Locavore Farm announces year eight of farm experiences and a second season at its new space, a 35-acre agrarian resort and biodynamic working-farm, where guests can eat, drink, shop, and experience live entertainment and unique learning opportunities, in rural Grant Park. The farm also offers overnight experiences in their farmhouse or glamp site.
The farm opens on Thursday, May 25, for its weekly Thursday experience. Locavore harvests from its gardens and fields for their community of farm box subscribers and then creates a farm-fresh, a la carte menu from the harvest’s surplus.
“Guests come and celebrate the bounty,” said farmer Rachael Jones. “Our desire is to put the culture back into agriculture, with a weekly dining experience that celebrates the weekly harvest in an effort to reconnect diners with the good work of growing food. Our menu is nutrient-dense and packed with flavor, as it makes the shortest trip food can make – from seed to plate and a table located just steps away,” Jones remarked.
Locavore’s 100-foot table is set for guests to sit out and enjoy the rural landscape. There is live music on the patio, with cocktails, wine, and local craft beer served at the bar. The Locavore General Store and Market opens for guests to stock up on chicken, eggs, pork, vegetables, fruit, flour, cheese, cured meats, honey, and other seasonal farm offerings, along with home and garden goods.
New to the farm is the development of a one-acre pond surrounded by native prairie in an effort to restore and promote the benefits of conservation and regenerative farming to agriculture.
Locavore Farm was a recipient of the Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau Community Tourism Grant to help enhance outdoor spaces for visitors. The grant was matched by Healing Soils Foundation, a not-for-profit with a mission to support farms regenerating soil damaged through conventional farming.
“Guests capture the sunset and the beauty of the Midwestern prairie, reflecting off a gorgeous water reservoir and pastureland, which we’ve re-contoured to support our permaculture and regenerative farming practices, ” Jones continued. “There really are very few views to compare it to.”
Locavore’s weekly Thursday experience is in its eighth year. More than 100 guests come to dine each week from 6-9 p.m. Guests come from all over the Chicagoland area to dine and observe a working farm, engaged in practices to revitalize crops and pastureland.
Locavore’s weekly Thursday event is different from its premier and signature Dine on the Land event, which features a walking tour, followed by a seated and served five-course feast with live music and the story of food told through an interactive dining experience. Locavore’s Dine on the Land experience has been featured on ABC News and WGN, plus was named one of Illinois Most Unique Experiences by the Illinois Tourism Bureau. The owners, Christopher and Rachael Jones have received several recognitions for their innovation in agriculture and experiences.
To learn more about Locavore Farm, visit www.locavorefarm.com.
All experiences require pre-paid reservations or admission. Thursday events are a la carte. Guests order off the menu for a pay-as-you-go dining experience. Thursdays are weekly, starting at 6 and ending at 10 p.m. Guests come and go. Saturday, Dine on the Land Experiences are pre-paid, excluding bar purchases. Guests check-in at 6 and stay until 9 p.m.