Sept. 17: CLC's campus farm to participate in annual Farm Stroll
The College of Lake County's campus farm, located on the east side of the Grayslake campus at 19351 W. Washington St. in Grayslake, will be among 11 local family farms featured on the first-annual Farm Stroll. Community members can take free, self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17.
The event, which will take place rain or shine, has no beginning or end. Simply choose the area farms you wish to visit, and bring cash for food and activities at each farm. For safety, participants are asked to dress appropriately and leave pets at home.
At CLC's 34,000 square-foot farm, representatives will be available to answer questions. Ed Popelka, CLC maintenance engineer and beekeeper, will lead a tour of the college's apiary (bee colony) from noon to 1 p.m. There will be a tour of the greenhouse from 1-2 p.m., and a pony will be on hand all day for children to pet. Literature on CLC's horticulture programs, including sustainable agriculture, will be available.
Additionally, the college's farm market will sell campus-grown pumpkins, squash, spinach, salad, tomatoes, kale, onions, peppers and cut flowers.
CLC's campus farm offers hands-on learning for students in CLC's sustainable agriculture program. Students plan and implement the growing of crops in both outside plots and in two transparent plastic hoop houses that extend the growing season, according to Matt DeRose, program coordinator in CLC's horticulture department. Selected produce, including tomatoes and lettuce, is used in CLC's Café Willow, located on the Grayslake Campus.
"We're excited to be a part of the Farm Stroll because it's an opportunity to introduce people to local foods that they otherwise may not be aware of," DeRose said.
The Farm Stroll is a joint effort of CLC, the Lake County Farm Bureau and the University of Illinois Extension office in Grayslake. For a full listing of the 10 other participating farms, visit http://web.extension.illinois.edu/lm/. To find out the latest offerings from the Farm Market, visit www.facebook.com/clchorticulture. For more information on CLC's horticulture program, visit http://www.clcillinois.edu/programs/hrt.