A Barrington Hills couple is making their third try at convincing the village to allow them to sell flowers directly to people visiting their farm.
This time, Chris Yamamoto and wife Sarah Gul, owners of Little Ducky Flower Farm, are proposing to change the definition of agriculture in the zoning code. The change would permit the sale of agricultural products grown or produced entirely on-site.
The village’s Zoning Board of Appeals will meet Tuesday to make a recommendation to the village board.
The couple began operating the farm on their six-acre property on Dundee Road near Algonquin Road in 2022, letting people come in and pick flowers for a fee, until the village sent them a letter early last year ordering them to stop. Since then, they have operated as a delivery service.
In August, the board rejected a proposal to have zoning for agritourism in a residential district. Then in November, the board turned down a proposed category for agricultural experience.
Trustees and zoning board members were concerned that the residential property would be used for commercial purposes. They approved of wholesaling the product. But they did not want direct-to-consumer sales.
Under the new proposal, only products of the property’s own agricultural operations — such as fruits, flowers, vegetables, eggs, or honey — may be sold.
“By ensuring that these offerings remain strictly agricultural, the proposal naturally creates safeguards against other commercial activities that could erode the village’s rural charm,” Yamamoto states in the proposal.
“If 100% is grown on the farm, it would not be commercial,” he said.
He said Barrington Hills’ residential zoning allows agriculture. It just doesn’t address sales.
Yamamoto said the new category would apply to all small farms.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250217/news/owners-of-barrington-hills-farm-hope-third-time-is-the-charm-for-flower-sales/