About Us

“A happy and healthy community is not a fairytale. All you need is a seed.”

- NADIA SHABAZZ

Our Mission

Sola Gratia Farm is a community-based farm dedicated to producing locally-grown, high-quality, natural produce. Responding to the Gospel, the farm is committed to helping those who lack adequate food resources by donating a minimum of ten percent of its produce to support regional hunger programs.  The farm promotes healthy lifestyles and community building through volunteering and service, special events and outreach and education programs.

Despite its reputation for having some of the best farmland in the world, 1 in 7 individuals in East Central Illinois struggles with hunger and 1 in 5 children doesn't know where their next meal will come from, according to Feeding America. One of the problems contributing to hunger and obesity in our communities is poor access to healthy, affordable foods for families with low incomes.

This is exactly what the farm founders of Sola Gratia Farm wanted to address when the farm was started twleve years ago. Founded by St. Matthew Lutheran Church and Faith in Place in 2012, Sola Gratia Farm was established to share our gifts with the hungry, be good stewards of the earth, and build a community of cooperation and care.

Our staff, volunteers, and board of directors are committed to carrying out our mission through these core principles:

  • Sola Gratia Farm employs sustainable farming production methods that focus on growing an abundance of nutritious, delicious fruits and vegetables, while enhancing soil structure and biology and helping to build a community that values high-quality, locally grown food.

  • Sola Gratia Farm committed to helping those who lack adequate food resources by donating a minimum of 10% of its produce to support regional hunger programs.

  • Sola Gratia Farm encourages community involvement in the farm, not just through community supported agriculture (CSA) membership, but through volunteer opportunities, special events and educational programming, camps, classroom visits, educational workshops, job training programs, farm to school programs, and partnerships with community organizations.