Your contributions make a huge difference. Wanna see how they help? Use the dropdown menu below to find information on all farmers the foundation has funded recently. In each section you’ll find the names and locations of the farms, along with links to their websites where you can learn much more, like how and where to buy their products. We encourage you to seek out these farmers and support them throughout the year. It’s a win-win situation.
Abundant Pastures – Claremont, IL
Project: Purchasing and installing a new egg washing machine.
Adam’s Acres – Grayslake, IL
Project: Purchase a tractor for use at their suburban Chicago farm.
B.S.R.R. Youth Center & Academy Farm – Pembroke Township, IL
Project: Update the irrigation system, repair fencing, and purchase a cooling unit for produce storage.
Boerson Family Farm – Ripon, WI
Project: Build a walk-in cooler to increase on-farm storage efficiency.
Bekkum Family Farms / Nordic Creamery – Westby, WI
Project: Purchase a new vacuum packaging machine.
Blacksmith Acres – Dundee, IL
Project: Purchase a truck cap to increase deliveries to market, and transition to a no-till land with the use of organic cardboard mulch.
Bossie Cow Farm – Random Lake, WI
Project: Creating added space for pastured poultry with a mobile hoop coop.
Fox at the Fork – Monee, IL
Project: Purchase a PaperPot transplanter starter kit and electric fencing components to improve crop yields, increase efficiency, and diversify farm operations.
Kakadoodle – Frankfort, IL
Project: Purchase a portable, pasture chicken coop to increase egg production.
Lanes End Farm – Lowell, IN
Project: Build a 30’x76’ climate-controlled greenhouse.
Moss Funnel Farms – Bangor, MI
Project: Purchase a used 3/4 ton pick-up truck.
Rad Acre Farm – Lake Geneva, WI
Project: Build a heated 30′ x 40′ peaked high tunnel as a propagation house and year-round wash/pack station
Red Door Family Farm – Athens, WI
Project: Purchase a rinse conveyor washing system to accommodate larger orders and improve our sanitation practices.
Silverbeet Farm – Kalamazoo, MI
Project: Build a mobile, climate-controlled produce storage environment.
Terra Vitae Farms – Woodstock, IL
Project: Purchasing freezers to increase our meat storage capacity for our farm.
Turtle Creek Gardens – Delavan, WI
Project: Purchase a larger-capacity van, to increase produce supply to Chicago.
Wild Coyote Farm – Berrien Springs, MI
Project: Build a mobile hoop structure as a greenhouse, winter laying henhouse, and lambing hut (all in one).
Wildgrain Farms – Fairbury, IL
Project: Build a produce washing shed.
Avrom Farm – Ripon, Wisc.
Project: Increasing egg production by converting two broiler range coops to laying hen range coops.
Broadview Farm and Gardens – Marengo, Ill.
Project: Purchase of a used box truck allowing for more distribution to more markets.
Cattail Organics – Athens Wisc.
Project: Covering costs for a combination farm tool (stone burier, conservation tiller and bed maker) designed to reduce tillage, minimize environmental impacts on soil, increase capacity for growing cover crops and increase profit and productivity.
Chicago Patchwork Farms – Chicago, Ill.
Project: Purchase of a walk-behind tractor for use at the group’s urban farms throughout the city.
Cow Creek Farm – Paxton, Ill.
Project: Purchase of a mobile seed cleaning unit for community use, allowing farmers to save more of their own seeds, sell higher value crops and move toward direct marketing of their grain.
Down River Farm – East Peoria, Ill.
Project: Adding a high tunnel and adding more cold storage for storage of root crops.
Dream Apple Farm – Port Washington Wisc.
Project: Purchase of a commercial grade apple peeler and slicer, electric food mill and commercial-grade food dehydrator.
Dream Farm – Cross Plains, Wisc.
Project: Purchase a milk transport tank and build a receiving room to transport milk from milk-house to micro-creamery.
Fulbuschel Farm and Produce – Elburn, Ill.
Project: Construction of a new 20’X100′ hoop house.
Garlic Breath Farm – Elburn, Ill.
Project: Construction of a roadside organic farm stand
Garlic Underground – Crystal Lake, Ill.
Project: Purchase of a tractor to plant more diverse garlic varieties.
Green Fire Farm – Monticello, Wisc.
Project: Upgrading to single hoop building from portable pens for more efficient poultry pasture.
Harrison Market Pastures – Rockton, Ill.
Project: Build a subterranean walk-in cooler for cold storage & root vegetable storage.
