Simply put, they save land and they save rivers, and they’ve been at it for more than 50 years. Founded in 1972, The Conservation Foundation is one of the region’s oldest and largest not-for-profit land and watershed conservation organizations dedicated to preserving and restoring open space, protecting rivers and watersheds, and promoting stewardship of the environment in northeastern Illinois.
Open invitation to McDonald Farm
The organization invites the Naperville community to experience The Conservation Foundation’s headquarters, McDonald Farm on Knoch Knolls Rd. on the southside of Naperville. Core to their mission at The Conservation Foundation is connecting people to local nature so in addition to encouraging people to get outside and visit their local parks and preserves, they want to introduce people to nature on the farm. They have woodlands, prairies, wetlands, native gardens, green infrastructure, renewable energy and more!
Organic farming within the city of Naperville
The real star, however, is their organic certified farming operation, Green Earth Harvest. They grow on 60 acres of protected land with 7 crew members, 4 greenhouses and 2 tractors. They feed over 650 families in and around Naperville through the farmshare program and donate over 5,000 pounds of fresh produce to Loaves and Fishes each year. They grow upwards of 60 different vegetable varieties that are not only clean and nutritious, but are incredibly tasty, too. Some of the top favorites -because there are so many favorites- are the heirloom tomatoes, carrots, spinach, lettuces and hard-neck garlic! The CSA model – which stands for Community Supported Agriculture – is very different from a trip to the grocery store. A person purchases a subscription to the season in advance, securing their local, seasonal vegetable share, while at the same time providing the funding for the farm to invest in everything that goes into growing their food. It’s an important and meaningful partnership between the community and it’s neighborhood organic farm.
Happenings at The Conservation Foundation
Coming up, they have a native plant and organic veggie sale, tours, camps for the kiddos, and live music throughout the summer. Visit them online to find out more about the farm, all of the programs, and opportunities to come visit!
Spotlight welcomed The Conservation Foundation’s Abby Beck, Vice President of Advancement and Sheryl Fasone, Green Earth Harvest Program Coordinator.
