Calico Gardens

 

 

 

History of Calico Gardens

 

Hello, my name is Nancy Homerding, the Steward from Calico Gardens.  My family and I moved to Forrest, Illinois in 1996.  My husband Ron and I both grew up and lived in Romeoville, which is about 80 miles north. Ron comes from a farming family, and I lived in town - always dreaming of having a home in the country.  Moving to our home in rural Forrest was  a dream come true.

 

Calico Gardens was started in 2005, after an invitation from Marty and Kris Travis to join the farmers group.  It was an easy decision because I love being outdoors, enjoy gardening, and the group shares the same gardening philosophies as I do.  At the present, we are small gardeners, but each year we try to grow a little bigger - adding something new each year.

 

We hope to be providing you with your favorites and seeing you in the market soon.

 

Our Family Members

 

Having a full-time office job, I don’t have as much time as I would like to spend in our garden.  Ron helps with the heavier projects.

 

Our son Nick lives in Rockford working for the Merchant Police, and our daughter Samantha is attending Western Illinois University majoring in Law Enforcement with a minor in Military Science.

 

The dogs and cats help chase the birds and other critters away from the garden while the sheep, Emu’s and chickens help provide the compost pile with important by-products.

 

Produce We Have Grown

 

My ultimate goal is to become a four- season’s gardener. The thought of being able to enjoy fresh vegetables and play in the dirt year round would be heaven. I believe in collecting all the rain water I can and use only what I collect on the garden. 

 

We have grown a wide variety of leaf lettuces, heirloom tomatoes, beets, and cucumbers and are looking forward to producing mini-corn, toy choy, celery, and a white cherry tomato.

 

 

The Stewards of the Land

 

Calico Gardens is a part of The Stewards of the Land, LLC, a group of local families helping to change the world by producing fresh foods for kitchens across Illinois. 

 

Our focus is to produce food that is:

¨ better for you

¨ better for your kids

¨ better for the planet 

 

Enjoyed in award-winning restaurants, local food shops, and many family homes across the area, the food produced by the Stewards of the Land is fresh, chemical-free and delicious.

 

Nancy Homerding

27592 E 1100 North Rd

Forrest, IL  61741

(815) 657-8204