Pay it forward

We have been fortunate to have many people mentor us over the years, making themselves available to advise us about farming and running a business. This has really sped up our learning curve and helped us grow much faster than we would have otherwise. In order to pass on the generosity given to us, we try to help out other farms who are just getting started. We have always shared our experiences with the other farms at Prairie Crossing. Also this year we started to mentor Dominic & Jessica Green, a family starting a new farm in Barrington. We try to be very open with Dominic and Jessica answering questions, advising them on solutions to problems, and sharing our information and planning. It is great to see new farms getting started! Plus Dominic and Jessica have already helped us out a great deal this year they work at our Lake Bluff farmers' market and Dominic stepped in to help us in the field. This cooperation and friendship is something that we think benefits everyone -- our farm, their farm and our communities -- and builds a strong farming community, too!