Down River Farm is a 1/2 acre, chemical free, market garden located in Benson, IL. They grow fresh vegetables and cut herbs in a biointensive manner, meaning they grow crops close together and get multiple crops per bed per season in order to get the most production off of a small amount of land. Formerly located in East Peoria, Down River Farm mainly supplies the Greater Peoria community and attends the Peoria Riverfront Market each weekend starting in late May. They also have a CSA, sell to restaurants in Chicago, and work with some local restaurants in the Central Illinois area. 

Their growing practices focus on doing what's best for the soil. Adding literally TONS of compost from Better Earth Compost, a company that makes compost out of Peoria's yard and kitchen waste, each season is the basis for keeping the soil happy and healthy. The compost in combination with more targeted, organic fertilizers (depending on the crop itself) is our main fertility program that allows us to get high yields in a small space. Lastly, they use minimal tillage in order to disturb the soil as little as possible. Only what is needed, keeping the fungi, earthworms, and other organisms intact as often as possible. Our number one goal is always to grow the highest quality, nutrient dense food that our resources allow us to.