2024 Farm Dreams The online Farm Dreams workshop series will be held over three consecutive Tuesdays in October (8, 15, and 22) from 6-8 pm. Each session will include exercises and guided discussion to help aspiring farmers assess their skills and resources, and provide direction for next steps in building a farm business. Participants will be expected to complete some work independently prior to sessions to allow for the best use of our time online together. Registration to attend all three sessions costs $30 and limited scholarships are available.
The Evolution of a Bicentennial Farm Join The IDEA Farm Network, The Land Connection, and Spence Farm on September 28th, 2024 for a field day filled with education, demonstrations, and an apple tasting! Spence Farm is a bustling center of activity with a wide array of heirloom and native crops, heritage animals, and a huge diversity of agricultural opportunities on the 160 […]
Farming in a Changing Climate: Field Walk and Roundtable Discussion at Zumwalt Acres Join The Land Connection and Zumwalt Acres on September 19th for a full-day event of skill sharing, relationship building, a morning tour of Zumwalt's climate-smart farming practices with an emphasis on their work with basalt, and an afternoon facilitated discussion on climate change and farming!
Creative Farmland Access Through Self-Directed IRAs With land access being one of the top challenges across the U.S., farmers need creative ideas to access affordable, secure, and long-term land arrangements. Retirement investors have the potential to help! With the help of Mary Gelder (investor) and Wyatt Muse (organic farmer), we’ll explore a creative investment tool that allows you to generate retirement income while also making land available to farmers.
UIUC 2024 Organic Systems Trial Field Day Join the IDEA Farm Network and UIUC for this organic field day! This event will focus on roots, soil organic matter management, soil structure, and farmer on-farm experiences.
IFN Organic Field Walk & Cultivation Talk Join the IDEA Farm Network for this organic field walk! McDonald Farms operates as a certified organic grain farm, employing a four-year crop rotation and cover crops to enhance soil fertility.
Twilight Tailgate with the Trees Come hang out with us and Savanna Institute at the largest agroforestry demonstration farm in the state–only 10 miles from the University of Illinois campus. Savanna Institute staff will give tours of the site, which features . . . BYOB encouraged, friends welcome. Erica Peters, the Central Illinois FarmLink Navigator, will be available at the […]
Cover Crop Conversations at Hoffman Organic Farm Join us, OGRAIN, Paul Hoffman, and IDEA Farm Network at Hoffman Organic Farm. We’ll focus on Paul’s organic field crops, but this family farm has much more to offer including organic vegetables and grass-fed lamb and beef. Our cover crop conversations will include frost seeded red clover post wheat harvest and cash cover cropping for […]
Integrating Crops and Livestock Pasture Walk Join us and see firsthand how Doug Hanson and his family have successfully integrated crops and livestock! Hanson Land and Cattle is a forage-focused operation that utilizes highly productive prairie soils and extensive annual and perennial forage sequence along with beef genetics selected to thrive in a forage-based beef program. We will start the morning […]
Book Club: April 11 Join The Land Connection and Healthy Champaign County for their first ever joint Book Club!
