What if there was an alternative to the airport?

By Andrea Arens

What if there was an alternative plan to the famous Peotone airport? The airport that’s been talked about for 30 years and has promised to bring economic development and jobs.

That’s exactly what the Chicago Wilderness Alliance proposed to a packed town hall at the Village of Monee meeting room on November 16.

The goal: To build a regenerative agricultural center with processing capabilities, education center, marketplace for consumers, research plots, and agri-tourism.

The average farm is about 2,000 acres and, yet, the discussion was around a lack of infrastructure to support it. Literally, there’s no local places to sell or process crops.

The American Farmland Trust said Will County is the second most endangered high quality farmland in the U.S., according to 2017 data, with more than $133M of agricultural products from 92 different crops in Will County alone.

Jesse Smedberg, from Tulip Tree Farms, is a vertically integrated wellness farmer specializing in the specialty crop of industrial hemp, and said: “We can move crops cheaper, cheaper than anywhere.”

Smedberg said a strategic approach for processing specialty crops is needed. The next big issue is transportation, because there aren’t enough trucks available. Maybe, if agriculture was incentivized, then technology programs would come here, to Will County.

Smedberg concluded by saying, “Maybe we need something more than an airport.”

Local farmer Corey Johnson agreed. He’s a full time, fifth generation farmer at Johnson Farms. He is growing certified organic crops, they grow their own fertilizer, and no till more than half their acres. He also owns a small agriculture soil testing company.

Johnson said, “Better for the environment goes hand-in-hand with better for the bottom line.”

Johnson noted the struggles come when he has to use 36 semis to transport 420 acres of organic crops to Goodfield, because there’s no specialty processing available locally.

Tim Brennan of the Crete Planning and Zoning Commission said he sees the area around the airport as an opportunity. Brennan also said many of the universities with agriculture programs would see this as an opportunity for agricultural education, including the University of Illinois.

Will County Board Member Judy Ogalla attended the town hall meeting and agreed. She said, “The proposed Peotone Airport has been a conversation for most of my adult life. It began back in 1986 with Peotone being one of several sites considered for the proposed “South Suburban Airport.”  But I feel we are at a turning point with local groups, elected officials, and residents joining together to propose a plan for the proposed airport footprint.

“The plan is to develop a regional regenerative agriculture community. I’m excited to be part of this plan; to give Governor Pritzker an alternative to the airport based on the quality of life, agri-food, conservation, and education for our future farmers of Illinois. As the Will County Board Chair, I’ve had conversations with Doug Pryor, president and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development. I’ll be taking information generated at tonight’s meeting to him, and I plan on asking him to consider a presentation of this alternative plan to members of the CED. The possibilities of a local, sustainable, economic engine are endless.”

Local farmer, Maria Abney agreed. “We don’t want the airport. We want a better alternative.”