Budding controversy? This flower farm is fighting a suburb to exist

Just an hour northwest of Chicago, 20,000 tulips are languishing, waiting to be picked.

At the Little Ducky Flower Farm, a small "u-pick" flower farm tucked away in suburban Barrington Hills, residents could, once upon a time, enjoy picking tulips, dahlias and other summertime flowers while learning about the village's agricultural history.

But in May 2024, the village sent a cease-and-desist letter to owner Chris Yamamoto, forcing him to close shop. The village contends the farm violates its zoning codes for businesses on residential property.

Yamamoto believes the farm aligns with the village's values, so for almost a year now, he's been fighting to reverse the decision. It's not about the money. He bought all those tulip bulbs direct from Holland out of a passion for flower farming.

He's fighting an uphill battle, but he thinks it's worth it.

“It's just about community for us. We want to build community,” he said.

Yamamoto, a 34-year-old aerospace engineer, and his wife, Sarah Gul, moved to Barrington Hills in 2021 with their 12 ducks. Once settled into their 6-acre property, they had the idea for a small, sustainable flower farm where people could enjoy their flowers before picking bundles to take home.

He first emailed the village in February 2022 to make sure his plan would align with the village's rules. The village's response was only to refer to the written zoning code. With support from his neighbors, Yamamoto figured he had the green light to open Little Ducky that summer.

Over the next two years, the farm offered appointment-only flower picking and events like Mother's Day photos and learning sessions, all without issue. That's until they received the cease-and-desist letter that originated from an anonymous complaint.

"As advertised, your on-site, outdoor, retail business use of Property is strictly prohibited and must immediately cease," the May 16 letter read. Small, at-home businesses are allowed under the village's House Occupation Code. The catch is they must operate indoors.

Yamamoto has been appealing for about a year, hoping to work with the village to update the zoning code and allow for the farm. He even submitted three separate proposals. The first aimed to tweak the code so that residents can apply for special use permits for agrotourism. The second changed "agrotourism" to "agricultural experiences" and limited what could be sold and the number of people who were allowed on the property. The last proposed a change in the village’s definition of "agricultural activities" — which are already allowed — to include on-site sales.

Each proposal Yamamoto made was rejected. "We're essentially kind of stuck," he said.

Anna Paul, the village's director of administration, said in an email that the appeals were thoughtfully considered, but neither the farm nor the proposals were "compatible with the intended residential use of property in the village's residential area." Moreover, the proposals would pave the way to other, similar operations.

"The Village's Zoning Board of Appeals was particularly concerned that under these various proposals, similar outdoor commercial operations could be allowed to occur on every residential single-family property in the Village," Paul wrote.

But Little Ducky still has support in the community. Several residents showed up to Yamamoto's first proposal hearing in August 2024, and many more wrote letters. In all, 133 written comments were submitted, with 129 in support and four in opposition. Of those who spoke in person, 16 supported the farm, while three opposed it.

One resident, Brittaney Avery, told the Sun-Times she questions why something that seems like an asset to the community would be shut down. The village’s response has been "disheartening” to see.

“I was just kind of taken aback on the tone and the fear people had that this farm is gonna be a gateway to making Barrington Hills commercial,” she said.

Others applauded the village's officials for not wavering on changing the code.

“Barrington Hills is the epitome of a bucolic, relaxed, rural hamlet. ... But maintaining our uniqueness requires respect for our past and respect for our neighbors and their reasons for living in Barrington Hills,” Kimberly Van Fossan, another resident, said in a public letter to the Board of Trustees.

Van Fossan could not be reached for comment.

Fearing the 20,000 tulips would go to waste, Yamamoto went to the village in April and asked if he could host a free event for the community to see the farm and pick tulips, with limited spots and by appointment only.

“We want to be able to have, say, 10 people here, just to come see the flowers. Don't even pick anything, just come and chat to meet us," he said.

That, too, was denied.

Yamamoto isn’t giving up. He's already submitted two more applications and has been waiting for a response since February. In the meantime, he and his wife are picking and delivering tulips themselves.

“We're going to keep continuing going to ... all the meetings, you know, make public comments, continue to work within the rules of the village to make our voices heard,” he said. “A lot of the people in the community really do want this. We want to continue doing this.”