Mushroom Mike – New Berlin, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of chamber sealer and freezer for bagged huitlacoche production
Rainfield Farm – New Carlisle, Ind.
Project: High tunnel upgrades for year-round farming and upgrades to wash and pack area.
Root & Sky Farm – Marengo, Ill.
Project: Construct and install electric fence around the farm.
Sutter Produce – Sutter, Ill.
Project: Install a walk-in freezer for storing homegrown and locally sourced fruit for jams, jellies, fruit butters and pie fillings.
Three Bees Honey – Streamwood, Ill.
Project: Purchase of 10 new beehives, along with supporting equipment and supplies to increase honey yields and expand pollination
Three Brothers Farm – Oconomowoc, Wisc.
Construct a walk-in cooler to improve egg inventory management.
Bike a Bee – Chicago, Ill.
Project: Expand to 80 beehives (from 40) located across three larger “production apiaries” to increase honey production
Blue Moon Community Farm – Stoughton, Wisc.
Project: Pack shed improvements for efficiency and food safety
Branches and Berries – Wauzeka, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of a commercial dehydrator to make berry juice and dehydrated berries
Caveny Farm – Monticello, Ill.
Project: Finish the installation of permanent woven wire fences on 33 acres of grazed highly erodible land
Cook Farm – Bloomington, Ill.
Project: Farm infrastructure improvement
Craig Farm Katahdins – Decatur, Mich.
Project: Purchase of a fully functioning sheep working system to assist with husbandry and transport between home and leased pastures, and to update fencing throughout the farm including building fence-line feeders for clean and efficient winter feeding
Door Creek Orchard – Cottage Grove, Wisc.
Project: Acquisition of a flail mower and side arm mower attachment for use on our farm
Froggy Meadow Farm – Beloit, Wisc.
Project: Construction of a 20’X10′ packing/pump shed
Grounded Earth Farm – Crown Point, Ind.
Project: Construction of a year-round propagation house to expand our ability to serve the community, increase production capacity, expand to wholesale and further diversify our crops
Steadfast Acres – Lone Rock, Wisc.
Project: Expansion of on-farm greenhouse
The Victory Garden Farm – Fredonia, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of a a 16×24 mobile chicken tractor & 72×30 high tunnel
Three Sisters Community Farm – Campbellsport, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of a high-pressure rinse conveyor used to wash and sanitize both produce and plastic crates & purchase of an electric hydraulic stacking machine used to lift and convey pallet loads of produce onto and off vehicles and into coolers
Timberfeast – Chatsworth, Ill.
Project: Down payment on a refrigerated van & safety upgrade for farmers and consumers
Willow Ridge Organic Farm – Wauzeka, Wisc.
Project: Rebuilding a storm-damaged storage shed
AR Lowlines – Waynesville, Ill.
Project: Construction of a hay storage shed
Dorothy’s Grange – Blanchardville, Wisc.
Project: New Pasture, water upgrade and meat quality testing
Silverbeet Farm – Kalamazoo, Mich.
Project: Purchase a rugged two-wheel tractor
Bair Lane Farm – Marcellus, Mich.
Project: Purchasing a High Pressure Rinse Conveyor Washer, a Rotary Packing Table, and a 35” Power Harrow
Field & Farm – Beloit, Wisc.
Project: Build a mobile coop, purchase an egg washing machine, plant a one-acre orchard composed of apple, cherry, pear and plum trees, and buy a covered shelter with a wash station to efficiently wash and pack produce/eggs in the summer, and store equipment and hay in the winter
Sin Fronteras – Stockholm, Wisc.
Project: Wash/pack/storage shed conversion
Black Sheep Food Initiative – Saybrook, Ill.
Project: Purchase 50 sexed female Khaki Campbells, Meadows 12” stone bur mill, BCS walk behind tractor
Frillman Farms – Berrien Springs, Mich.
Project: Purchase a new loader for their tractor and fencing to safeguard produce from a significant, highly destructive deer population
Three Brothers Farm – Oconomowoc, Wisc.
Project: Expand the availability of our organically managed pasture-raised eggs by increasing winter housing for our hens and updating our egg processing facilities to accommodate increasing volume of eggs
Blue Moon Farm – Urbana, Ill.
Project: Purchase a Steam Sterilizer for use in our .39 acres of high tunnels
Harrison Market Pastures – Winnebago, Ill.
Project: Dig a well and install irrigation for our field and greenhouse production
Wonderfarm – Mount Horeb, Wisc.
Project: Make several infrastructure improvements needed to scale up my pork operation
Bryant Family Farms – Mineral Point, Wisc.
