From The Good Earth
Story by Amelia Levin Photographs courtesy of Jack Carlson & Emily Janson
!4RIPTO"OUNTIFUL Elawa Farm in Lake Forest
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e all know that “weekday” feeling – the need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and retreat to the country and find solace in nature. Well, that’s exactly what the Armour family did back in 1917 when they established their own “Gentleman’s Farm” in Lake Forest. Elawa Farm was named after its owners, Elsa and A. Watson Armour, who were members of one of Chicago’s most distinguished families and descendants of the meatpacking giant, Phillip A. Armour (as in Armour-Eckrich Meats). Now tucked away in a quiet residential area of Lake Forest, a little west of Waukegan Road on Middlefork Drive, the Armour’s hobby farm now consists of 16 acres of prairie grass and oak preserves and is located at the north end of the Chicago River. Today, Elawa Farm is a non-profit center and special events destination, jointly operated by the Elawa Farm Foundation and the City of Lake Forest. The property is now complete with a working, 2.2 acre farm and thrice-weekly “garden market” which runs from May through October. An onsite kitchen produces weekly specialties for the 22
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market, using the farm’s bounty of Midwestern crops, while chefs and teachers rent out the space for adult and kid-friendly cooking classes. Countless couples have celebrated their marriages on the picturesque grounds of Elawa. The property has an old hay barn and a flower garden dotted with antique statues. Burgundy-brick carriage houses are connected by a cobblestone path. It looks like something straight out of a Ralph Lauren catalogue. All proceeds from the various activities and events held on the grounds are used to support the foundation, which manages the farm’s growth and development. “We are blessed that A. Watson’s granddaughters still live in Lake Forest and have been committed to helping preserve the grounds in collaboration with the City of Lake Forest,” says Joanne Miller, Executive Director of the Elawa Farm Foundation. A community gathering place teeming with history, Elawa also serves as a symbol of architectural significance, originally built by renowned architects David Adler and
Alfred Hopkins. It has been carefully preserved over the years by the Armours and other interested parties. Perhaps even more important, Miller says, Elawa has become a place for some serious volunteerism. She notes, “we wouldn’t exist without all the help we have here.” Last year, nearly 80 active volunteers clocked 7,358 hours on the farm, at the market and in the kitchen. And, this number does not include the many students who come from local elementary, high schools and colleges on Saturdays to work on community service projects, like building the on-site composting system or cleaning out the root cellar. “Elawa Farm is an important part of Lake Forest that sometimes even residents don’t know about,” says Miller. “I always seem to be meeting new visitors who didn’t know we existed and are pleasantly surprised and who say how lucky Lake Forest is to have such a gem. Many people discover the farm after using the beautiful running, biking and hiking trails just to west of us.”
The History of the Gentleman’s Farm The “Gentleman’s Farm” or “hobby farm” was first established when well-to-do city dwellers bought land in the “country” in what is now Chicago’s suburbs. The country estate was a place to relax and recharge on the weekend and escape the crowded, “dirty” and increasingly industrialized city. These were not working farms—operations did not support the house or income of the owner. They were used purely for pleasure and the land allowed them to engage in outdoor pursuits like skeet shooting and sleigh rides. It was a romantic notion that still has traction today. This generation, in its desire to “return to the land”, visits the farmers market on weekends or takes rustic road trips in search of a good farm-to-table dinner. In 1915, the Armours began building their Lake Forest country estate, which would serve as a weekend home, second to their primary residence at 1200 Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. After completing two
gatehouses on the Lake Forest grounds, the architects, Adler and Hopkins abandoned the idea of building a farm house and decided to add wings to the Georgian Colonial-style buildings instead. These buildings would house the Armour family, theirs guests and their staff. An outdoor courtyard and tunnel connected the two wings above and below ground. Elsewhere on the property, a red brick chicken coop sheltered a small flock of laying hens, a barn was built for several horses and a few cows grazed in the grass fields. Today, the garden market operates out of an old wagon shed in the courtyard, while weddings take place in the high-ceiling, wooden barn attached to one of the gatehouse wings. In 1954, not long after the death of A. Watson Armour, Lelia and Wallace Carroll purchased the property, expanding the 125 acres grounds into a 600-acre, full working farm. When Wallace Carroll died in 1990, Lelia kept it in the family for a few more years. In 1998, the City of Lake Forest, interested developers, and the land conservation group, Lake Forest Open Lands Association, purchased the
property, but the buildings were in such decline, there was talk of demolition and even selling the property for development. Instead, a commitment was made to begin restoration, slow and steady, first the land and then the buildings. In 2002, the current non-profit foundation was established as a way to run and maintain the farm without dipping into taxpayers’ pockets.
