How Memories Inspire This Woman-Owned Farm

How the farm is keeping old traditions alive.

By

Sophia H. Moten

 
Published July 02, 2026
A group of older adults working at a farm
Caroline Gutman

For Stephanie Ginsburg, owning and operating her family’s farm mean far more than a good crop season: it’s her family’s history.

Stephanie Ginsberg inside a rustic wooden workspace adjusting decorative string lights near shelves and beverage equipment
Stephanie Ginsberg adjusts a cord behind the bar inside the barn at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 8, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

In 1925, Stephanie’s great-grandfather Edwin Dunneback, purchased a farm in Grand Rapids, MI, and began to forge a legacy. With five sons, the farm was aptly named Ed Dunneback & Boys. For many years he harvested crops with his sons and daughter, hosting barn dances and community gatherings. The tradition continued when his son, Edward, married and had children of his own. Soon, Edward’s son and two daughters (including Stephanie’s mother) were also following in his footsteps, until tragedy and unrest rocked the Dunneback’s and the world at large. Stephanie’s uncle, Michael, was drafted to the Vietnam War, and did not survive his service.

A pink vintage tractor parked next to a white barn in a rural setting
A pink John Deere tractor at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 8, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

Reeling, the family, now mostly women and girls, came together to carry on the legacy. Several years later, Stephanie’s Aunt Pamela suggested a name change: “We ought to change it to Ed Dunneback and Girls.” As the story goes, Pam climbed up and changed the sign on the barn herself.

Stephanie’s mother, Suanne, and her sister Pam, continued to farm while their children enjoyed separate careers outside of agriculture — that is, until the 2008 financial crisis. Suanne’s children, Stephanie and Sarah, both left their respective jobs as the economy tanked, returning to their old stomping grounds and an unsuspecting opportunity: the family farm.

Stephanie Ginsberg, Suanne Shoemaker and Sara Stoddard standing together outdoors in front of a rustic wooden barn
Stephanie Ginsberg, Suanne Shoemaker, and Sara Stoddard pose for a portraite outside the barn at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 8, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

“I’m not the best farmer,” Stephanie shared candidly, smiling, “but I like the storytelling part.” For her, childhood memories of milking cows next to meowling kittens and packing berries in the summertime keep her coming back to Ed Dunneback & Girls. When she returned from an 8-year whirlwind working in corporate America, her mother Suanne had added a small bakery to the farm. With big ideas, and the need for more open farm hours, Stephanie and her sister, Sarah, began innovating.

For the next 12 years both sisters and their family generated new events and activities to take the farm from a one-off event to an all-day destination. Seasonal activities like a corn maze, pumpkin drop and Grinch-mas kept people coming back between harvest festivals (which also got an upgrade).

Expanding meant taking advantage of the farm's offering of berries, asparagus, pickles, apples and sunflowers among others, all of which got their own festivals (asparagus fest and the like) to highlight offerings at their new farm-to-table restaurant. Suanne’s quaint farm bakery blossomed to a bakery market hybrid with homemade doughnuts and pies, as well as unique spins on their harvested crops currently in season.

Close-up of freshly baked doughnut topped with smooth white icing and rainbow sprinkles
Freshly baked donuts for sale at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 9, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

Even better? The farm now hosts Pink Barrell Cellars, a small taproom on site, bringing homemade beer, cider and wine to the equation.

Wooden shelves stacked with glass jars of homemade jams, sauces, and preserved foods arranged in a rustic pantry setting
Jams, jellies and sauces for sale at the farm market at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 8, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

Creating a community place where folks can “come spend the day [and] put your phone away” was always important to Stephanie. Fostering a space where grandparents, children and cousins can all eat and gather at the same table, with activities catering to ages “4 to 74” a must.

Her children, Helen (named after Edward’s late wife), Lena and Leona; as well as Sarah’s three boys all seem interested in the farm in their own way. Their mother Suanne, is slowly transferring her decades of farming expertise to her two daughters. When asked about their roles, Stephanie shared they don’t assign official titles. Rather, everyone seems to adapt their unique skills to Ed Dunneback & Girls quite naturally.

Helen and Lena Ginsberg outdoors blowing dandelion seeds together in a natural setting
Helen and Lena Ginsberg, Stephanie Ginsberg's daughters, blow on a dandelion, at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 8, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

Sarah is good at generating staff schedules and managing the farm market. Stephanie continues to generate new ideas for events and crop festivals, expanding their reach. Suanne still works outside, as she prefers, helping direct harvest traffic and answering questions as they come up.

“It’s just all kind of come full circle” Stephanie thinks. From her great-grandparents’ barn dances and smorgasbords, to their new harvest festivals and U-pick fields, community events and shared meals draw families from over a dozen different school districts throughout Michigan. “We can … you know … create that atmosphere again.”

Sarah and Stephanie both live on the farm together, like their mother did, raising their kids, running a blossoming, 100-year-old family farm, and keeping tradition alive every day as they do it.

Close-up of a hand holding a freshly harvested rhubarb leaf above a garden bed with green plants
Suanne Shoemaker holds a rhubarb stalk she harvested, at Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 9, 2026.
Caroline Gutman

Sophia H. Moten is a Photo Editor for AARP. Raised in Texas and based in Washington, D.C., Sophia makes photo stories about community, identity, and womanhood. See more of Sophia's work at sophiahmphotos.com.