CHICAGO — Oriana Kruszewski, 78, started farming Asian pears in her suburban Skokie backyard in her free time about 26 years ago.

An immigrant from China and Hong Kong to the Chicago area, Kruszewski missed eating the Asian pears that she would get back home, she said. She turned her hobby into a business, eventually expanding her operations to a 40-acre lot in Winslow, Illinois, and planting fruits that aren’t as common in the United States, including pawpaws and persimmons.

Kruszewski and her Asian pears are a staple at farmers markets around Chicago and beloved within the chef community. But Kruszewski’s favorite part of the job isn’t farming — it’s interacting with the people she meets, she said.

Krista Kane, founder of new Chicago-based production company Shrimp Studio, met Kruszew

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