Common Ground Events - Central Illinois (11/16) & Northern Illinois (12/7) - For Farmers and Landowners!

[Nathan Aaberg]

With harvest over, we invite you to attend a Common Ground gathering near you! 

Common Ground event brings farmers, landowners, and local ag advocates together around farmland access and transition challenges in a warm, down-to-earth atmosphere. You'll come away with encouragement, mutual support, and hope.

Common Ground Central Illinois will be held at Silver Tree Beer & Spirits in Paxton on Sunday, November 16, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can find out more and register here.

Common Ground Northern Illinois will be held at Main Stay Therapeutic Farm in Richmond (McHenry County) on Sunday, December 7, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can find out more and register here.

Pre-registration is required for either event. Admission is $10/person. Travel stipends available for farmers (just apply during registration process). 

Learning has always been a big part of our Common  This year we're having informal learning sessions early on at each event. 

At Common Ground Central there will be what we call "Finding Common Ground." This will be a conversation led by American Farmland Trust, Savanna Institute, and Illinois FarmLink about how to build deeper relationships and creative land access arrangements across the generational gap. Cross-generational understanding between landowners and farmers is crucial in so many leasing and farm transition conversations. Let's talk candidly about how to do that. This will bring together farmers and landowners.

At Common Ground North we'll have separate learning sessions as follows:

Financing Land Access: For farmers, Sarah Hoerner of Compeer Financial (a Farm Credit institution) will share tips and insights around building financial health and lending options.  

Making Your Land Available For Farming: For non-farming farmland owners, Nathan Aaberg of Illinois FarmLink and Claire Hodge of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County will offer a helpful framework for how to find the right farming arrangement with the right farmer.    

There will also be a great deal of time at both events just to relax over a brew (or other drink) and connect with other good people. 

Common Ground is organized by Illinois FarmLink with central Illinois partners American Farmland Trust and the Savanna Institute and northern Illinois partners The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College, Farmers Rising, Northern Illinois Young Farmers, and The Conservation Fund.

Contact Jeanne with any questions at jea...@thelandconnection.org. 

Thanks,

Nathan Aaberg

Illinois FarmLink Director

The Land Connection

217-840-2128, ext. 750

www.illinoisfarmlink.org

www.thelandconnection.org

206 N. Randolph St., Suite 400

Champaign, Illinois 61820

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