Spence Farm Foundation, Midwest Food Bank and our local food pantries are teaming up together to bring fresh, locally grown potatoes to needy families in our region. Our project includes: tilling, planting, cultivation/weeding and a fall harvest. Will you help… Continue Reading
Want to learn how to make soap? Spin yarn? Felt wool? These programs focus on creating value-added products that farmers (and you!) can make from residual products from livestock production. See our events column (on the home page) for… Continue Reading
Our 2nd and 5th grade partnerships emphasize sustainable living, conserving resources, and rural traditions. We offer a hands-on interpretive activities which enrich the subjects that instructors are teaching in the classroom. We also look to offer programs to students who… Continue Reading
The Spence Farm Foundation has hosted three Chef Camp 2-day programs, which have focused on sustainability education. What are some of the benefits of this camp? Some chefs purchase enormous amounts of specialty products from growers in Central Illinois. In an… Continue Reading
In order to foster opportunity for the sustainable grower, we have developed continuing education courses. Current topics offered include: using traditional equipment, bee keeping, soil amendments, cover crops and pasturing livestock.
To increase exposure to a variety of farming practices, we have partnered with our local High School to invest in agricultural education. We purchased a hoop house which can be used to grow food in year round. We hope to… Continue Reading
Note: I cannot overstate how great this event was. Marty & Kris & Co. put on an awesome weekend and it it was really inspiring to see the chefs on their day off learning more about the food they work with.… Continue Reading
5th grade Program During the summer the curriculum was set up, booklets designed for the kids, meetings with teachers and presenters begun, and planning started for a great day with the kids at the farm. Care was taken to make… Continue Reading
Crop Mob 2011 By Thomas Leavitt, Spence Farm Foundation Board Member The pouring rain as we drove out of Chicago had us worried about a soggy, wet and miserable day on the farm. Luckily, the rain stopped 35 miles outside… Continue Reading