News

Rains not slowing down IL specialty grower

The rainy spring hasn’t slowed down the season for an eastern Illinois specialty grower.

John Williams, farm manager at Sola Gratia farm in Champaign, says the season is well underway.

“We are quite busy getting our regular accoutrement of veggies in the ground.”  He says, “Some of our early plantings like that going in our fields.  We’ve been switching our high tunnels over to cherry tomatoes, so they’re ready to go here in probably a month and a half or so.” 

Williams tells Brownfield the farm partners with numerous agencies to ensure the produce reaches those in need.

“Champaign County has a food insecurity rate that is higher than Cook County, which is the Chicagoland area.”  He says, “And so we have seen a constant need for providing fresh and local produce.” 

The operation was one of 19 recently awarded an Illinois Local Food Infrastructure Grant, and Williams says it will use those dollars to help expand.

“We’re moving to some new acreage.”  He says “Putting up a facility to help us better wash and pack our produce, and be more efficient and maximize how much we’re able to donate to those food access partners that we have.”

Williams says Sola Gratia will plant more than fifty types of vegetables this season. 

AUDIO: John Williams – farm manager @ Sola Gratia Farm