by
Public Relations and Marketing | Published Sep 07, 2018
The College of Lake County’s campus farm, located on the east side of the Grayslake Campus, will be among nine local family farms featured on the second annual Lake County Farm Stroll. Area residents can take free, self-guided tours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.
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 farm, highlights will focus on the college’s recent Bee Campus USA status, received in the spring. College representatives also will conduct tours of the campus arboretum, which helped the college earn a Tree Campus USA designation this year. Literature on CLC’s horticulture programs, including sustainable agriculture, will be available. Additionally, the college’s Farm Market will sell campus-grown tomatoes, peppers, squash and assorted greens.
Photo: Cori McCarville, a 2016 CLC graduate who earned an A.A.S. in horticulture, collects produce from the campus farm.
The campus farm offers hands-on learning for students in CLC’s horticulture and sustainable agriculture programs. Students help 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, local food 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 the University of Illinois Extension office in Grayslake, the Lake County Farm Bureau and CLC. For a full listing of the eight 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.
About College of Lake County:
College of Lake County is an innovative community college in Lake County, Ill. that transforms lives with its variety of accessible, quality education options. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, College of Lake County provides affordable options in a state-of-the-art setting close to home. A large student network, with small class sizes,
provides advantages to our students on a career-related program or a path toward a transfer degree. We’re proud to serve the diverse needs of our community and student body. Connect to your future today at College of Lake County.