One recent Saturday morning, I awoke to an amazing aroma coming from my kitchen. It was slightly sweet, yeasty, and tangy, all at once. The smell was like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold night. My wife had just baked bread from the dough I made the day before, and it was time to eat—heaven on earth, as far as I could smell. As I sat eating breakfast, homemade sourdough toast with a local egg, I thought to myself, this bread is the perfect example of supporting our local food system...
Imagine owning and running the business of your dreams, and not being in control of one of the most stressful aspects of a business: the cost of production. For many, this situation is not a fantasy, it is a reality.
According to recent USDA data, farm sector production expenses for farmers both large and small are almost 18 percent higher on average compared with this time last year.
In an environment of 40-year-high-inflation, farmers are experiencing increased risk in two of the five USDA-...
Imagine your last visit to a beloved family home, arriving as a freshly baked pumpkin pie was pulled from the oven. If you take a moment, I bet you can almost smell it.
Many people have this olfactory memory of the most well-known winter squash: the pie pumpkin. Others are also familiar with the smell or taste of pie pumpkin’s common cousins: spaghetti, acorn, and butternut squashes.
All belong to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, and thanks to amazing genetic potential, it houses...
When local orchard branches are laden with delicious jewels of fruit, the apple season has arrived. Before sinking your teeth into this year’s harvest, consider the rich history of this commonplace fruit.
When planting America’s roots in the colony of Jamestown...
John Smith was pleasantly surprised by the health and vigor of tree fruits rooting in the soil and remarked, “…peaches, apples, apricots and figs prosper exceedingly.” It was 1607 and Captain John Smith had brought 104 settlers to...
Illinois vegetable growers are entering the toughest six weeks of the year. Despite the seasonal demands, soil health depends on timely planning of a fall cover crop.
A fall cover crop is planted in August, grows in fall, and terminates after several hard frosts in winter.
Why plant a fall cover crop? The benefits of a cover crop include increased soil fertility, enhanced weed suppression, and increased soil organic matter. Regardless of farm size, a fall cover crop will positively impact any...
In late May and early June, folks worry it is too late to plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers. Plant now, the timing is perfect for rapid root establishment and healthy plant growth.
With an average high of 76ºF and an average low of 55ºF, chilly nights (temperatures less than 50ºF) no longer threaten to stunt plant growth. If proper planting time is paired with regular watering, and proper training and pruning, plant vitality will be strong, and fruit set heavy.
Here is the...
A full return to farmer's market season is upon us. Producers have faced many hurdles in the past few years; they are relying on your support to stay in business. This article is a refresher to local farmer’s markets in McLean county, in case you have fallen out of the loop in recent years. Here you will find market locations, times of each market, and their date ranges. Folks in other counties are encouraged to get in touch with their town to see what markets are nearby.
We all feel the...
It’s almost gardening time! My family’s garden starts on April 1 with the planting of potatoes and onions. If you’ve never grown potatoes in your garden, try something different this year. Here are some helpful steps to achieve a successful crop of potatoes this year.
Seed Potatoes
When you get your seed potatoes from the garden center or seed supplier, they’ll be whole potatoes with tiny growths called “eyelets. Cut seed potatoes into quarters 6 to 10 days before the desired planting date....
I don’t know about others, but I myself am fighting a case of the winter blues. My happy place is in the garden, looking at my growing plants—not snow!
As you daydream about your spring and summer garden, consider planting some unorthodox plants that are fueling a growing agricultural trend in the Midwest—agroforestry. There are a few different definitions of agroforestry floating around, I am partial to the following, the mixing of annual and perennial crops in a well thought out way. Here’s...
For those of us who are lucky enough to have access to fruit trees, fruit bushes, bramble fruits, or cane fruits during the year, we have a chore that needs doing this winter: pruning. Pruning out dead, dying or diseased wood from all those wonderful plants and trees is an absolutely essential part of their management if good quality and quantity of fruit harvest is desired. Pruning is done in the dormant season, which for this part of Illinois is roughly January 1st until mid-March...
