Feeding Glenview: Wagner Farm's leftover produce a bonus for Northfield Food Pantry

With the vegetable harvest coming to a close, this season's production at the Glenview Park District's Wagner Historic Farm has gone to recipients of the Feeding Glenview program, which provides fresh meat and produce to people in the community.

For a subscription fee of $300, participants in the Community Supported Agriculture program receive a basket of fresh produce weekly. After the CSA subscriptions are fulfilled, the substantial amount of produce that remains is delivered to the Northfield Township Food Pantry on Waukegan Road in Glenview, said Jena Johnson, director of brand strategies and community engagement for the Glenview Park District.

Wagner Farm staff members Jonathan Kuester, Blake Lanphier and Stacey Christensen have been dropping off weekly donations of farm-fresh eggs, as well as vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes and beets. As of early September, the farm had provided over 500 dozen eggs, 600 pounds of produce, and 1,400 pounds of lamb, pork and beef to the food pantry, Johnson said.

In addition, the farm has delivered more than 300 baskets of produce to CSA customers, and 1,000 pounds of chicken, and 2,600 pounds of lamb, pork and beef for sale to Glenview residents, she said.

Thanksgiving turkeys, which were delivered to the farm as chicks the first week of June, will be available for sale after Oct. 17.

Christensen, the farm's market sales manager, said the yield at the farm was diminished this year because there were fewer staff members available to plant crops during March and April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There were only two people here. They did as much as they could, which was a lot, but it's not the same as when you have full (staff) planting," Christensen said.

Staff members returned to plant in June, and new crops of carrots and lettuce were planted every two weeks.

"It's a continuous process, but the land got a little rest," Christensen said, referring to the diminished planting of crops this season and the probable long-term benefit it would have on the soil.

Students from the Northern Suburban Special Education District help at the farm as well. They come to the farm for part of their school day and gain vocational skills while helping plan and run the garden, and the students also help wash produce prior to delivery, said staff member Marcy Frantz.

Frantz said being at the farm gives the students a chance to participate in the community, build their social skills and be of service.

One of the benefits of having a farm in a suburban setting is that it gives people a chance to be closer to their food sources, which includes both fruits, vegetables and meat, Frantz said.

"We're just so separated from our food," Frantz said. "People just don't understand where our food comes from."