fest. We only stayed for about a half hour before it poured! They offered…read morediscounted tickets online a month ago and we snagged them. You get a cup you can fill with as many flowers as you like. We had to quickly go through but loved the props through and the zinnias were beautiful too. There is a place to grab a bite or drinks also. They had a kid area too for families. I want to come next year for strawberries!

U pick strawberries were a blast. The strawberries were red and juicy. Lots of strawberries to…read morechoose from.

I love this place so much. It's a 1890s living history museum, and there's so many interesting…read morethings to learn about here. In the winter, they do ice carving demonstrations that you can participate in. In the summer, they make hand-churned ice cream with the harvested ice from the winter and host an "ice cream social" for everyone to participate in. They also do maple sugaring demonstrations in the spring. Every hour, there are house tours where you can learn some history about life in the 1890s. The farm animals are adorable too. It's also free to get in. Perfect for adults and kids!

The website promotes the idea of having several things to do, which we didn't find to be the case…read more We arrived at 10am which is supposed to be tours of the farmhouse, didn't happen. One lady did say that, "someone probably looked outside and didn't immediately see anyone so they skipped it." We did walk around and see pigs, pet the sheep, saw cows. The horses were off under the sheds. A 30 min walk. Tha

We love coming to the farm every October with our friends. The pumpkins are excellent - in great…read morecondition, organized by size, and have all of the variations in color you need. I appreciate the colorful corn (though we can maybe start referring to it as flint corn these days...), and and the warty pumpkins. The biggest draw for us, though, is the new calf they usually have in the barn, and the hayride up to feed the cows. It's definitely a core memory for the kiddos.

Came here for a Christmas tree even though I'm Buddhist. As a Buddhist I appreciate how well cared…read morefor the farm animals are, the cows see hale and hearty. Actually I'm not quite sure what "hale" means, but the dairy cattle look very healthy and happy. The Christmas tree selection was outstanding, the service prompt and friendly. This giant of a fellow, must have been 7 feet tall, expertly tied the chosen tree to the top of our vehicle after a fresh cut. Very popular place, a couple days after Thanksgiving they had already sold out of trees over 10 feet tall.

What an absolute gem of a farm and the family that owns it! My husband and I took our boys there…read moreto meet the Easter Bunny. They had such an adorable set up in a cute cabin and the photographer was really great with my boys. The bunny was friendly and had a kind face that was welcoming to my toddler twin boys! It was rainy and muddy, but the family that owns the farm was so kind and welcoming! They had baby chicks that the kids could pet and had set up a great egg hunt around the farm! My boys were very interested in the chickens and goats! I definitely hope to visit Godsell Farm in the future and would highly recommend to anyone else as well!

I think I learned about this farm with a Google search last year and stored it for a future pumpkin…read morepatch visit. You park in the lot and walk to the Welcome Center to pay the $5 per person admission, which includes the hayride with hay bales (not lame wooden benches with a few strands of straw on it like most places), haunted maze, bread for feeding the farm animals and touring the grounds. Pumpkins range in price from $3 to $6, and you pick them in patch. Animals include horses, ponies, pigs, a llama, a donkey, a cow, turkeys, goats, chickens, and ducks. The staff is extremely welcoming and friendly! Godsell Farm is my new favorite place for pumpkin picking and affordable Fall family fun! It is a MUST visit! You still have time this year yet!

Took our son (who just became a new sailor) here to spend some intimate time hanging out with his…read moreparents and siblings before saying our goodbyes. This setting was perfect for anyone looking for a little country in a busy city setting. Calming, peaceful beautiful and happy. Just what we were needing for an outing we agreed to on a whim!

A small but amazing experience for all ages that love animals :) I'm 21 and I still love going and…read morefeeding the animals as well as going into the goat pen. Truly a nice experience.

A great place to spend a fall day with the kids. There is so much to do here! Feed or pet goats,…read moredonkeys, kittens, rabbits, pigs, turkeys, chickens, peacocks, geese and more. A bag of feed is $2. Get active on the playground equipment or try and tackle the corn maze. (beware no clues inside!) Then you can take the wagon ride every 30 minutes out to the pumpkin patch and sunflower field. They have food and beverages including hot apple cider and delicious, warm, fresh donuts! Do note that the price of a pumpkin is not included with admission. They are priced separately based on size.

THEY'RE ALSO A WEDDING VENUE!…read more I would not recommend using! The venue itself is unique and definitely fun for people who love the farm and animals. I got married here in November of 2019. When I first went to see the place I loved it, the owner even seemed pretty down to earth and easy going she talked about all the success she's had with previous couples and how she really got to know them. Well, after I signed my contract and paid my deposit, it couldn't have been more different! I had to contact her multiple times to even get a response. Usually a text a few days after my initial call or text "hey did you get my message" I would contact her about once a month with questions or to pay her, so it's not like I was some sort of crazy picky bridezilla. During my engagement I was working full time another part time job and planning the wedding, the owner was of zero help. Until the week before the wedding then most of my questions were answered in a timely manner. READ THE CONTRACT! I ended up paying a little over $7,500 JUST FOR THE VENUE FOR THE DAY!!!! You will be nickled and dimed for everything EVEN FOOD TO FEED THE ANIMALS! The day before the wedding and the morning of the wedding the pipes in the bathroom were frozen. We planned to get ready in the provided barns which they put some space heaters in the one for the bride that barely kept it warm. The groomsmen waited until just shortly before the wedding to go in that provided barn since it was so cold. The bathroom is a trailer that was quite a distance from the barn where your reception is (or where you get married during inclement weather.) On our particular wedding the floors in the bathroom were not kept mopped so, I had multiple guests slip in the bathroom, one had actually mentioned it to the owner and she just said "okay" and then did nothing about it. The barn where the wedding and the reception were was not heated very well either so I had guests wearing coats the entire time and even leaving early because they were so cold. We were also charged a $200 fee taken out of our damage deposit for the heat, that really didn't seem to be working. The owner also stepped on the bottom of my dress as I was walking into the barn and left a muddy shoe print on the bottom of my dress right before I was to walk down the aisle. I will say at that point there would've been nothing we could do to clean it off since there is no running water in the barn, and it was ceremony time, but she could've at least aknowledged it later and compensated me somehow for it. I'm attaching a picture! I will say a positive was one of the employees Megan, she was so kind and helpful throughout the wedding, she offered to get me drinks and even helped with clean up. She was there till the end while THE OWNER WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!! I felt bad for her since many of the things had gone wrong were out of her control. IF I WAS REVIEWING JUST HER SHE WOULD GET 10 STARS! Since the wedding I have contacted the owner regarding these issues to try and get my money back for at least the heat that we were charged for that wasn't even working adequately. I work in the service industry and I understand we can't always please everyone, and things can go wrong, but It's necessary to aknowledge them and let the people you're serving know that and try to make them better somehow. I'm really an easy going person, and especially a bride. At the end of the day I got to marry the man of my dreams and the love of my life! so that aspect of the day went perfectly. I wish I knew a little more about the particular venue and other people's experiences before I booked it, so I do hope that this information helps a future bride.

This is a wonderful local hidden gem offering fresh and local milk and butter, as well as…read morehandcrafted candles. Prices are fair for high-quality products and their small store is self-serve. We purchased chocolate and regular milk from them, as well as butter and everything is great. Make sure to check their website (Facebook) before visiting to confirm their hours of operation, which are typically 10am-6pm on weekdays. Cash is preferred, but they do accept Venmo as well for a small fee. So glad we stumbled across this place and we will return. Support local!

I drive 10 miles one way every week to get a gallon, and I'd drive 20, it's that good!read more

We had the best experience having my daughters 7th birthday party at Lambs Farm…read more They offer a puppy party which was such a big hit for the kids. They bring the puppies they have for adoption to the visitor center for the kids to play! They included a painting party! Afterwards we reserved a party room at their magnolia cafe where we had excellent service. We are so happy and would highly recommend this to anyone looking to host a birthday party!!

Visiting Lambs Farm is pure nostalgia! The place hasn't changed in 30 years and that's why we love…read moreit! My kids had the most wonderful time today interacting with so many animals and I absolutely love supporting this mission as well! Yes, it is out dated but it is also extremely affordable, simple, easy, and the animals are well cared for and truly loved. The lady in the indoor area couldn't have been nicer and took out the bearded dragon for my kids to touch. Check out the Magnolia Cafe too for a nice meal or tasty treat.

It's definitely market season, so what better way to celebrate than go to markets! We were looking…read morefor a new to us market to visit and decided to go to the Grayslake market right before they switched to the summer markets on Wednesdays. The market is located in downtown area so there were tons of street parking and shops to hop in and out of while venturing the market. The vendors are all local and are super friendly! We always seem to end to find something. But I also love the variety. The only thing is that there are so many vendors and the booths are rather close together so it's often an ant farm getting through, you move in one direction and commit all the way through. (At least this was the case the two times we went!)

I don't go to many farmers markets, and the first time I went to this one I was underwhelmed. It…read morewas in very early spring, or maybe it was early summer actually, and there were very few vendors there. So my next visit wasn't until the summer and boy what a difference. Once the summer kicks in, there is quite a variety to choose from. The produce itself can be really really good or really underwhelming. Sometimes it is hit or miss. The other things of the farmers market, like Lesters Bison and Nana's Rum Cakes and Wildflower Bakery and the wine tastings they have really help to balance out all of those nutritious fruits and vegetables-makes it worth it. It's all about balance, right? ha ha One of my friends turned me onto the Lesters Bison vendor, and I will say if you're trying to cut back on fat and calories and cholesterol, this is the way to go. So now instead of using ground beef, I try and pick up some ground bison. We also tried the bison patties already formed and they were really great. We weren't sure what to expect but I kid you not, very flavorful and juicy. If this was regular ground beef and it was that thin, it would have been dull, tasteless and dry- the difference was very surprising. They also have tons of cuts of steak (ribeye was of course delish), and other choices like elk, etc. Let me just say this for the record: get your ass to Nana's Rum Cakes! You will not regret this. This is rum cake on a whole nother level. The couple that sells them, one of which is Nana, is charming, delightful. And I love supporting local business, but the spectacular taste of these rum cakes is what keeps you going back. I'm an addict for life now. I like the plain-vanilla or the plain-vanilla with nuts, but my husband is a drag and doesn't like the nuts, hehe, so I sacrifice for him. ha ha While the chocolate rum cake was okay, we both agreed it was not as special. But the plain-vanilla and with nuts is not to be missed. The market is especially lovely in the late summer or early fall. Two days ago it was just gorgeous. And there are a lot of vendors to choose from. You can go to their website and see which vendors will be there which week. It's very user friendly. Summer hours are 3-7 on Wednesdays, but they are soon switching for the new fall schedule which is on Saturday (mornings, I believe?), so hit up the website for hours. Why aren't you there yet?? Nana's waiting for you; don't disappoint Nana, people.