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Family farms have changed over the years. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, farms have more than doubled in size since 1959, and the number of farm operators has declined from 164,000 to only 76,000 today. These farmers work nearly 80 percent of the state's land, more than 28 million acres. These numbers are just statistics, but the fact is that more and more farmers are giving up their small, traditional, less-than-lucrative family farms. However, many families in Illinois have discovered a new way to stay on the farm. They are diversifying, adding specialty crops, or starting agritourism ventures. It's become more common to see such items as "pick your own" apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and horse trails where corn was once harvested. And some farmers are learning that the success of their farms may be hanging on the vine. Vineyards that both produce grapes and wine and create tourism attractions have found fertile ground for growth across Illinois. "People in urban areas are craving the experience of living on a farm," says Sheldon Keyser, member of the Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois (ATPI). "We have unique experiences and if farmers can figure out how to share them and charge properly, they can be profitable." One of the reasons the ATPI was created is to help farmers learn to market their unique products. "The marketing concept is not something farmers are used to. Their markets are fixed, so it's not part of their background and experience. We provide assistance, know how, and ideas on how to attract visitors," says Keyser. "Where I live, there are many small farms that have gone by the wayside. But grape producing on this ground is perfect. It's a way small farmers can stay on the farm and make the ground productive, while at the same time helping the economy around them," says Mike Boegler, President of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA) and owner of Dry Hill Vineyard near Ava. Boegler says Illinois is well suited to growing hundreds of varieties of wine grapes. "Our 10 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop
state is unique in that it stretches from cooler climates in the north to very warm, humid climates in the south. We have excellent soil types for grapes," he says. Prior to Prohibition, Illinois was one of the leading states in the production of grapes and wine. Today, the state's wine industry is making a comeback as one of the fastest growing wine industries in the nation. "The quality of Illinois wine has improved dramatically over the last five years," says Gib Frier, Bureau Chief of Marketing and Promotion with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. "We have wineries producing world-class wine right here in Illinois," he says. Galena Cellars Winery in Galena has been formally recognized as producing some of the best wine in the world. At the third largest wine competition in the world, Galena Cellars received 2nd place for its Frontenac Port and the Pacesetter of the Year award, among others. The winery competed against more than 3,000 wineries from across the U.S. and 16 other countries. "We had a really great year," says Scott Lawlor, part owner of the family-run winery. "We can produce as good a wine in Illinois as anywhere else." The Lawlors are producing their prize-winning port from a French hybrid grape known as OCTOBER 2004 www.aiec.coop 11
Frontenac, which they hope will become a popular Illinois variety. "We're striving to come up with something that will really stimulate the grape growing industry. When we in Illinois can grow a grape that the rest of the world wants, we can demand our price for it," says Lawlor. But even without a particular grape variety in high demand, Illinois vineyards are spreading. Frier says vines are now growing on more than 800 acres of land, and industry leaders are predicting that number will grow to 1,200 acres by the end of 2005. These acres could be managed by 300 grape growers and supply 800 jobs to Illinois. Currently, 43 wineries are operating in the state. Several more are completing paperwork and waiting on licensing. By the end of next year that number is predicted to rise to 55. That should raise the economic impact of the industry in Illinois to approximately $60 million during 2005, says Frier. This economic impact figure includes the sale of wine grapes, wine, and the tourist revenue generated by the wineries. Wineries across the U.S. are a great tourist draw and a growing form of agritourism here in Illinois. Several wineries in southern Illinois have joined together in an effort to increase the tourism in their area by creating the Shawnee Wine Trail. The trail consists of five wineries in the area: Pomona Winery, Alto Vineyards, Owl Creek Winery and Vineyard, Von Jakob Vineyard, and Winghill Vineyard and Winery. Visitors to this area can go from one winery to the other, all within just a few miles of each other, and experience the unique characteristics each has to offer.
