The Farmers Rising Livestock Farm Incubator, located in Caledonia (Boone County), is a new opportunity for beginning farmers looking for land and support to start developing a livestock-based farm business. This program is specifically designed for farmers interested in raising poultry or small ruminants. This is the only livestock incubator that exists in Illinois.
Through a farm incubator program, beginning farmers can access land, infrastructure, and farm equipment at a low upfront cost. With secure access to these essential resources, farmers can then experiment with new enterprises, build their farm business, and gain practical experience.
The Farmers Rising Livestock Farm Incubator program includes access to up to six acres and infrastructure for grazing, participation in their Farm Beginnings training program, education around livestock and pasture management, and assistance in developing robust business plans grounded in financial resilience.
As the host of this incubator farm, the Farmers Rising team brings years of experience educating farmers and cultivating farm businesses.
Elaine Simon, owner and operator of Middle Sis Farm, is a current participant in the program. Elaine has been able to establish her flock of laying hens while continuing to grow vegetables on her grandparents’ property in South Beloit.
Additional details:
- The maximum acreage that can be made available to a beginning farmer is six acres.
- The cost of land and infrastructure is outlined in the Livestock Farm Incubator handbook. The land lease is a graduated cost structure that increases year-to-year, starting at $75 an acre the first year and increasing to $300 an acre by the fourth year. This gives incubator farmers time to develop and grow their business.
- As a farmer in this program, you will be grazing alongside other farmers and must be committed to working collaboratively and sharing resources.
- There is no set lease term length for this program. However, the goal of the program is for farmers to grow their business so much that they will naturally want to leave the incubator in order to access more land.
- Housing is not provided at the incubator farm. If an applicant is not local to the area, South Beloit is a 20-minute drive and offers plenty of housing options.
- Livestock management experience is not required to apply.
Interested farmers can find further details about the Livestock Farm Incubator here!