Historic Wagner Farm Returns To Roots During Pandemic

GLENVIEW, IL — Historic Wagner Farm is one of the crown jewels of property owned by the Glenview Park District. The 18.6-acre farm gives visitors a glimpse into the past as it teaches them about what the world of agriculture looked liked when its founders — the Wagner family — started the farm after arriving in the area from Trier, Germany in the 1850s.

Following the building of the Historic Wagner Farm Heritage Center Museum in 2006, farming took a backseat to tourism with an estimated 54,000 visitors that first year. Also home to the Glenview Farmers Market, which is slated to open at the end of June, Historic Wagner Farm has become a summer destination for many.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things are a little different these days at 1510 Wagner Road, so the operators have opted to return to the farm's roots. The farm is temporarily a full-time working farm with a new initiative, Feeding Glenview. This move shifts the focus from public programming to food production.

"The entire park district team has been working to shift and adapt to the needs of the community throughout this pandemic crisis," said Jena Johnson, of the Glenview Park District. "The [program] is just one more way we are pivoting our operations to serve the community."

As noted by the park district, food insecurity is on the increase and this initiative gives Wagner Farm a chance to help the community access healthy, local food in a variety of ways.

"We aren't able to provide that educational component right now, so the next best thing is to become the place where food actually comes from," said Jon Kuester, the farm's director.

According to the park district, the farm will continue to donate eggs to the Northfield Food Pantry from its flock of 80 pasture-raised chickens and will add weekly donations of fruits and vegetables as soon as its ready for harvest.

In addition, some of the farm's animals will be visiting neighboring farms for the summer. The pair of draft horses will be loaned to an Amish dairy farm where they can be cared for.

"We are all looking for ways to meet our mission in the new landscape," Johnson said. "For the farm, this new program allows us to continue providing education about agriculture and where our food comes from, while also serving the community’s needs for good, fresh foods."

With the horses gone, the pasture will be used to raise lambs, broiler chickens and Thanksgiving turkeys for local sale. The farm has again partnered with the Northern Suburban Special Educations District on a Community Supported Agriculture program where the student farmers will work alongside Wagner staff.

Eventually, Historic Wagner Farm hopes to produce more than 20,000 pounds of fresh produce and 6,000 pounds of meat and eggs to be sold and donated. According to the park district, the amount of food the farm is capable of producing could feed nearly 50 families every week for the entire season.

"The park district’s vision is for everyone in our community to experience happiness, health and an appreciation for nature on a daily basis," Johnson said. "We have used that vision to inspire new ways of providing programming and recreation opportunities to the community."

For more information visit glenviewparks.org/Wagner-Farm/Wagner-Farm.htm or call (847) 657-1506.