Grower/Producer Profiles

	Anne Patterson of Living Earth Farm in Farmington, IL is the director of Good Earth Food Alliance (GEFA). A registered dietician and former food consultant, Anne has eight years of experience in growing nutritious healthful food for her community. She has grown hundreds of varieties of over fifty different vegetables, fruits, and herbs, including many heirlooms, and provides on-farm education to community groups and individuals.
	Erin Meyer of Basil’s Harvest, gourmet stuff, in Elmwood, IL assists with Public Relations for GEFA. A registered dietitian and chef, Erin has followed her passion for organic and local food by creating specialty products that add that little extra to your meal or snack. She grows a great deal of the herbs and vegetables in many of her creations; when she runs short she utilizes the network of farmers in the area to source as many ingredients as possible.
	Leslie Schenkel of Twisted Chicken Acres in Brimfield, IL is the treasurer for GEFA. With a degree in management, Leslie has grown fruit and vegetables on 1+ acres for the past three years and will be utilizing her new hoop house to extend the growing season for a number of vegetables this year. Black raspberries grow in abundance and keep Leslie and kids busy during the month of June. Wondering about the name? Leslie raises chickens for free range eggs too.
	Lyndon Hartz of Hartz Produce in Wyoming, IL is a marketer for GEFA. He was raised in a family where they always had a large garden and everyone helped out - and Lyndon's parents and grandfather are still helping out. After graduating from Western Illinois University in 2004, Lyndon planted vegetables and fruits on 2 acres of his grandfather's land. His production has since grown to 10 1/2 of his own acres which include the winter production of greens in his hoophouses and perennial plants. Says Lyndon, "I never thought that I would become a farmer someday. It was something that my life drifted towards as I got older. I farm because I like being outdoors and seeing things start as a small seed into a large plant producing pounds of food. I farm because I believe there are flaws in the way people have become accustomed to flavorless, stringy, tasteless, chemical dependent food. I farm because there is a better way and I want as many people as possible to eat food like Ido."
	Pamela Pecenka of Country View Estates just north of Galesburg is the secretary for GEFA. A nurse practitioner by day, Pam loves sewing, flowers, gardening, and canning. She and her husband, Bruce, and their three children have raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys in the past and currently have two white Peking ducks who help with pest control. It's because of her enjoyment of gardening and eating fresh vegetables that she wishes to share the harvest with her local community.
	Linda Prescott of Prescott's Farm and Petal Song Apiaries in Noris, IL is a member of the Education Committee and the webmaster for GEFA. Linda has a degree in horticulture and has been a beekeeper for over five years. She and her husband, Pat, own a 34-acre farm with three barns, originally built in the early 1900's, which they are in the process of restoring and rebuilding. They are also restoring the land by planting lots of native and ornamental trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers. Linda and her husband have always been avid gardeners and are committed to growing crops in a way that will be beneficial to all, including the environment.
	Jim Stanley of Blue Ribbon Farms in Knoxville, IL serves on the Education Committee for GEFA. Since moving to Knox County in the 1980's, Jim and his family have been growing vegetables in their large backyard plot. He expanded his production with a more varied list of vegetables once he was able to retire early, and has managed to gain notoriety for some award winning items at the county fair, thus the name *Blue Ribbon Farms.* Jim's winter months, the "off" time for most growers, are spent attending seminars sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension and Continuing Education classes offered by Carl Sandburg College, with his goal being USDA Organic certification. Jim's motto: Know Your Food - Know Your Farmer.
	Lawrence Meyer of Meyer Organic Produce, a USDA Organic certified grower near Manito, IL serves on the Education Committee for GEFA. Years ago, a pivotal experience as a judge in a soil contest led Lawrence down the path towards organics. His interest in soil quality turned into a passion as he chose to work with Mother Nature instead of against. Lawrence believes that the earth worm is key to the success of organic farming. An extremely experienced grower, Lawrence's organic foods have been sold throughout central and southern Illinois and to restaurants in Chicago.
	Kate Potter of Cramer, IL grows laying hens and goats on her farmette. She and her son moved back to Central IL a year ago after many years on the East Coast, where she studied German literature, worked as a natural foods chef, was a secretary in the Empire State Building and a caretaker of a colonial mansion, all the while learning about grass farming. Kate lets her broody hens hatch their own chicks, but there are plenty of extra eggs from her bug-eating, no-soy-consuming, pasture-roaming mixed flock of old-fashioned breeds for the Good Earth Food Alliance CSA. Kate's other passions include traditional foods and dairying.