Kane County presentation: resiliency grant helped 19 farms, created at least two dozen jobs, consultant says

Ellen Camps, a consultant working with Kane County, told the Agriculture Committee on Feb. 19 that the county’s food-and-farm resiliency grant reached 19 farms and produced measurable business and labor benefits.

"We had a 100% response rate," Camps said in her presentation, and the program "enabled long term investment" by covering seed, labor, certifications and cash-flow needs. She said 47% of grants were directed toward labor and that "we have at least 26 people that got new jobs and new positions on farms from these grants."

The grant recipients were primarily diversified fruit-and-vegetable producers, Camps said, and the evaluation identified land access, on-farm infrastructure and labor as dominant constraints to viability over the next three to five years. The grants supported investments such as wash/pack facilities, cold storage, barn renovations and processing equipment that helped farms expand market access and value-added production.

Camps previewed a fuller evaluation report that county staff expect to publish within the next month and said the grants appear to make small- and mid-sized farms more "grant-ready" for future state and federal funding. Marking another outcome, a county official thanked the ARPA team and staff for processing reimbursement payments that helped farmers become county vendors and eligible for additional grants.

Camps also outlined companion projects: a "planting with pollinators" resource and calendar produced with partners including the Kane County Farm Bureau, Fox Valley Beekeepers Association and Illinois Extension; and outreach to connect farmers with cost-share programs such as IDOA’s PFC program and FSA disaster assistance.

County staff described next steps as procurement and expert support planned for March, scenario planning in September and a special economic-value report on agricultural easements to inform future funding decisions. Camps emphasized that while grants are useful, many farmers still need year-round revenue and longer-term land-access solutions to support perennial investment.

The committee asked for the full evaluation report when it is published; staff said it would be circulated to committee members.