Join us for a Field Day event about Cottage Food & Beyond at Glaciers End in Marion, IL.

Glaciers End is a sustainable farm in Johnston City, owned and operated by Derek & Libby Ervin. They have recently expanded into a brick & mortar Specialty Foods shop in Marion after being a Cottage Food business for the past 5 years. Their products are either made from what they grow on their farm or from sourcing locally from other farms. On their farm, they focus on: perennials, specialty crops and foraging and cultivate unique varieties of fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs. They use natural fermentation processes as well as traditional methods to preserve their fruit and vegetables producing healthy and delicious creations that they hope challenge and delight the palate. They currently produce Shrub & Pucker drinking Vinegars, Hot Sauces, Pickles, Jams, Jellies, Syrups, Bitters, Vinegar Tonics and Extracts, as well as other interesting and unique creations.

The field day will focus on Cottage Foods, which allows growers and food entrepreneurs to prepare certain foods and beverages in their home kitchen and sell directly to consumers. They will talk about their experiences in this area as they both have been very involved with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and the writing and advocacy of the Home-to-Market Act, which expanded where Cottage Food businesses can sell (including on-line shipping within Illinois). They will also discuss the process for expanding into a Commercial Kitchen. There will be a tour of their new space and they will have their products available during the event for tastings and for sale.

Also joining us will be Nathan Ryder, Communications Coordinator at Illinois Stewardship Alliance, and Whitney Miller of the Local Foods Program at the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs.