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Welcome to the June Prairie Crossing Learning Farm newsletter!
The mission of the Prairie Crossing Learning Farm is to educate and inspire people to value healthy food, land, and community through experiences on our farm.
The Prairie Crossing Learning Farm is a program of the Liberty Prairie Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Learning Farm is located on the Foundation's 100 acre certified organic farm within the Prairie Crossing conservation community.
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| Farmers Market Opening!
The Prairie Crossing Farmers Market opens TODAY, June 15 from 4-7 p.m. at Station Square, 970 Harris Road in Grayslake. The Prairie Crossing Farmers Market continues every Friday from 4-7 p.m. until September 28.
Stop by the market for some "grown in Grayslake" organic vegetables, delicious goat cheese, seasonal Michigan fruit, fresh baked bread, and more! What's fresh from the farm this week? Asparagus, lettuce mix, bok choi, green garlic, snow peas, strawberries, and red currants! Additional offerings are still being finalized.
Our market offers a wide variety of products due to the unique Prairie Crossing Farm operation, and our regional partnerships. The "Prairie Crossing Farm" actually is home to 9 different farms including the Learning Farm, Sandhill Organics, and 7 "beginning" farms participating in the Farm Business Development Center.
Having all of these certified organic farms as part of the larger "Prairie Crossing Farm" allows us to offer you a wide range of fresh produce each week! We have also built partnerships with other regional farms, which allow us to offer goat cheese from Prairie Fruits and Creamery in Champaign and seasonal fruit from Michigan.
Make the Friday afternoon Prairie Crossing Farmers Market your weekend tradition, and see what's fresh from the farm each week! |
 Improve Your Health with the Prairie Farm Corps CSA!
Isn't your health worth $30 a week? According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Hunger & Enviromental Nutrition, CSA customers consumed significantly more vegetables than people interested in a CSA but not participating that year. Isn't that a great reason to finally register for a CSA?
In this study, Cohen & Garland quantify what many CSA customers know to be true. When you receive a box of pre-purchased vegetables each week, you're likely to eat more vegetables than you would normally purchase at the store or farmers market. Your mother was right -- you need to eat more vegetables!
The Prairie Farm Corps youth have been hard at work this spring, growing vegetables for their CSA and Farmers Market customers. Through this youth development program, we hope to also inspire the youth participants to try new vegetables and become life-long vegetable lovers! The Prairie Farm Corps harvests and cooks with their vegetables each week for a crew lunch. This also gives them cooking ideas and recipes to share with their customers each week. Kohlrabi was a new favorite vegetable of the crew last year!
Are you ready to invest $30 a week in your health? There is still time! The Prairie Farm Corps CSA starts June 22, and offers online registration and payment. Don't miss your chance to join us for a healthy eating adventure! |
 Limited Farm Camp Spaces Available!
Farm Camp provides a unique after-school and/or summer experience for your child on a working organic farm - complete with friendly chickens!
Kids who plant vegetables tend to eat more vegetables, particularly those they have grown themselves. Sign your reluctant vegetable-eater up for Farm Camp today!
Camps with spaces still available include:
Gifted Growers - Ages 6-8 - 5 spots available
Don't Be Chicken to Learn About Chickens - Ages 5-7 - 2 spots available
After School Camps:
Great Garden Gang: Exploring Fall - Ages 6-10
To be added to a waiting list for a filled camp, email ecummisford@prairiecrossing.com. |
Tiny Farm Workers, by Linda Wiens
Some of the hardest workers on the farm toil steadfastly underground to improve our soil in multiple ways. I was reminded of these tiny workers the other day while weeding around some small fruit trees on the farm.
I dug around a little tree with my sharp spade before pulling the crab grass, dandelions, clover, burdock and rag weed out of the clumps of hard dirt. Some clumps were so hard it seemed impossible to pry them apart without using the sharp edge of my spade.
I proceeded cautiously and spotted the tip of an earthworm! I dug carefully until a fat pink earthworm was revealed, and as I broke the big chunk into smaller pieces, I found more and more. Worms are somehow able to penetrate this heavy clay. When it is very dry they shrivel and curl up tightly, waiting until rain enables them to get back to work.
These simple creatures are miracles of nature! They digest decaying matter, then excrete their castings into the soil, making micro-nutrients available to plants, the soil looser ("friable"), and better able to retain moisture.
The Learning Farm also has red wiggler worms for vermiculture, or worm composting. This diverts food waste from the landfill and recycles it into a valuable soil amendment. Our vermiculture allows children to observe the composting process closely. Worms are small and humble, but mighty workers on the farm. I enjoy working with worms! |
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Received this as a forward? Sign up for this Prairie Crossing Learning Farm newsletter!
Interested in live music in a unique setting? Sign up for the Prairie Crossing Byron Colby Barn concert series newsletter!
Enroll for one or both email newsletters here:
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We hope to see you at the Prairie Crossing Farmers Market on Friday!
Are you interested in live music? The Byron Colby Barn concert series is another program of the Liberty Prairie Foundation. Sign up to receive email notifications of concerts by clicking the "Join Our Mailing List" link. A few summer concerts are still being finalized -- stay tuned for details!
We hope that through our programs, the Prairie Crossing Learning Farm will continue to educate and inspire YOU!
Sincerely,
Erin Cummisford
Prairie Crossing Learning Farm
www.prairiecrossing.com/farm/learning.php |
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