by Cay Diamond, Farmers Market & Outreach Manager This month I had the opportunity to visit Iron Meadows Flower Farm and get the scoop on their second season of growing! Jessica Eisenmann, owner of Iron Meadows, began selling flowers at the Champaign Farmers Market during our COVID season of 2020 and at that time fell […]
Koss Family Farms – An In-Depth Look
“We come every week for aquaponic lettuce. We have to, its amazing! Melt in your mouth delicious. We are addicted” That quote was from one of our Winter Market shoppers and the lettuce she is referring to is from Koss Family Farms. Steve and Kathy Koss were traditional row croppers who had a vision to […]
Springtime for Peaches, and Nectarines Too!
By Lisa Mileur, Mileur Orchard It was a beautiful day here at the orchard so my husband and I decided to go out and check some buds. The purpose of this is to see what has survived the cold temperatures we had 2 weeks ago in addition to the wind and hail storms we had […]
The Art of an Urban Garden
By Joan Y. Jach My little corner of the world is small but mighty. It’s a deep lot in Old Town Champaign on a brick-paved street. All in all, it’s about ⅛ of an acre, including the house. What it lacks for in square footage, it provides in diversity and abundance. It’s mid-March and I […]
Growing a Farm One Bite at a Time
Tips on Expansion from a Central Illinois Flower Farm By Maggie Taylor, Delight Flower Farm “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” says Desmond Tutu. While I’m not eating an elephant or even growing veggies, I am taking on a project that is seemingly huge, heavy, and overwhelming, so this metaphor […]
Organic Farmers Need More Technical Advisors – OATS is Here to Help!
By Mallory Krieger, OATS National Program Director Navigating organic transition and managing certified organic production of grain crops is a complex undertaking full of challenges and potential pitfalls. Farmers who are considering organic production seek information wherever they can find it: field days, workshops, conferences, online forums, YouTube videos – the list goes on and […]
