Last chance to participate in Jul. 22 Chef in Residence workshop. The Jul. 15 workshop was featured in the Chicago News Sun - don't miss this opportunity - only 2 spots remain! 

Register now for an authentic and unparalleled Farm to Table experience co-led by a celebrated international chef and culinary instructor, and a passionate Mundelein food educator and intuitive cook. Terri Salminen and Lindsey Shifley are both Super Ambassadors with the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution.

The workshop features a seasonal menu based on farm-fresh ingredients grown locally by the Prairie Farm Corps, Sandhill Family Farms, and Radical Root Farm. The workshop begins with a guided walk to the Prairie Crossing Farm to pick up certified organic vegetables while learning about organic agriculture principles. Participants return to the Byron Colby Barn kitchen to prepare (and eat!) a light and fresh summer appetizer, a colorful main course with an accent on vegetables, and fruit-based dessert.

Click here for additional information and online registration. 

Participants in the Prairie Farm Corps (PFC) youth development program also benefit from the Chef in Residence program. The PFC has a well established cooking program run primarily by a Farm to Table Kitchen Lead intern, Lesley, who will be introduced in next month's email newsletter.

Through the Chef in Residence program, PFC participants have also been working all summer with Lindsey Shifley on "Food Revolution Wednesdays" and collaborating with Terri Salminen via Skype. Once Terri arrived at the Prairie Crossing Farm last week, their 2-week cooking intensive began with a team of PFC participants working with Terri and Lindsey every day in the kitchen. The Chef in Residence program expands the PFC's exposure to additional cooking expertise from an experienced home cook and a professional chef - both of whom are dedicated educators and Super Ambassadors with JOFR. 
 

The excitement is contagious and spreading worldwide through social media, thanks to the tireless efforts of Terri and Lindsey. In an unprecedented move, these JOFR Super Ambassadors have taken over the official JOFR Instagram page for a #FoodRevTakeOver! For more information and photos visit www.themullies.com, search the hashtags  #FoodRevTakeOver and #PrairieFarmCorps, or visit the Prairie Crossing Farm Facebook page.  

What is the PFC learning about preparing healthy meals? Ask for cooking ideas at the Prairie Farm Corps booth at the Libertyville Farmers Market on Thursdays from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. Stop by each week for a seasonal selection of certified organic vegetables - in addition to receiving delicious and healthy vegetables, your purchases also support this youth development program.  

7 p.m. Aug. 6 - 9

Come see the Citadel Theatre's production of Shakespeare's As You Like It on the Prairie Crossing Farm.

As You Like It is a favorite of audiences everywhere. Known as his pastoral comedy, it is perhaps known as much for the famed soliloquy "All the World's a Stage" or "The Seven Ages of Man" as for its storyline. The most musical of Shakespeare's plays, As You Like It features a number of songs which highlight the pastoral atmosphere and the changing of the seasons.
 

As You Like It is directed by Frank Farrell. Farrell performed as an actor in Goodman Theatre's As You Like It years ago; and directed Citadel's outdoor Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream this past summer. Farrell was a founder of Chicago's first year-round Shakespeare company (Free Shakespeare, 1983) and of Chicago Theatre Hikes (2001) - which pioneered outdoor theatre in the Chicagoland area.

Click here for information and ticket sales for Shakespeare on the Prairie. Tickets are $15 per person (in advance and at the door) and free for children under age 7. We look forward to this unique cultural event at the farm! 

The Liberty Prairie Foundation is currently seeking a dynamic and versatile professional to fill the new position of Farm Business Development Center Director and Farm Manager. Major responsibilities include the management and development of the Farm Business Development Center incubator program and oversight of all aspects of our certified organic, sustainably managed farm.

Click here for the full job description and additional information.

Volunteers in the Liberty Prairie Foundation's gleaning program harvest produce that otherwise would not be harvested from one of the independent farm businesses located at the Prairie Crossing Farm. These fresh vegetables are then delivered to a local food pantry for distribution to their clients.

As of mid-July, volunteers have harvested over 500 pounds of fresh produce which has been delivered to Roberti Community House, Holy Family Food Pantry, Avon Township Food Pantry, and COOL Food Pantry.

Thank you to Sandhill Family Farms for allowing gleaning in their fields and to our dedicated volunteers! Join the gleaning crew on Sunday afternoons - click here for gleaning information and dates.

The Liberty Prairie Foundation hires a number of interns, who will be introduced in the Intern Spotlight in the upcoming. Our internships provide a variety of leadership development opportunities related to sustainable agriculture, and we're thrilled with the number of excellent candidates vying for these positions.

This month we introduce Kate Abram and Grace Borg, our Community Food System Outreach interns.

Kate Abram is attending Carleton College in Northfield, MN. She serves as the Director of the Carleton College Gleaning Program, is a leader of her college's FoodTruth group, started a garden club at a local school and served as an education/outreach coordinator at Budding Farms (a CSA-focused community group).

Grace Borg recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in health and wellness with a focus on public health. She went on a study abroad trip to explore sustainable food systems in Italy, has worked at a food co-op, completed an internship where she served as a nutrition specialist and conducted community outreach, and worked on a small organic CSA farm where she also learned about Native American culture.

Kate and Grace are coordinating our Beacon Place program, Waukegan WIC distribution, and the gleaning program this summer, along with giving tours and helping with other LPF projects.  

Radical Root Farm was featured in the July/Aug. 2015 issue of Rodale's Organic Life as one of the top 50 farm stands in the U.S. ONE farm stand was featured from each state! Congratulations to Alex and Alison at Radical Root Farm for this recognition.

Visit Radical Root's farm stand from 3 - 7 p.m. Fridays and 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturdays (May - Dec.). Radical Root is located at the centennial Casey Farm at 31330 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Libertyville, just south of Casey Road. Their entrance is across the street from the dog exercise area at Independence Grove. 

Locally grown products available include seasonal certified organic vegetables and pastured eggs produced on-site by Radical Root as well as goat milk soap from Gretta's Goats, pastured pork, grass-fed meats, grass-fed butter, and more from other farm partners. 

Radical Root owners Alex Needham and Alison Parker are alumni of the Farm Business Development Center, a Liberty Prairie Foundation program that supports the development of successful family farm businesses. Radical Root's transition to Casey Farm was made possible through an innovative partnership between Conserve Lake County, the Lake County Forest Preserve District, and the Liberty Prairie Foundation. 

The Prairie Crossing Farm is a working organic farm nestled inside the Prairie Crossing community in Grayslake, Illinois. The Prairie Crossing Farm is owned by the Liberty Prairie Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The Foundation operates a variety of programs at the Prairie Crossing Farm to advance our mission. The Farm Business Development Center, an incubator program, prepares beginning farmers to meet the demand for locally-grown organic food in the Chicago region. The independently-owned Prairie Crossing Farm businesses serve customers throughout the Chicago region.