Tag: Park Ridge

Before I get into the topic at hand, that is, new beginnings, I must, sadly, speak of endings. There’s no way to get around the fact that the 2022 season ended on a sour note for the farm and me personally. In September, my 84-year-old Mom was diagnosed with cancer. It quickly became apparent that she would need a lot of care and that the best person to help her through an arduous recovery was me, her daughter. So, I closed the farm down rather hastily and returned to Illinois for the fall and winter. I missed most of September at the Riverside Farmers Market. While I attended the last day of the market in October, missing most of September was a massive blow to the success of Argento Acres’ first farmers market season. The situation also put my plans for the 2023 season up in the air, for we had no concrete idea of how long her treatment would take and what recovery would look like once treatments were over. So I decided to pull back on plans for the farm, not to close entirely but to grow less, sell less, and spend significantly less time farming in 2023. I decided to put the business in survival mode.
I am fortunate that I had the option to put everything on hold and spend time with my Mom. My brother and I could care for her in her home and ensure she got the quality care we wanted for her. As it turns out, the few months I spent with my Mom were the last I would ever spend with her. While initially, her prognosis was good, and her doctor expected her to recover, it was quickly evident that was not the case.
In December, a few days after her 85th birthday, she lost her battle with cancer. Anyone who has ever been a caregiver for a terminally ill person knows what an exhausting and disorienting experience it is to care for someone as they transition from life to whatever lies after. As difficult as it was, I am incredibly grateful that I was there for her in her last days.
One of the best ways I can honor my Mom’s memory is to make the most of the life she gave me. Right now, this means putting the farm back into full production and continuing to pursue plans to make the farm as sustainable as possible. Having put one of life’s most emotionally challenging seasons behind me, I am ready to focus on spring, the season of new life. I will return to the Riverside, IL, Farmers’ Market this year. I have also been accepted to a second market, full application pending. I will announce the second market soon! I am ready to dive in and make the most of the new opportunities 2023 brings.