The Farm Headed by Farm Manager, Jesse Rosenbluth, the farm’s 2.2 acre “garden” yields thousands of pounds of produce and more than 10,000 different flowers each season. “We grow a large mix of flowers and vegetables,” says Rosenbluth, firing off a list that included snap peas, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, acorn squash, carrots, radishes, beets and different lettuces and greens like spinach, arugula and Swiss chard. An herb garden produces mint, thyme, rosemary, basil and much more. Staying true to the garden’s history, the farm also produces 40 different types of flowers, including pink, red, purple, ediblechicago.com
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orange and yellow zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, snap dragons and the ever-popular, soft and delicate peonies. “Flowers have always been our focus and the jewel of the garden,” says Rosenbluth. Sold as bouquets at their garden market, the flowers yield a much higher profit than the vegetable crop alone. Rosenbluth, Miller, and Garden Market Manager, Sarah Bottner credit local resident and fiercely dedicated volunteer, Dee Dee Burland for rebuilding Elawa Farm years ago. An avid gardener, Burland attended all the city meetings related to the future of Elawa during its transition to a non-profit organization, according to Miller. She also helped bring in the first group of volunteers, who cleared the fields of brush and buckthorn and within two years, helped rebuild and recreate the flower beds and the formal hedging once held sacred by the Armours. They also cleared space for new crops. Though well into her seventies, Burland is still a regular presence in the garden. During my visit to Elawa, I spotted her in the distance pulling weeds and surveying the grounds. “The garden has really been a labor of love for Dee Dee, and she is why the garden even exists today,” says Miller. Rosenbluth now carries the garden torch, and through organic succession planting and harvesting, the farm regularly produces a supply of pesticide-free crops throughout the season. During the winter, he rents a greenhouse space so he can continue growing some crops and start the seeding process early. In March, weather permitting, he’ll start planting the crops for the season. By October, after he has harvested all the remaining carrots, radishes, squash and hearty greens, he will plant garlic for the spring and help prepare the beds for the cold weather to come. “We’re always taking careful notes and looking at what worked from last year,” explains Rosenbluth. It is important to understand the terroir of Lake Forest, which is blessed with rich, healthy soil. “You have 24
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Seasonal recipes from Chef Mary are available at ediblechicago.com Photography Classes at Elawa Farm Learn from Nature Photographer Jack Carlson April 15 & 22 (2 Tuesdays): Know Your Camera May 9 & 16 (2 Fridays): Photographing Early Spring June 6 & 13 (2 Fridays): Exploring Elawa (with Cameras!) June 14, 21 & 28 (3 Saturdays) Intermediate Photography: The Next Level For more information: elawafarm.org
to be aware of what works in your climate, even 50 miles north or south of us, the soil is radically different,” he says. Rosenbluth also works with local chefs, including Chef John Des Rosiers of Inovasi in Lake Bluff, Riley Missing at Big Bowl in Lincolnshire and several Chicago chefs who buy his surplus and host special farm dinners. Last year, David Blonsky of Public House, dug a pit and roasted a whole pig for a dinner that showcased many of the farm’s greens, herbs and carrots, while the Lake Bluff Brewing Company used Elawa’s hot peppers for a spicy farmhouse ale.