Project: Being a part of a USDA value added processing facility
Mastodon Valley Farm – Viola, Wisc.
Project: Build an on-farm walk-in freezer to increase our inventory so we can increase the amount of meat available for the Chicago area
LotFotL Community Farm – Elkhorn, Wisc.
Project: Enhancing financial stability to the entirety of our operation, which includes the management of 80 acres of commodity crops, hay, prairie seed crops, and livestock
Cattail Organics – Athens, Wisc.
Project: Purchasing a 150 x 30 hoop house with internal “substructures”
Moss Funnel Farms – Athens, Wisc.
Project: Purchase a side-mounted tow behind blueberry harvester in order to more rapidly harvest blueberries that are becoming more susceptible to insects
Wild Grain Farms – Fairbury, Ill.
Project: Purchase of a grain drill/planter for planting crops (Wheat, Rye, Millet, etc.)
Project: Purchase new loader for his tractor and fencing to safeguard produce from a significant, highly destructive deer population
Boerson Farm – Princeton, Wisc.
Project: Paper pot transplanter, greens harvester & walk-in cooler to greatly increase production & sales of salad greens
Broadview Farms and Gardens – Marengo, Ill.
Project: New greenhouse for seedlings
Closed Loop Farms – Chicago, Ill.
Project: Adding LEDs for indoor microgreen production & paper pot transplanter for outdoor crop
Gray Farms – Watseka, Ill.
Project: Expanding cold and warm storage facilities
Lovefood – Madison, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of a 70 HP tractor
Mushroom Mike – Milwaukee, Wisc.
Project: Large-scale huitlacoche production & purchase of hyper-pasteurization chamber
Native Roots – Wanatah, Ind.
Project: Irrigation system for new farmed land
Nordic Creamery – Westby, Wisc.
Project: Yogurt machine for new “A2” milk project
Riemer Family Farms – Brodhead, Wisc.
Project: Convert farm store to egg washing facility
Sol Gardens – Yorkville, Ill.
Project: Updated well for irrigation and barn repair
Steadfast Acres – Lone Rock, Wisc.
Project: Well for crop irrigation & water for pack house
Ten Men Farm – Pecatonica, Ill.
Project: Construction of egg handling facility
The Seasonal Plate – Mineral Point, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of delivery van and paper pot transplanter system
Timberfeast – Chatwsorth, Ill.
Project: Buy organic grain handling equipment & pastured poultry supplies & mower
Victory Garden Farm – Fredonia, Wisc.
Project: Infrastructure, supplies for pastured poultry production
The Gourmet Grower – Fontana, Wisc.
Project: Construct a movable high tunnel for tomato crop
Frillman Farms – Prairie View, Ill.
Project: New tractor
Whimsical Acres – Salem, Wisc.
Project: Build a mobile milking parlor for goats
Trogg’s Hollow – Poplar Grove, Ill.
Project: Installation of second high tunnel for winter greens and summer tomatoes
Tomato Mountain Farm – Brooklyn, Wisc.
Project: New website for ordering from Tomato Mountain and other local farms
Staff of Life Farms – Dwight, Ill.
Project: Build a 36×64 chicken house
Smits Organic LLC – Downers Grove, Ill.
Project: Installation of a hoop house for organic produce
Sandbox Organics – Hebron, Ill.
Project: Build 40×40 foundation & cold storage infrastructure
Rustic Road Farm – Elburn, Ill.
Project: Installation of a large walk-in refrigerator
PrairiErth Farm – Atlanta, Ill.
Project: Installation of commercial refrigeration in packing house
Olden Produce – Ripon, Wisc.
Project: Purchase of a commercial-grade food processor
Moss Funnel Farms – Bangor, Mich.
Project: Farm tractor repair
LotFotL Community Farm – Elkhorn, Wisc.
Project: Farm food truck
Legacy of the Land – Bloomington, Ill.
Project: Delivery vehicle, market supplies
Janie’s Organic – Danforth, Ill.
Project: Semi-automatic bagger and dedicated labeler for grain/mill products
Gretta’s Goats – Pecatonica, Ill.
Project: Commercial refrigeration and Igloo coolers
Green Fire Farms – Monticello, Wisc.
Project: truck for delivery
Genesis Growers – Saint Anne, Ill.
Project: New delivery vehicle
Earth First Farms – Berrien Center, Mich.
Project: Buy buckets, tractor & compost tea brewer for restaurant compost
Carroll’s Timber Edge Farm – Graymont, Ill.