"We wanted it to be an experience," says Karen Hand, owner of Owl Creek Winery and participant in the trail. "We've formed a council that meets quarterly to come up with ideas for attracting more tourists to southern Illinois. We've seen more bed and breakfasts open in the area, and restaurants are coming, too. It can be a weekend getaway for people." Paul and Rhoda Jacobs own the Von Jakob Vineyard in Pomona, and two of their children, Erica and Josh, are preparing to take over the vineyard and winery. Both have gone to college and received degrees in non-agriculture fields, but have chosen to continue their family-owned business. "It's all family owned and run; we've done everything ourselves," says Erica. "What we don't know how to do, one of us learns. I wouldn't recommend anyone doing this unless they love the work. It's a lot of work. It involves physics and chemistry and agriculture. You can't just know one thing and know what you're doing." The biggest family participation comes at harvest time. "For the two to four weeks of harvest, a good 50 people come out to help. Our family is out there the whole time. We pick using scissors and gloves and hands," says Erica. Hand-picking by family and willing volunteers is how Furrow Winery in El Paso gets its grapes off the vine as well. Owner Wally Furrow works with his wife, son, sister, and nephew to keep the vineyard and winery in operation. Furrow and his wife reached a point with their traditional family farm where they could no longer bring new family members into the business. While working as Illinois Rural Development Director for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Furrow spent some time with the owners of vineyards in southern Illinois. Five years ago, he decided to try diversifying his farm by planting 10 acres of grapes. Two and a half years later, he added a winery. 12 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING www.icl.coop "Illinois wine doesn't taste like other wine. The different environment that it's grown in changes it," Furrow says. "We think that's a good thing." Furrow has also incorporated agritourism into his winery by offering many special events, fall festivals, grape stomping competitions, and more. The events and the winery's elegant gift shop are integral parts of its success. It all serves to attract tourists to the shop. Furrow sells about 90 percent of his 21 varieties of wine through retail sales right at the winery itself. "You make your money selling the wine retail, out of the winery," agrees Mark Lounsberry, owner of Prairie Hill Winery in Oakford. "We can't sell our wine for $5 a bottle like they do in the grocery stores and make any money. People pay more to come out here and have the experience; it's not really so much the wine in the bottle." Lounsberry hopes to open his winery by this November. He has nine acres of grapes in his five-year-old vineyard, which was first planted with the help of his parents, siblings, children, nieces, and nephews, among others. Now, Lounsberry and his parents do the majority of the upkeep. "My dad and I have been partners in farming since I graduated from high school. We were raising livestock and had crops, but prices weren't dependable. This area is sandy, and it's not good for row crops. Traditional farming is going to die on the vine around here for small farmers, unless they want to keep expanding and expanding, and that didn't appeal to me," he says. "A vineyard is a way I can add to the farm, make some extra money, work on my own property, and still be my own boss." And in keeping with a small family operation, Lounsberry has found the entire industry has that feel. "The quality folks you run into in this business remind you of what agriculture and farming were a generation ago. It's still here, where people help one another and aren't competing with one another. In this business, the more of you there are, the better it seems to work. "One thing that's not hard to predict is that people like wine. That gives me confidence I'm doing the right thing," says Lounsberry. "It's a risk, but it's worth it."
More and more families are realizing the same thing. Whether it's through grape growing and wineries, or another method, Illinois families choosing to stay on the farm are finding new ways to do it.
• ILLINOIS GRAPE GROWERS AND VINTNERS ASSOCIATION (IGGVA)
•AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM PARTNERS OF ILLINOIS (ATPI)
• ORLANDINI VINEYARDS
VISIT WWW.ILLINOISWINE.ORG FOR A LISTING OF VINEYARDS AND WINERIES IN ILLINOIS.
•GALENA CELLARS
• FURROW WINERY
Wally Furrow
• HILL PRAIRIE WINERY
• VON JAKOB WINERY
• SHAWNEE HILLS WINE TRAIL
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