From Farm Crisis to Sunflower Fields
A Fifth-Generation Story of Reinvention at Springfeild Acres
At Springfield Acres in LaGrange County, the story begins long before the sunflowers bloom. Guests are welcomed by fifth-generation farmer Kara Babinec, who traces her family’s roots back to the early 1900s – and to a pivotal moment in 1998 when her father cold-called Chicago’s famed Charlie Trotter restaurant, launching Gunthorp Farms into the national farm-to-table spotlight. Today, that legacy unfolds across sunflower fields, pastureland, and a barn meal featuring Gunthorp Farms meats – a direct connection between land, chef-driven cuisine, and rural resilience. Guests hear how crop failures, hard lessons, and persistence shaped the farm’s evolution, then gather for a hands-on flower arranging workshop inspired by the very fields surrounding them. The experience blends culinary credibility, generational storytelling, and community collaboration – offering media vibrant visuals, authentic farm-to-table heritage, and a powerful narrative about how one Indiana farm family turned near-quitting into creative reinvention
About Classes
Duration of class: 2 hours
Price: $40 per person
Shipshe Pro Tip: Wear clothes that could get dirty. Please specify dietary restrictions upon booking experience.
Meet Kara Babinec
Owner of Springfield Acres, is part of a new generation of farmers bringing fresh energy to LaGrange County’s rich agricultural roots. Alongside her husband, Kara helped launch the farm in 2020 with a vision that goes beyond traditional farming—creating meaningful, hands-on experiences that connect people to the land. Springfield Acres has quickly become a seasonal favorite, known for its vibrant sunflower fields, pumpkin patch, and welcoming atmosphere that invites visitors to slow down and savor the beauty of rural life.
