By Dale Mize
Click here to read, “Field Notes: Part Two – Cow Creek Organic Farm”
Crider Farms
After a quick stint on the interstate, I take Exit 159 toward Gibson City and drive among the corn and soybeans for a bit. Before too long, just off Route 54, I find one branch of Crider Farms, the sheep operation. This branch of the farm is run by Chris Crider, his wife Erin, and their two boys.
For the last seventy-five years, farming has been a way of life for the Crider Family. In total, the farm consists of sheep, cattle, and traditional corn and soybean row crops. The farm operation is a family affair and the different branches of the operation emphasize that point. Chris and Erin head the sheep operation, Jason Crider and his wife Lauren lead the cattle operation, and their parents Dan and Anne Crider control the crop portion of the operation. Even their daughter Rachel and her husband Kyle travel from Germany every year to help with harvest. Together, their farmlands extend across multiple counties. Despite this, though, they work together to make sure the operation runs as smoothly as possible.
Since the beginning of their farm, the corn and soybean side of the operation has been the primary enterprise. The grain operation raises non-GMO, food-grade yellow and white corn for Frito Lay and other food processors. In addition to food-grade corn, the farm has also produced corn and soybeans for seed production. Most recently, the farm has also started producing their own hay. This trifecta of grain, hay, and livestock complement one another well.
The cattle side of the farm started as a 4-H project for Jason, who turned it into something bigger. Today, Jason, Chris, and Dan raise registered Black Angus cattle. The cattle are primarily sold off the farm to other breeders or as meat for their neighbors and family.
Just like the cattle part of the farm, raising sheep started as a 4-H and FFA project for Chris. As a youth, Chris raised Columbia sheep and exhibited them at fairs and shows throughout the state. It was during this part of his life that he first met his wife Erin. As if the pair were in their own country love story, the two of them met showing hogs at the county fair. Before too long, they started dating. Then, Chris went away to school in South Dakota. After graduating, he moved to Minnesota for a few years, before returning home to Illinois in 2014. It was at this time that he began preparing to rebuild his herd. In June of 2016, the chance came to grow the herd quickly and Chris bought a group of thirty Polypay ewes from South Dakota. That next month, Chris and Erin married, and a year later they moved to their current farm. After the move, the herd grew rapidly. By 2018, Chris and Erin were lambing over one hundred ewes per season. Despite the growth of their farm, Chris and Erin were still working full-time, and Erin had just given birth to their eldest son. They knew for the moment that they would have to downsize their herd in order to sustain their operation long-term.
It was in 2019 that Chris processed their lambs for the first time. Ideally, for the Criders, they want to process a lamb when it weighs around one hundred pounds in order to obtain their desired quantity and quality. After processing, as a fun way to promote the consumption of lamb, Chris and Erin began selling lamb brats on Facebook and to their friends. In 2020, with the arrival of Covid-19, their sales really picked up and they were selling more brats than ever before. During this boom in sales, the couple received feedback that consumers in the area did not know where they could find lamb, were excited to have the opportunity to finally buy it, and were glad that they could buy it fresh. With this in mind, Erin decided to begin selling at farmers markets, which led to an expansion of the products Crider Farms offers. They now sell ground lamb, shoulder, chops, and brats. With the expansion of their products, Erin has noted an even larger increase in sales, as well as people interested in learning more about lamb.
Today, the sheep operation is back up to about one hundred ewes and is growing a little more each year. The family now uses Dorper rams and Polypay ewes in order to get the desired meatiness and size for their herd. According to Erin, Polypays are great moms, too. The project has now become a full-blown business and Erin sells lamb at the Leroy, Monticello, Farmer City, Bloomington, and Champaign farmers markets. Erin is also the webmaster for the farm and promotes their brand online where she can. When the Crider’s are not selling at the farmers markets, their eldest son is showing Dorpers and, based on our conversation, he is very excited to do so. As a multi-generational farm, both boys’ interest in this lifestyle kindles the possibility that the family farm may continue for at least another generation.
For more information on Crider Farms, or to try some of their lamb products yourself, visit their website at https://www.criderfarms.com/. After all, as the family states, feeding people is at the heart of what they do on the farm.
