The next installment of my tri-county farmer interview series brought me to Panther Ridge Farms, owned and operated by Ashley and Nathan Hodel. Their farm, in El Paso, IL, spans 23 acres and is surrounded by the rolling hills and valleys of the Mackinaw River watershed.Ashley and Nathan, along with...

When I arrived at Garden Gate Farms in Fairbury, Illinois for another farmer interview, I immediately knew it would be a very interesting story. It was a cool spring morning, and I had my windows down. I’m glad I did. On the way up the driveway, I smelled freshly blooming lilacs, saw a handful of...

  McLean county small farm uses systems-level thinking, small town advocacy, farm business synergy to drive positive change in local food system Sometimes it is good to take a step back and look at things from the 30,000-foot view, as the saying goes. If we allow ourselves (as farmers,...

A cacophony of duck quacks, chicken clucks, and goose honks announced my arrival at the Little Farm at Weldon Springs, a quarter mile down the road from Weldon Springs State Park. Poultry Manager Anna Morell chased a basset hound named Roux around the yard while Rue tried in vain to catch...