The Garden Market and Kitchen
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lose to 100 shoppers will visit the Elawa Garden Market on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday each week during the season. Every other Friday, is “pie day” and it draws the largest crowds, thanks to Mary McMahon, the awardwinning, former Executive Pastry Chef at Trio. Now, she runs the Elawa kitchen and creates those popular pies using local fruit and Elawa goodies, from blueberry to strawberry-rhubarb, nectarine-raspberry, apple and pumpkin. When you walk through the kitchen doors, you are instantly greeted by the scent of pies, scones, fresh breads, and McMahon’s revered extra chunky chocolate chip cookies, baking in the oven. The pea hummus has also gained a cult following at the farmers market, along with the weekly artisan pizzas and seasonal soups like potato leek and kale, Elawa vegetable and hearty squash. The homemade soups fly off the stands even on the hottest days. Shoppers come for the different pestos—arugula, mint, and garlic scape to name a few. The stands also offer homemade baguettes, focaccia, crostinis, croutons, beet-based brownies and selection of dips and salsas using Elawa’s heirloom and sweet-as-candy tomatoes. McMahon checks in with Rosenbluth
each week to see what the garden has produced so she can plan her menu. She also manages her own group of regular volunteers, many who come in each week as early as 5am to help her prepare for the market that day. “The volunteers are really the heart of this organization and I have met so many incredible, diverse people as a result,” she says. “Elawa is very rich in history and an important part of Lake Forest—our mission and goal even through our kitchen and cooking and gardening classes is to keep that memory alive.” Though the market sells mostly Elawa Farm produce and specialties from the kitchen, Bottner and team will also source other seasonal, local specialties they don’t grow on site. They will pick up Michigan berries, apples and cider at the Lake Bluff farmers market and eggs from Prairie Crossing. Katherine Anne Confections and Rare Bird Preserves have also made appearances and last year the market showcased a local meat producer as a guest vendor. Bottner hopes to expand upon that this year. “I think what makes us different from traditional farmers markets is not only the fact that we mainly showcase ourselves, but also that we’re selling on-site—our shoppers can literally walk the garden and see where the beets that they just bought are growing.” With the gardens and grounds buzzing with activity from spring to fall, Elawa has involved the local community. Years later, this “Gentleman’s Farm” has become everyone’s farm. ec Elawa Farm is located at 1401 Middlefork Dr., Lake Forest, IL 847-234-1966 Hours: 9am to Dusk. For more information: Elawafarm.org. Amelia Levin is a chef and author who is always looking for inspiration. She often finds it in a garden or on a farm. She is a regular contributor to Edible Chicago. ediblechicago.com
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Kids In The Kitchen
Story by Portia Belloc Lowndes Photographs on this page by Kiki Belloc Lowndes
Sprouting New Growth: Veggie Magic for Kids There are many “R” words in our household vocabulary these days as we work at being a more sustainable family. Recycle, repurpose, reuse, refinish and reclaim to name just a few. And, then there is re-grow, the “R” word that most intrigued my kids because it doesn’t make sense. How do you grow something that doesn’t start with a seed? There are at least a dozen items out there that you can regrow. Some of the more successful ones we have tried are scallions, leeks and potatoes. This winter has been brutal in Chicago and, as a parent, finding things to do indoors on those sub-zero days has been a challenge. On top of having cabin fever, we are yearning for a dose of something green. When it was a little too early to grow “starts” in the garden, we created our little indoor scallion farm, which we began with a bunch of organic scallions. Scallions are an easy and fast vegetable to re-grow—you can expect a fresh bunch every 7-10 days. Fast is good with kids. They will see measurable daily growth with this project and the best way to document this is to take a picture every day. I first learned about this particular re-growing trick one summer in northern Wisconsin when getting to the closest grocery store for scallions was more of a hassle then it was worth. My friend told me that all I needed to do was buy a big bunch of scallions once and I could keep that bunch re-growing on my kitchen counter throughout the summer. As long as there is sun coming into the house, you can re-grow your scallions. You may never have to buy green onions again. ec
1. Use the bottom 3 inches of the scallions, making sure to leave the roots on.
2. Fill a clear glass jar with about 1 inch of water. 3. Place the scallions in the jar. 4. Place the jar in a sunny spot. Don’t place the jar on a window sill in the winter, because it will be too cold there for them to grow.
5. Change the water daily. 6. Take a picture of the scallions every day to record their growth. 7. Harvest and start over. You can plant these starts in dirt in either a pot or in the garden when the soil is warm enough. 26
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