Livestock Incubator Farm at Farmers Rising
20-acre site at organization's Caledonia hq will accommodate 5-7 farmers
Farmers Rising Rolls Out Livestock Incubator Farm
Reflecting the increasing interest in regenerative livestock farming, the Farmers Rising non-profit farmer education organization has announced it is creating a livestock incubator farm program. The incubator will be located on 20 acres at Farmers Rising’s farm at its headquarters in Caledonia, Illinois, near Rockford.
“Most farm incubators in our region focus on intensive vegetable production, and very few have livestock production,” said Jackie de Batista, Farmers Rising’s executive director. “Farmers need spaces where they can learn new skills, grow their businesses, and connect with a broader community of growers and grazers. Farming incubators are places to do just that.”
Participating farmers will learn and develop regenerative grazing techniques and may add vegetable production to their incubator farms. Focused on historically marginalized farmers, the program will be able to support five to seven incubator farms at a time with eligibility for long-term land leases.
Farmers Rising was formerly known as Angelic Organics Learning Center, with the rebrand taking place in early December. The organization signaled at that time that a livestock farm incubator was in the works.
Farmers Rising will be announcing additional details about the program soon, and we will share them on Local Food Forum.
Sharing CSA Week Information
Buying shares from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm is a great way to shop local, and it goes right to the heart of the “know your farmer, know your food” ethos.
Jody and Beth Osmund of Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm in Ottawa, Illinois run a meat CSA that was the first such program in Illinois and have advocated for CSA farms for years. National CSA Sign-Up Week begins Monday (February 19) and runs to February 25, and Jody contacted me to ask if I could boost his request to his fellow CSA farmers to get the word out and create some “buzz” around the campaign.
The CSA Innovation Network has a toolkit with promotional tips and resources, including templates for press releases and for engaging with current members in support of the push. Farms can register for free and can take advantage of ideas on a shared drive.
Click the first button to visit the CSA Innovation Network and the second to learn more about Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm.