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Farmers Rising Essay Explains the Importance of Incubator Farms
- Bob Benenson
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Farm Education Non-Profit Has a Rare Livestock Incubator Program
Farmers Rising — located in Caledonia and near Rockford in north-central Illinois — is the region's leading non-profit farm education non-profit. While there are many incubator programs around the region that serve beginning produce farmers, Farmers Rising last year also launched a unique livestock incubator program.
In its latest newsletter, Farmers Rising published an explainer about what an incubator farm is —and why they are so important — that was written by Richie Wai, their Incubator Coordinator. Local Food Forum shares the informative piece below.
And... if you'd like to get an up-close look at Farmers Rising's amazing work, take a ride in the country to its annual Alfalfa Festival, an outdoor music event that takes place Saturday (August 22) from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., with 10 music acts, locally sourced food, kid-friendly activities and, of course, a lot of natural beauty.
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What is an Incubator Farm?
Have you ever wondered what an incubator farm is? Or maybe you’ve wondered how someone becomes a farmer if they didn’t grow up in a farming family or community, especially when there aren’t obvious career pathways through trade schools, technical colleges, or apprenticeships. I certainly never had a career fair or guidance counselor suggest agriculture as a possible profession.
So where do new farmers come from, and how do they get started?
To answer that question, it’s important to understand the barriers that both beginning and established farmers face. Three major forces shape today’s agricultural landscape: farmland consolidation, farmland loss, and rural depopulation. Together, they create a cycle that is difficult to break.
As farms are sold or lost, neighboring operations, non-farming landowners, or developers purchase the land. Fewer independent farms mean fewer local jobs, which reduces the economic capacity of rural communities. As opportunities disappear, people move elsewhere, often to urban areas. That population loss further weakens local services and support systems, increasing both the economic and social pressures on the farmers who remain.
The USDA has documented this long-term trend: the number of farms continues to decline while the average size of the remaining farms continues to grow.
Many new farmers today come from urban areas and are first-generation growers, while others are new Americans building a life and livelihood here. Regardless of their background, the most common way beginning farmers gain access to land is by purchasing it from a non-relative, rather than inheriting it or receiving it as a gift.
Farming is, in many ways, a numbers game. Sales are directly tied to production scale, and production scale is closely tied to acreage. Variables like soil quality, mechanization, proximity to metropolitan markets, and value-added products can certainly improve profitability. But for new farmers navigating both land prices and startup capital, the odds are often stacked against them. Limited options frequently leave them relying on significant debt or an enormous amount of sweat equity.
That is where a farm incubator comes in. It exists in that otherwise tight space between a rock and a hard place, where shared resources create room to breathe, grow, and build a viable farm business.
At its core, a farm incubator provides affordable access to land, opportunities to rent tools and machinery at reduced cost, and access to shared infrastructure such as restrooms, wash and pack facilities, cold storage, running water, electricity, and internet.
Many incubators also offer farm business development services, including business planning, financial guidance, and market development support. Some provide training in soil health, pest management, and disease monitoring. Most also help farmers transition to independently leasing or purchasing land when they are ready.
Here in northern Illinois, Farmers Rising is the region’s only farm incubator supporting diverse agricultural enterprises, including livestock and perennial fruit and nut production. Our sister organizations — Troy Farm in Madison, Farley Center in Verona, Fondy Farm in Milwaukee, and Windy City Harvest in Chicago — primarily focus on vegetables, herbs, and staple crops while doing incredible work around urban farming, food sovereignty, workforce development, and strengthening local food systems.
For aspiring regenerative farmers, as well as established farmers interested in launching new enterprises, the Farmers Rising Incubator combines land access with farm business development through our virtual Take Root program.
We currently offer 13 acres available for farming: six acres of fenced pasture enclosed with woven no-climb wire, four acres of open field, and three acres of open-canopy woodland and shrubland. Water and electricity are available on-site for irrigation, livestock watering, and harvest activities.
Participants also have access to a wide range of shared equipment and infrastructure to help launch or expand their operations, including a side-by-side utility vehicle, tractor with front-end loader, brush mower, skid steer with grapple bucket, hay spear and pallet forks, refrigerated trailer, livestock trailer, equipment trailer, chick incubation room, chicken tractors, irrigation pipe, water troughs, electronet fencing, T-posts, and cattle panels.
Perhaps most importantly, incubator farmers become part of a community. They work shoulder-to-shoulder with experienced producers and farmer-supporting organizations, building relationships through mentorships, webinars, field days, and hands-on workshops that provide knowledge, encouragement, and long-term support.
Since joining the incubator two years ago, Elaine has grown Middle Sister Farm from a produce, herb, and ornamental flower operation into a more diversified farm.
“Participating in the Farmers Rising Incubator Farm has given me the confidence to introduce laying hens into my operation,” she said.
In her second year, Elaine nearly doubled the size of her CSA and added both honey and egg shares. This summer, she’s expanding once again by introducing broilers to provide locally raised poultry.
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