While winter still has a grasp on the fields, our farm team is anything but dormant. From learning sessions on animal welfare to orchards awakening under careful hands, these quieter months are when we lay the groundwork for the growing season ahead.
Last week, Jeff and our Animal Husbandry interns traveled to Wagner Farm in Glenview to tour the farm and hear Dr. Temple Grandin speak. Her presentation on humane livestock handling and her experiences with autism drew local 4-H members, FFA students, and industry professionals—all eager to learn from someone who has revolutionized animal welfare through better handling systems. For our team, it sparked important conversations about our own practices and how we can continue improving the way we care for our animals.
Back at the farm, Saul worked with interns on another labor of love: the orchard planted in 2010 by friend of the farm, Linda Wiens. She shared, "A fruit orchard would be a great way for the young people in our educational programs to learn what fresh, naturally grown fruit looks and tastes like and how it grows."
Sixteen years later, Linda’s vision continues. Saul mapped the orchard, marked the trees, and guided Jeff's interns through winter pruning work. As they together moved between apple trees and pear trees, students discuss pruning techniques and possibilities—what each variety could become in the kitchen, and trees contribute to the ecosystem of the farm.
Meanwhile, I traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a Farm Stop conference, where advocates from over 25 states gathered to strengthen the connections between farmers and eaters. We toured farm stops, discussed community building, and shared tools and best practices across rural, suburban, and urban settings. Despite our unique regional challenges, we share a common commitment, as one speaker put it: "Create a future where small farms thrive, and local food becomes the norm." It's exactly why we do this work.
While we tend to winter farm work, other teammates designed spring, summer, and family camp programs. Registration is now open for the season ahead, and soon the farm will welcome campers, families, school groups, students from District 127, volunteers, and community members—all coming to interact with plants, meet animals, and discover how farmers work with the natural world to feed us.
Whether we're learning from experts like Dr. Grandin, tending trees that have grown for over a decade, or connecting with allies across the Midwest, these winter months are anything but slow. Last week, as Saul, Jeff, and I gathered in the greenhouse to review our seed-starting schedule, we realized how close we are to those first sowings of 2026. The growing season is nearly here, and we can't wait to continue our work.
Your farmers,
Jeff, Jen & Saul
