We are happy our Farming Alliance members are such good cooks, because we love to eat! The monthly Farming Alliance field day potlucks are simply spectacular. There was the un-planned bean themed potluck during the CoolBot Field Day in April, and a delicious spread at the Summer Social at Scratch that donned not one, but two batches of fresh-from-the-goat chevre. Know your farmer, know your food gets taken to a new level when you know the name of the goat that produced the milk for your cheese!
 
Southern Illinois Farming Alliance monthly field days are a great opportunity to learn about our member farms and to enjoy farm fresh food with the people who grew it. In March we toured the productive sugarbush at Principia College near Elsah to learn about the production of maple syrup in southern climates. We learned about the unique challenges of the freeze thaw patterns in southern Illinois that prevent big sap runs like they get in cooler climates. Though producing maple in areas with warmer winters is less productive, we are learning valuable lessons that will help prepare northern maple producers for the warmer winters we have been experiencing as a nation with global warming.
 

We toured Countrysprout Organic in April and learned how a low-cost walk-in cooler made using Coolbot technology can impact your farms productive capacity. Being able to properly cool vegetables fresh from the field can greatly extend their shelf life allowing you to stretch your harvests across multiple markets. In May, we visited Backacher’s Farm and learned a bit about berries and a bit about mulching. Heavy mulching can dramatically change the character of your soil by adding back in necessary carbon, all while suppressing weeds. It’s a win-win for the farmer, especially if they’re also in the hay business like our host Phil Mendenhall is.
 
Our permaculture field day scheduled for June got pushed back until July 11th. This was our most well attended field day of the year with 15 people making the trek down south of Tamms to Jim and Mary Maginel’s Organic Energy Works farm. Jim and Mary have thoughtfully built up a linear food forest along their lane that is easy to monitor on their evening walks. Keeping a close eye on fruits and nuts as they ripen is one way to ensure that you get to enjoy the harvest before the wildlife digs in! We enjoyed seeing their multi-species livestock in the silvapasture as the wooded hills are integrated into their farm and homestead.