Heaven's Hands

Heaven's Hands

We, Jason & Cheri Tate, purchased our property in 2005 to enjoy a country life. Our home is a simple one - as is our lifestyle. Our home dates back to 1908 - and was built by our neighbor's grandfather.

As transplanted suburbanites and avid gardeners, we tried our hand at many crops over these first years. Our land is beautifully fertile as many years ago it was home to a dairy farm. We have two stately English Walnut tress on our property that are said to be well over 100 years old! We discovered with great delight a wonderful cherry tree, grapes vines, and a raspberry patch our first spring, added a fabulous herb garden our second year, and put in some raised beds designed using antique doors during our third year. 

We wanted to respect the land our neighbor's family built and decided to begin with an edible landscape! Our crops always include one new addition each year - we have grown peanuts, okra, artichokes, red popcorn, and kiwi fruits. We have found this to be a truly rewarding experience!

When approached by a local restaurant owner as to if we could grow vegetables to improve the taste and quality of what was commercially available to him - we enthusiastically agreed to help!

And from here our are story begins....to combine our love and passion for fresh food that tastes unbelievably good and the fresh herbs we no longer will cook without...to happily bring benefits to the town that has welcomed us with such open arms and been home to our home for over a century!

Produce We Have Grown

 

Our major crops this year will be heirloom cylindra beets. heirloom bell peppers (King of the North and California Wonder), heirloom tomatoes (Beefsteak, Thessalaniki, and Pink Brandywine), sage, rosemary, and several types of basil (Thai, Sweet, Purple, and Italian) as well as celery and brussel sprouts.

We choose to use only heirloom varieties and save seeds to preserve their integrity on select crops. We are also preparing to increase our offerings to include natural honey and fresh eggs later this year along with homemade soap using old fashioned homemade lye! 

The Stewards of the Land
 

Heaven's Hands is a part of The Stewards of the Land, LLC, a group of local families helping to change the world by producing fresh foods for kitchens across Illinois. 

Our focus is to produce food that is:
        - better for you
        - better for your kids
        - better for the planet 

Enjoyed in award-winning restaurants, local food shops, and many family homes across the area, the food produced by the Stewards of the Land is fresh, chemical-free and delicious.

Jason & Cheri Tate

28640 N 1200 East Rd

Blackstone, IL 61313

Phone: 815-584-7919