Search
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
)
Enlarge this Image
Recent scares over tainted produce, such as the tomato and peppers warnings, have many consumers wondering where their food comes from as they look for alternative sources. Farmers selling food with a "locally grown" label in Lake County, such as Jeff and Jennifer Miller of Grayslake, are benefitting from consumer concerns. Local farmers like the Millers can offer consumers peace of mind along with organic, fresh produce.
The Millers are among a group of farmers leasing land and equipment at the 90-acre Prairie Crossing Organic Farm in Grayslake where independent farmers are growing food in accordance with USDA organic standards.
Prairie Crossing is located on land protected by the Liberty Prairie Conservancy organization. The farm is dedicated to eco-friendly land use and educating farmers – both new and established – who are interested in organic farming techniques, which place strict limits on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. After only three seasons farming, the Miller's Dea Dia Organics is doing well enough that they plan to expand from five to 20 acres within the next two years.
Despite the fact that neither Jeff nor Jennifer had much experience farming before 2005, their business is thriving.
"I worked on a farm one summer during college," Jeff Miller said. "And Jen had even less experience than that. I became a designer and landscape architect, but we wanted to start our own business. We kept coming back to the farming idea, but it didn't seem feasible."
The idea of becoming farmers was in keeping with the Miller's interest in conservation and nutrition issues, Jeff Miller said. After talking with local organic farmers, they decided that farming could be viable for them after all. The Millers completed a farm business management course from the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training in 2005, and in 2006 opened Dea Dia Organics (taking the name from the Roman goddess of growth), focusing on small crops such as greens, tomatoes and potatoes.
"The optimal produce is both local and organic," Jeff Miller said. "Organic is about land management practices plus meeting the legal standards."
Dea Dia mainly sells its goods at area farmers markets and through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program , whereby subscribers pay for a season's produce shipments in advance and receive produce as it is harvested.
"It's great," said Sam Rodgers of Deerfield, a Dea Dia CSA customer. "We receive a box of fresh seasonal produce every week. They give really good service and they let us know what's coming up in an e-mail newsletter, which also includes recipes. It helps me to eat a little better."
Jeff Miller said they earn more from each dollar invested working on a smaller scale than local "corn and beans" farmers who work larger farms.
Planting in protected greenhouses and hoop houses, which are made of heavy greenhouse plastic stretched over a row of large metal or plastic hoops, and then transplanting into the open fields also allows the Millers to use their land more efficiently, harvesting two or more crops per year instead of one.
"It really extends our season. We can sell vegetables all the way until Thanksgiving instead of stopping in midsummer," Miller said.
This year Dea Dia is experimenting in livestock production with four hogs. Miller said he's interested in applying the hogs' natural rooting instinct in order to benefit the land as they till and fertilize the soil, while weeding out invasive plants like the Canada thistle.
Mike Sands, environmental team leader for Prairie Crossing, said that new farmers like the Millers are part of a trend. He said many of those learning about organics at Prairie Crossing come from outside the farming community.
"It's not an easy game." Sands said. "These are groups of people all committed to improving the environment and the economy of Lake County."
For the Millers, who consider themselves "farmers in training," getting to know their customers personally is part of what makes owning their own business fun. As Jeff Miller said in one of the regular Dea Dia blogs: "We've been very lucky."
Steve Barg, executive director of Liberty Prairie Conservancy, points to the Millers as evidence of the changing view of farming.
"People are interested in local fresh crops." Barg said. "They're interested in learning more about where their food comes from. They're interested in knowing their farmersIt's exciting."
Liberty Prairie Conservancy is planning a farm tour that includes Prairie Crossing and two other Lake County farms for August 16. For more information about Liberty Prairie Conservancy, call 847-548-5989 or visit www. libertyprairie.org.
To learn about Dea Dia Organics, go to www.dea-dia.com, and for information on Prairie Crossing go to www. prairiecrossing.com.
Have some news or photos to share with your community? Share it in NeighborhoodCircle.com.
Photos: Brian Thomas, NeighborhoodCircle.com
