The Homegrown Homesteaders of Central Illinois- Finding Your Community
By - Emma Rauschert - University of Illinois Master Gardener & Master Naturalist
On the first Monday of every month, homesteaders from around Forgottonia come together to share knowledge, learn something new, visit with like-minded people, and exchange resources. Located in Central Illinois, Homegrown is a grassroots group of people interested in becoming more community-sufficient, trading, growing, cooking from scratch, and embracing wholesome lifestyles.
The Homegrown Group started in 2022, when a family decided they wanted better for themselves. Brian and Susie Platt of Ellisville, IL, always loved canning and gardening, but when their daughter came to them with her newborn son and told them he would be “dye-free,” everything changed. They didn’t know what that really meant. Susie notes that she was stunned when she began looking at a horseradish label from the store listing over 20 ingredients, including food coloring dyes. She compared the store-bought horseradish to a jar she bought at an Amish store, which only had three ingredients: horseradish, vinegar, and salt. They soon discovered that almost everything they bought contained dyes and/or chemicals harmful to the human body, such as sodium nitrite, sodium benzoate, and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). After talking to more people about this, the Platts realized there was a growing group who were becoming more aware of what they were putting into their bodies. “We saw such an interest in returning to the simpler ways of life. We realized so many of the common things our parents and grandparents did that we didn’t know how to do anymore and wanted to learn,” says Susie.
They began a Facebook group in August of 2022 to share recipes, gardening tips, experiences, and questions. The page grew quickly, and posts and discussions about gardening, canning, fermenting, food forests, sourdough, holistic medicine, foraging, making tinctures and tonics, fire cider, and on and on ensued. They decided they would like to meet the people they had been chatting with so much on the Facebook page. It was in February 2023 that they held their first in-person meeting at the Ellisville Christian Church. The group has met monthly with as many as 70 people in attendance. The Facebook group has grown to over 800 members. Strong friendships have formed. So many wise community members have come to the meetings to share a range of topics. Some of their favorite activities are touring other members' homesteads and foraging.
At the meetings, members of Homegrown take turns discussing things they have learned or demonstrate how to make things. There are talks and demonstrations on various heritage skills, such as making sourdough bread, fermenting krauts, composting, butchering, milling flour, making soap, and many other topics. They also have a grocery co-op drop through Azure Standard. The group also hosts foraging outings where people come together to explore the natural resources Central Illinois has to offer. They hunt for things like young stinging nettle, ramps, blackberries, elderberries, among many other plants, all while visiting and enjoying company.
This December, they are hoping to go as a group to the Acres conference in Iowa City. Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to connect with their Facebook page to stay up to date on events, outings, and meetings. Call 309-613-2016 for more information on the in-person meetings, or with any questions. If you are interested in eating better and avoiding harmful chemicals and dyes, the Yuka app is a great place to start. Scan barcodes with your phone to quickly identify substances that shouldn’t be in food. The app will describe what the chemical is, along with scientific studies that show the effects on human health.
Homesteading was never meant to be done alone. With a group like Homegrown, everyone comes together to share their knowledge and resources. Trading baked goods for seeds, or honey for yarn, is common at the meetings. If you are looking to find a like-minded community, learn or improve heritage skills, or are interested in foraging outings, look no further than the Homegrown group of Central Illinois.
