Grower/Producer Profiles

Lyndon Hartz of Hartz Produce in Wyoming, IL is the President/Director and Crop Coordinator of 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. People have become accustomed to flavorless, stringy, chemical-dependent food. I farm because there is a better way and I want as many people as possible to eat food like I do."

Leslie Schenkel of Twisted Chicken Acres in Brimfield, IL is the Treasurer/Bookkeeper, Membership Coordinator and E-Commerce Coordinator for GEFA. With a degree in management, Leslie has grown fruit and vegetables on 1+ acres for the past 5 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.

Linda Prescott of Prescott's Farm and Petal Song Apiaries in Norris, IL is the volunteer coordinator for GEFA. Linda has a degree in horticulture and has been a beekeeper since 2005. 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.

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 Kate's Cottage Farm in Cramer, IL is the webmaster and newsletter editor for GEFA. She is passionate about grass farming. On her small farm she raises dairy goats and cattle, pastured meat poultry, free-foraging laying hens and vegetables. She is wild about traditional foods and drives a school bus.

Larry Shawback's goal at White Chimney Farm is to grow and market Certified Naturally Grown vegetables, without the use of synthetic pesticides, chemicals or fertilizers. In his efforts to accomplish this, he uses the “Spin” method of growing. Spin is the acronym for Small Plot Intensive Relay. It assures a freshly grown and harvested supply of produce each marketing week, also keeping an active crop rotation for best soil health.

Soil amendments used are a mix of alfalfa pellets, sugar beet residue, bone meal, soybean meal and dried molasses and compost. Kelp meal and OMRI-approved fish-based liquid fertilizer round out the recipe.

For watering, whenever possible, captured rain water is used. When not available, ground water from Larry's well or the cistern is used.

This is Larry's fifth year of market gardening. The first four years were part-time, and after retiring on July 1^st, he will be a full-time farmer.

Rockome Gardens is a raw milk, grassfed cheese manufacturer in Arcola. Owen Gingerich is the manager of cheese production, and he buys his raw milk from Amish farmer, Lavern Schupp. Lavern’s cows are Jerseys and are exclusively grassfed. That diet and the fact that the milk is raw means that this cheese is highly digestible. A cow that has not been fed grain but only grass (as nature intended) produces CLA and many other beneficial substances in her milk and is an asset to the environment.

Kathy Corso is the farmer and chef behind Crow Creek Farm, which produces pestos, pastas and ravioli. The vegetables in Kathy’s products are lovingly grown on her urban Peoria lot at 1400 NE Monroe.

Meadow Haven Farm was founded by Allan Sexton and his wife, Jeanne. Allan, a retired holistic veterinarian who has a life-long interest in nutrition and health, decided the only way to really produce good healthy food for their five children and now twelve grandchildren was to produce it himself. Allan and Jeanne searched for the best farmland they could find for their idea of an organic farm that would raise grass-fed beef and pastured pork. They found it in Bureau County, Illinois. Jeremy House manages the farm.