Project: Increase processing area & addition of a larger cooler
Butternut Sustainable Farm – Sturgis, Mich.
Project: Build a fifth hoop house for heirloom tomatoes
Bryant Family Farms – Mineral Point, Wisc.
Project: Construct a breeder building with 5 breeder pens
Brian Severson Farms – Dwight, IL
Project: Purchase of a smaller bin for specialty corn
Anderson Organics – Caledonia, IL
Project: Build a new greenhouse for vegetable seedlings.
All Grass Farms – Dundee, IL
Project: Purchase of large mobile coops to extend the chicken raising season, boost efficiency and decrease the mortality rate.
BIOS Farm – Blue Island, IL
Project: Purchase of a small utility tractor, allowing this small farm to double their production area.
Chicago Patchwork Farms – Chicago, IL
Project: Expanding grow space in Chicagoland, constructing new on-site compost system and installing hydrant-based irrigation systems at both farm locations.
Froggy Meadow Farm – Beloit, WI
Project: Adding electricity, a walk-in cooler, and processing facility to this previously off-the-grid farm.
GlennArt – Chicago, IL
Project: Installation of automated milking machine, pasture fencing, raw milk processing parlor at this urban farm on Chicago’s west side.
Good Worx – Darien, IL
Project: Purchase of containers, organic soil and tools to build the “Sunny Patch Community Micro-Farm,” an offshoot of their community garden project, geared toward those with special needs and young adults.
Grani’s Acres – Fairbury, IL
Project: Purchase of dehydration and food processing equipment and commercial kitchen space to dehydrate vegetables and make them shelf stable.
Harrison Market Gardens – Winnebago, IL
Project: Purchase of tractor and cultivator implements to increase efficiency for the family’s U-Pick and CSA programs.
Lonely Oak – Sparta, MI
Project: Construction of an on-farm greenhouse. (Previously, farmer Joe Kuenhold schlepped to rented greenhouse space 22 miles away.)
Mushroom Mike, LLC – Milwaukee, WI
Project: Purchase of automated mixing machine and bagging equipment allowing the farm to produce 1000-1400 parceled bags of mushrooms an hour instead of 22.
Painted Rock Farms – Amherst Junction, WI
Project: Constructing a new well with more efficient plumbing providing clean, fresh water to the farm’s animals, gardens, high tunnels and certified kitchen.
Sol Gardens – Yorkville, IL
Project: Constructing a nursery greenhouse for seedling propagation allowing the farm to produce all seedlings on-site under complete control of the farmer.
UP Farms – Chicago, IL
Project: Constructing a second tier of vertical grow sites allowing the farm to double its current capacity and keep up with the demand of the farm’s heirloom micro-greens.
We Grow – Westboro, WI
Project: Completing construction of vegetable washing station and packing shed.
Walnut Acres – Walnut, IL
Project: Building butchery for processing hogs and cattle.
Stoney Acres Farm – Athens, WI
Project: Purchasing a stone mill to process the farm’s organic winter wheat for local sale and pizza dough production.
Spence Farm – Fairbury, IL
Project: Purchasing sprayer and amendment spreader in addition to repairing two existing tractors.
Bob’s Fresh and Local – Elmhurst, IL
Project: New planting and weeding equipment to accommodate sales for CSA shares and an on-farm store.
Butternut Sustainable Farms – Sturgis, MI
Project: A new hoop house for additional space to grow heirloom and cherry tomatoes, two of the farm’s most important and profitable crops.
Endless Greens – Evanston, IL
Project: Installation of solar panels to power and heat an urban farm, with the goal of going off the power grid completely and making Endless Greens a truly sustainable farm.
Dorothy’s Grange – Blanchardville, WI
Project: Restoration of a dilapidated hog barn, which will help the piglet survival rate and expand the availability of endangered Large Black hogs and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs.
Faith’s Farm – Bonfield, IL
Project: Portable housing for rabbits that live and forage naturally on pasture.
Frillman Farms – Prairie View, IL
Project: Construction of a modest washhouse for vegetable preparation and packaging.
Gravel Road Farm – Waupauca, WI
Project: Construction of a new packing shed, where all produce will be cleaned, packed, and stored, and where washing equipment, coolers and CSA boxes will kept.
Gretta’s Goats – Pecatonia, IL
Project: A mobile goat milking parlor to aid this micro dairy in producing farmstead cheese and other dairy products from sustainably raised goats.
Heartland Meats – Mendota, IL
Project: Equipment to make beef stock from bones and end-of-day produce from farmers’ market vendors.
