The sun sets behind Stephens Farmhouse in Yuba City on Thursday, a few days after Cherie Stephens announced her plans to retire and sell the business. Shamaya Sutton/Appeal-Democrat
Jeff and Cherie Stephens have made quite the name for themselves as the owners of Stephens
Farmhouse in Yuba City. For the past 21 years, this quaint little shop has offered passersby the
opportunity to snag some home baked goods and locally sourced treats.
But now, the seasoned owners are ready to pass on their business to the next individual, or
individuals, willing to take a risk and make it their own.
The groundwork for Stephens Farmhouse was laid out by the family’s melon stand, Stephens
Melons, at the corner of Garden Highway and Highway 99 before changes had been made to
straighten out the highway’s path.
“We knew what was going to happen to the road and that our little corner would soon be out of
the loop of life,” said Cherie Stephens. “It just so happened that the Johnsons were wanting to
sell their shop and so we decided it was the right time to make a move.”
The Stephens’ soon migrated to Johnson’s Farm, owned then by Dave and Lee Johnson. After 15
years spent baking and 25 years selling produce, the Johnsons were ready to retire and pass on
the torch.
The Stephens’ trained with the Johnsons for nearly five months throughout their busiest holiday
season before taking over and rebranding the store in February 2002. From there, Cherie
Stephens slowly expanded the business to include wholesale jams, catering, and various
fundraiser opportunities. Meanwhile, her husband, Jeff Stephens, tended to most of the family
farming duties on various plots of land throughout the south Sutter County region. These plots
supplied the farmhouse with much of its produce and the needed ingredients for its classic
pies, desserts, and pastries.
But in 2021, Jeff Stephens decided to retire, sell the ranch, and lease out the remaining portions
of the family’s land. The farmhouse, however, still sources its ingredients from a network of
local growers.
“Jeff was born into a multi-generational farm family,” said Cherie Stephens in a social media
announcement posted on Jan. 26. “It’s almost unheard of for a farmer to sell rather than pass
down to the next generation. In our case, none of our three children wanted to continue the
farming operation, with the conditions that face today’s California agriculture. We raised our
children to follow their dreams, goals and aspirations, not ours.”
Their three children are now working locally as an insurance agent, speech pathologist, and
mobile welder and fabricator while Jeff Stephens fills his time operating a passion project
known as SAYLove, a community organization dedicated to local beautification projects.
The next chapter
Cherie Stephens is now ready to join her husband in retirement and, just like the Johnsons
before her, she is looking to hand over the business to another passionate entrepreneur.
“I honestly thought I’d be doing this until the day I die,” said Stephens. “I just didn’t foresee our
lives becoming so different because Jeff was retired and I wasn’t. It’s time now for me to have
some more flexibility in my life and I’m excited to see what this next chapter will hold. But it’s
important to note that we’re selling, not closing. There’s a lot of opportunity that’s grown into
this business over the last 20 years and even more room for the next owners to expand.”
Since announcing their wish to sell, the Stephens’ said they’ve already received calls from
several prospective buyers. The owners believe that a three- to six-month training period would
be ideal to ensure a transfer goes smoothly.
“This isn’t a thing you can buy and then have someone else run it,” said Stephens. “The new
owners will need to know the business inside and out like I do.”
While the Stephens’ wait out for a buyer, patrons can still visit the farmhouse from 8 a.m. to 6
p.m. Monday through Saturday. Stephens Farmhouse is located at 6219 Sawtelle Ave. in Yuba
City.
For more information, call 530-673-0406 or email stephensfarmhouse@yahoo.com. Additional
information can be found online at stephensfarmhouse.com.