WOODSTOCK, Ill. — Area farmers and farmland owners with an interest in local sustainable agriculture will have the opportunity to network at the upcoming Common Ground Gathering July 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Soulful Prairies Farm in Woodstock. Registration is required.
The Common Ground Gathering is a casual social gathering that gives farmers and landowners the opportunity to learn from and connect with each other. This event is part of a nationwide trend. People around the country are working to help local food farmers looking for land find conservation-minded farmland owners to lease from and vice versa.
“Farmland owners and farmers can partner together in ways that are profitable, good for the land and good for the community,” says Linda Balek of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County. “But first they have to find each other and talk. That’s what this event is all about.”
The event will begin with a chance to hear from a farmer, Will Glazik, and the farmland owner, Jaci Davis, he leases land from to raise organic grains. The conversation will be followed by an informal mix and mingle. Food and refreshments, including locally brewed beer, will be provided.
“Last year was the first time we and our partners held the Common Ground Gathering,” says Balek. “Because people enjoyed it and met so many new people, we wanted to do it again.”
Participants will also enjoy the scenic beauty of Soulful Prairies Farm, generously provided by Linda Bruce, with its new and renovated buildings on 80 acres.
Registration is $10 per person. Please RSVP at www.libertyprairie.org/calendar or call Linda Balek at 815-337-9502.
Common Ground is sponsored by The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, the Liberty Prairie Foundation and Openlands.
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is a member-based private nonprofit dedicated to preserving natural, scenic and agricultural land. For more information, contact Linda Balek with the information provided above.
— The Land Conservancy of McHenry County
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