History

The story of Tom… Tom Halat was born and raised in Bartlett, Illinois, 22 miles southeast of the market’s present location at Huntley. He grew up on a small parcel of land with a strong desire to be a farmer. This desire led Tom to become very involved in the local 4-H club. While in high school, he rented land and grew vegetables on Rt. 20 in Bartlett, where they are still being sold today after 40 years.

Tom went to Southern Illinois University and majored in soils and plant science. There he met his wife Cheryl who was pursuing a degree in Business Education. After completing college, Tom began farming on a larger scale and started the greenhouse business, while Cheryl became a teacher. The land they rented was sold for development in Bartlett, so they purchased their first farm (240 acres) in Huntley to grow vegetables. When the vegetables were harvested, they would send them to Bartlett to sell at the Bartlett Farm Stand. As the business grew, Tom began to sell produce at the Huntley farm and started building greenhouses. Soon Cheryl stopped teaching to help Tom with his growing business.

The farm… Tom’s Farm Market has been family-owned and operated for over 40 years with 3 locations throughout the years: the original farm stand on Rt. 20 in Bartlett, a farm stand on Rt. 59 in Bartlett, and the farm located in Huntley. The farm stand on Rt. 59 sold produce for nearly 30 years and was developed in 1999. The remaining 2 locations are still in operation today. With an increase in population in the Huntley area, Tom’s family made the decision to expand. In 1996, they built a retail farm market and greenhouse.

Today...Tom and Cheryl have three children, a son Jeff, who is a grain farmer, and two daughters, Mary and Liz, who are a part of the everyday management of Tom's Farm Market. Along with Mary and Liz, their husbands Paul and Sam keep their family-owned and operated business going. Tom and Cheryl also have eight grandchildren, who will hopefully one day be part of the family business.

Tom’s Farm Market's operation consists of growing the freshest vegetables on the local farm and growing flowering annuals and perennials in the 80,000 square feet of production greenhouses.

The wide range of products change seasonally from our plants and our fresh fruit and vegetables to our fall festival and our fresh cut Christmas trees. We invite you to join us at Tom’s Farm Market – we’ve worked hard to ensure that you’ll enjoy your visit with us!