Grant helps Illinois farm grow as an educational center

FAIRBURY, Ill. -- At Spence Farm, Kris and Marty Travis extend an open invitation to visit, learn and get connected.

The oldest farm in Livingston County, dating to 1830, remains a working farm from which the Travises earn a living. But it's also become an educational project aimed at teaching people about preservation of buildings, crops, trades, county history and natural areas.

"It started with the chickens," said Kris, 37. "It was about a year and a half ago when we decided we needed heirloom breeds for the kids to see."

The Travises operate a farmstand on Saturdays where visitors can buy vegetables, herbs, fruits and crafts, including decorative hooks made in the farm's blacksmith shop by 13-year-old Will Travis.

Customers typically linger to see the colorful chicken breeds, two black-and-white Jacob's sheep, gardens and a prairie.

A $23,000 specialty growers grant obtained through the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Opportunity Returns program boosted the effort toward making the farm an education center.

"Ninety-two people applied for the grants. We were the only educational applicant. We were going to do this with or without a grant," said Marty, 44, who owns Traviswood, a Shaker furniture, seed-box and oval box reproduction business. Eventually, all groups visiting Spence Farm will get some hands-on experience making candles, pressing cider or spinning wool. The Travises want to move an 1861 schoolhouse from down the road to the farm to serve as a classroom.

Within the next three years, their plans involve restoring all existing outbuildings and acquiring more heritage breed livestock and heirloom plants. Another five years beyond that, the couple wants to create a walkthrough interpretation center and recreate the original 1830 cabin built on the farm by Valentine Martin Darnall, Marty's great-great-great-great-grandfather.

Management of the organic farm largely falls to Kris. She grows wild plums, mushrooms, Christmas trees, Indian corn, elderberries and Jerusalem artichokes, among other things.

Twenty-six acres of wild leeks grow in a forested portion of the farm.

"We made 2 1/2 times more on a tenth of an acre of wild leeks than you can make from 100 acres of corn and soybeans," said Kris. "It doesn't take 1,000 acres to make a living. You have to think broad and know where to market."

"If we can just create awareness. We see so much potential for small farms," said Marty, who owns the 160-acre farm with his mother, Willa Spence Virkler. "People are longing to be connected to the food they eat and how it's produced."