We know moms have questions about food. That’s why Mike and Lynn Martz of Larson Family Farms and many other Illinois Farm Families are giving city moms a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens on Illinois farms. Mike will share with us the tough questions they answer, along with a few surprising revelations.
Mike and Lynn Martz are part of a larger family operation called Larson Farms. Larson Farms began in 1953 when Ray and wife Carol started with 150 acres at a location east of Sycamore. They moved to the present farmstead in 1965. The farm continued to expand in grain production and cattle feeding over the years as members of the family joined the operation. Presently there are eight members and three generations of the family actively involved in the operation consisting of Ray and Carol, son Norm and wife Barb, daughter Lynn Martz and husband Mike and grandson Justin and wife Jamie.
In recent years consumers has become increasingly interested in how and where their food is raised. This has led to consumers coming from urban areas to tour farms and secure a better understanding of agriculture. One of the most successful and publicized programs is the “Chicago Field Moms Tour” which brought a group of housewives from the Chicago area to Larson Farms to see first-hand how their food is grown and raised. The field moms recorded their day on the Larson beef and grain farm by taking photos, videos, and journaling their observations.
Now that the farm tour is over, the Field Moms will share what they have learned with other moms and consumers through video clips, photo albums, blog posts and other media outlets. Lynn Martz has posted pictures, blog and other items of interest on the Illinois Farm Families web site at http://www.watchusgrow.org/Martz-Family.html