Here we are, knee-deep in the holidays, and our gardens have finally been tucked in for the long winter nap. It’s a time of year many growers look forward to, a time to finally put up their aching feet, assess how the growing season went, reflect on successes, failures and what to do better next year. Some of the decisions many folks reflect on, including myself, are: did I grow the right garden plants this year? The right variety? The right amount? The good news is that we have a nice chunk of...
Celebrating the year’s crops with a Thanksgiving feast has been a tradition for over 400 years. Likely in 1621, individuals fed their families and communities by growing vegetables in the field. This past summer, Illinois residents went to farmer's markets despite pandemic conditions as America continues to demand locally sourced vegetables and increased access to healthy food.
“Locally grown food isn’t shipped thousands of miles, which reduces the carbon footprint, supports our local...
It is hard to believe how quickly 2021 has gone by as we are just about a month or so away from Thanksgiving. As we find ourselves planning for our Thanksgiving meals, how to cook the turkey often comes into conversation. But before you can cook the turkey, you have to purchase it.
Before you go out and buy a grocery store turkey, consider your local family farm operation by buying a heritage breed and/or pasture-raised turkey for your...
Like it or not, fall and winter will be here before we know it! During the off-season, too many gardeners leave their vegetable or flower gardens bare over winter. This can cause major problems for the following growing season, especially an invasion of winter weeds and erosion of high-quality topsoil to boot. Beat the weeds and hang on to your soil this fall, winter and spring by planting a cover crop, or at least putting down some straw.
In case you missed it,...
It is almost pawpaw eating time! For those not already in the know, you too could soon have the opportunity to try your first delicious pawpaw fruit. If you’ve never heard of pawpaw before, don’t know what the fruit or the tree look like, and are interested to hear what all the hullabaloo is about, read on!
The PawPaw Tree, Asimina triloba
Did you know that pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is the largest native tree fruit of the United States? The photo to the right, taken at the Refuge Food...
Do you struggle with weed control in the spring before planting your summer garden? Does your garden lose topsoil after a heavy rain due to slope? Would you like to improve soil structure and add organic matter to your garden?
Backyard cover cropping is for you!
At the time of writing this, our mix of spring cover crops - field peas, oats, and clover - are coming up nicely at the Unity Community Center in Normal, Ill. I broadcast-seeded just before the last bout of rains and...
We have enjoyed some pleasant weather recently, and it makes me think on the coming growing season, and the abundant locally produced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, cut flowers and everything else available at farmers markets. However, there is another way to get some of these goodies for you and yours, and that is through CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture.
A farm-product subscription service, with a twist
CSA members pay an up-front amount to their farmer prior to...
With the end of winter near, it’s time to start planning for the garden season. At the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, many people attempted to grow some of their own food, re-popularizing the concept of WWII “victory gardens.” Increase your victory garden growing capacity by planting some black currant bushes this March!
What is a black currant, you ask? It is a woody perennial fruit-bearing shrub, native to central and northern Europe; it produces delicious, nutritious and very visually...
Being thankful for our families has a new meaning this year, and the feast should be spectacular. Let’s add a sometimes-missing ingredient this year: the love that a local grower, baker, or cook puts into their product.
My role in the Thanksgiving meal is to procure ingredients and I challenge myself to buy mostly fresh local ingredients for the big meal.
Now approaching my fourth year, buying local has become a new Thanksgiving tradition. My sister, the cook, is always...
He’s not just a restaurateur, nor just a farmer, nor just a chef, nor just an entrepreneur. He’s an influencer of sustainable eating. He wants to change the world, one delicious plate at a time. Ken Myszka, owner and operator of Epiphany Farms Hospitality Group, runs four celebrated restaurants in McLean County: Epiphany Farms Restaurant, Anju Above, and Bakery and Pickle, all in downtown Bloomington; and Old Bank Restaurant and Bar in LeRoy.
Each restaurant sources organically grown...