Mint Creek – Stelle, IL
Project: Chicken housing for winter and a new egg washing machine capable of washing 1000 eggs in an hour, rather than the 120 eggs per hour done by hand. Together, the projects are expected to enable the expansion of the farm’s flock of laying hens from 750 to 5000 birds.
Midnight Sun Farm – Harvard, IL
Project: Purchase of specialized farm equipment — seeder, transplanter and irrigation tools — that will help the farm make the leap from managing four acres of vegetable production to managing 20 acres.
Kinnikinnick Farm – Caledonia, IL
Project: Purchasing a manure spreader for better on-farm nutrient recycling and improved feed quality.
Olden Produce – Ripon, WI
Project: Building a new cold storage, indoor loading and processing shed and retrofitting two greenhouses with solar heat storage.
Sin Fronteras – Minneapolis, MN
Project: Renovating a trailer for on-farm refrigeration, upgrading transportation and purchasing landscape fabric and low tunnels.
Terripin Farms – Fowler, IL
Project: Construction of two high tunnels for the early production of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and carrots, and winter production of leafy greens, brassicas, and root crops.
Trogg’s Hollow – Poplar Grove, IL
Project: Construction of a high tunnel on the southern edge of our grape arbor and goat paddock that will allow for both season extension and early growing of certain crops — and to help support the farm’s CSA and market farm business
Turnip Rock – Clear Lake, WI
Project: Construction of an addition the farm’s existing bedding pack barn, allowing the farm to increase cow carrying capacity, cow comfort, and cleanliness.
The Urban Canopy – Chicago, IL
Project: Purchase of compost and topsoil that will double the urban farm’s growing capacity, increasing access to greens, vegetable, winter storage crops and other fresh produce.
AR Lowlines Grassfed – Waynesville, IL
Project: Automated system to move grain from mill to sifter, new surge bin and gravity table
Hazzard Free Farm Grains & Beans – Pecatonica, IL
Project: Increase quality and efficiency with the installation of larger scale handling and cleaning equipment.
Nami Moon Farms – Custer, WI
Project: Purchasing equipment needed to produce, store and grind feed components for fresher, more nutrient-dense feed for our animals.
Nordic Creamery – Westby, WI
Project: Construction of a new goat shed.
Stoney Acres Farm – Athens, WI
Project: Purchase of a vacuum seeder to improve efficiency, lower cost of production, and improving capacity for winter vegetable access in Central Wisconsin, with specific focus on rural grocery and winter farmers market and farm-to-school sales
The Wright Way Farm – Beloit, WI
Project: Purchase of a vegetable transplanter.
Gretta’s Goats – Pecatonia, IL
Project: A mobile goat milking parlor to aid this micro dairy in producing farmstead cheese and other dairy products from sustainably raised goats.
Tomato Mountain Farm – Brooklyn, WI
Project: Purchase of a less damaging tiller.
Breslin Farms – Ottawa, IL
Project: Dried bean cleaning and handling equipment.
Chicago Patchwork Farms – Chicago, IL
Project: Installation of solar panels to power their upstart urban farm.
Double B Farm – Beloit, WI
Project: Purchase of an all-season tractor for their livestock farm.
Driftless Organics Sunray Seed Company – Soldiers Grove, WI
Project: Installation of a 60’x70’ cement floor for an on-farm sunflower seed cleaning operation, increasing g their ability to produce sunflower oil, a cooking oil native to our region.
Grass Roots Farm – Monroe, WI
Project: Expansion, upgrade and completion of a packing shed (made possible by a 2010 FFF grant).
Knutson’s Country Harvest – Newark, IL
Project: Purchase of a walk-in freezer/cooler.
Mike and Clare’s Farm – Harvard, IL
Project: Construction of a packing shed — built from a repurposed 40’ steel shipping container — with cold storage, dry storage and hydro-cooling capabilities.
Peasants Plot – Manteno, IL
Project: Purchase of a walk-in cooler.
Richert/Phillips Farm – North Liberty, IN
Project: Hillside cultivator and wood-fired greenhouse furnace.
Staff of Life Farm – Dwight, IL
Project: Installation of a gravel-filter pond water system to help solve the farm’s water shortage problem and will provide water for their livestock and irrigation of their pastures.
The Wright Way Farm – Beloit, WI
Project: Purchase of a truck and delivery trailer to deliver more to their markets and customers.
Walnut Acres Family Farm – Walnut, IL
Project: On-farm, small scale, chicken processing facility.
