Natasha Lehrer Lewis grew up amid the hustle and bustle of the Chicago suburbs. She remembers her second-grade teacher spiral binding a book she wrote, securing her future as an author.
Or so she thought.
In 2000, after following an ultralight glider in the sky to the Aurora Municipal Airport, Lewis’ family felt an “unexplainable draw” to the rural community of Big Rock.
“We were just amazed at how beautiful it was and how close it was to where we lived,” she recalled of the area.
Her dad planned to leave corporate America, so change was already on the horizon. Little did they know how much the family’s life would change.
“Somebody knew somebody who knew somebody who thought that a house was going to be put on the market,” said Lewis. “So, we boldly knocked on the door and that is how we found our little 8-acre farm.”
That was 23 years ago.
Today, the farm is home to sheep, a few miniature horses and an organic vegetable garden called Big Rock Organics.
Esther’s Place, the fiber arts studio Lewis opened upon graduating high school, is a few miles away. But before entering, consumers are greeted with a Big Rock Organics farmstand and colorful flower garden, available for U-pick and wholesale.
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The studio offers classes, fiber art supplies and can be used to host parties.
“I wasn’t quite sure what direction we wanted to go with the sheep,” Lewis says. “But that became clear when I started to develop an interest in fiber arts.”
While Lewis has found her niche in fiber arts and running the farm, the transition wasn’t easy for her or her family. It was like the modern-day Green Acres, she says.
Within the first week, they got a tractor stuck in a foot-wide, foot-deep creek. Thankfully, neighbors stepped up with a chain and a truck to help pull it out.
And those same neighbors and others in the industry taught Lewis everything about farming. In fact, she never went to school for a degree in floriculture, animal science or art, which all lie at the heart of the farm.
Even without formal training, Lewis embraced the change and challenges.
“I definitely just felt like it was meant for me,” she said.
And she considers herself lucky to have a group of women putting in work as volunteers and team members to support her passion.
“I think women are naturally nurturers and we pay attention to detail and all of that works really well in the operation that we do,” she says. “I feel like any anybody who’s doing an excellent job in their work, female or male, should get accolades or appreciation or a nod. So, I am just out there trying to do the best that I can do.”
See more: Weaving Farm Upbringing and Love of Fiber Arts at Esther’s Place
Lewis says while she doesn’t have three generations of history on her farm, she’s thankful that there’s room at the table for every kind of farmer.
“That’s definitely what I want to carry into the future is that farming looks different for everybody, and we support and appreciate whatever niche it is that we bring to the farming community,” she says.
Esther’s Place – a fiber art studio, flower garden and farm stand – are located at 201 W. Galena St. (Route 30), Big Rock. Visit esthersplacefibers.com, for video tutorials on fiber art, teacher resources and products, class schedules, gifts, and more.
This content is part of the Partners 2023 Cultivating Our Communities series, a collaboration among Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Specialty Growers Association. It strives to raise awareness of Illinois’ diverse farmers, farms, and the food, feed and fuel they produce.
