The Liberty Prairie Foundation supports educational programming at the Prairie Crossing Farm to educate and inspire people to value healthy food, land and community through experiences on our farm.
 

The Liberty Prairie Foundation provides leadership and financial support for local food system development, social entrepreneurship, land conservation, environmental education, and civic engagement.   


We hope to see you at our upcoming events!
Fall Festival on Oct. 18
 
Celebrate another successful season at our inaugural Fall Festival from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 18 at the Prairie Crossing Farm.
 

We'll offer free hayride tours of the Prairie Crossing Farm with Jeff Miller (resident organic farmer, Sandhill Family Farms) and Brad Leibov (CEO, Liberty Prairie Foundation). Everyone loves a hayride! Parents are required to ride with their children and provide supervision.
 

Stock up on fall vegetables grown by Midnight Sun Farm and Radical Root Farm, order your free-range Thanksgiving turkey from Midnight Sun Farm, and learn about Sandhill Family Farms' winter CSA shares (dairy, meat, and egg) and gift opportunities. Radical Root will also have local honey and Gretta's Goats will have handmade goat milk soap for sale.
 

"Dig into" the science of composting and fermentation, learn about pastured poultry with Sandhill Family Farms' chickens, and visit Yaw-Ye Farms' pastured pigs. Stroll through farm-related  art on a working organic farm courtesy of the Lexicon of Sustainability, which explores sustainability concepts through art installations throughout the U.S.


You won't want to miss it so save the date - 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 18! Click here for more information about the Fall Festival.   

Prairie Crossing Farm featured on Growing a Greener World
       

Watch the Growing a Greener World episode featuring Prairie Crossing and the Prairie Crossing Farm, "Greening of Suburbia."


Join us at 7 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 5 at the Byron Colby Barn for a free screening of the episode followed by a question and answer session. Meet the stars of the show! 

 

While watching, enjoy complementary certified organic popcorn grown at the Prairie Crossing Farm by resident organic farmers Sandhill Family Farms.

 

Click here for more information about the screening and discussion on Nov. 5 at the Byron Colby Barn. Mark your calendars for a fun and engaging evening! 

Prairie Farm Corps Teams with WIC
By Alisha Bower

 

The Prairie Farm Corps curriculum included a weekly vegetable distribution program in Round Lake through the Women, Infants & Children Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP). Women who meet specific criteria and are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have infants qualify for WIC FMNP vouchers, redeemable at a farmers market.

 

Recipients often do not have a nearby farmers market where they can use the vouchers, and the program suffers nationally from low redemption rates. The Prairie Farm Corps partnered with the Lake County Health Department to tackle this problem by bringing boxes of fresh produce to the facility in Round Lake where the vouchers are distributed.

 

Prairie Farm Corps participants, many of whom live in Round Lake, were involved in many ways. They harvested, washed and packed boxes of produce they grew at the Prairie Crossing Farm then led a discussion about the vegetables and recipe ideas. Samples were prepared by the Prairie Farm Corps so they could explain how the produce was prepared while their audience enjoyed a taste of the recipe.

 

Presentations were given in both English and Spanish, with translation provided by bilingual Prairie Farm Corps participants. Each participant attended at least one WIC distribution, and some volunteered for more. This partnership gave students an opportunity to work on their public speaking skills while giving back to their community, and increased healthy food access to vulnerable populations in Lake County.       

Cooking with the Prairie Farm Corps
By Lexie Raczka

 

The Prairie Farm Corps crew gained skills useful in future farming and gardening endeavors, work environments, and even preparing meals.

 

Each crew member spent two weeks this summer working in the kitchen under the direction of MacKenzie LeBeau, the cooking program intern. Participants learned basic kitchen skills and prepared meals for the rest of the crew that highlighted the farm's bounty.

 

Participants enjoyed learning how to prepare recipes they could easily replicate and share with friends and families. Each crew member took charge of an aspect of the meal, and at lunch presented how their dish was made and what ingredients were used. This created a sense of ownership for meal preparations, and made everyone excited to try new foods.

 

Participants were introduced to foods from other cultures and with unfamiliar ingredients. Most meals were vegetarian, a novel concept for the majority of the group. Participants thoroughly enjoyed these meatless dishes and prepared them for their families, sharing knowledge and skills learned through the Prairie Farm Corps. Download the Prairie Farm Corps cookbook so you can also enjoy some of the favorite meals from the summer!

 

At the end of the summer, Prairie Farm Corps participants prepared a farm-to-table dinner for the culminating Celebration Dinner for their families and program sponsors. The meal received rave reviews and spurred conversation about ingredients, farming, and the Prairie Farm Corps, serving the exact purpose that food is supposed to - bringing people together and building community.  


Last Market of the Season for the Prairie Farm Corps
       

This week is the last chance this season to support the Prairie Farm Corps youth development program with your purchase of certified organic produce! 


Come to the Libertyville Farmers Market from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Thurs., Oct. 16. The Libertyville Farmers Market is on Church Street in downtown Libertyville, near Milwaukee Ave. 

 

This week's market selections include certified organic cilantro, scallions, kale, Swiss chard, bok choi, collard greens, kohlrabi, cabbage, onions, garlic, and lettuce heads.

 

Thank you to the generous sponsors of the Prairie Farm Corps: the Morrison Family Foundation, Roy G. Kerr Foundation, Liberty Prairie Foundation, Vermont Compost, individual donors, plus a special donation in memory of Clifford Carlberg. Your support has truly made a difference in the lives of the youth participants! 

Good Food Business Accelerator

 

The Good Food Business Accelerator seeks food and farm businesses interested in a 6-month intensive fellowship program with a custom curriculum, mentorship, and access to potential customers and investors. Located at 1871, Chicago's center of innovation, this is the nation's first business accelerator focused on building supply chains for sustainable, local food. 

 

Eligible businesses include food artisans, craft beverage producers, farmers, food hubs, food technology companies, food processors, restaurants, retailers, foodservice firms, and consumer packaged goods companies. Businesses must be located in and serve the Chicago foodshed.

 

Fellows in the program will gain:

  • Sound business plans and polished investor pitches
  • An understanding of best practices in marketing, operations, and product development
  • Financing plans, referrals and introductions to investors, banks, and private and public financing sources
  • Customer development plans and referrals and introductions to a network of wholesale buyers

For more information and to apply to the program, visit www.goodfoodaccelerator.org. Applications are due October 20, 2014. 

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Prairie Crossing Farm
www.libertyprairie.org, 847-548-4062
32400 North Harris Road
Grayslake, IL 60030

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