McHenry County ECO Farm Approved as a Nonprofit
Photo courtesy of Paul Yanson
The McHenry County ECO Farm has gained yet another important approval to begin operations. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul recently authorized its efforts to serve as a regenerative farm with not-for-profit status to support area-wide initiatives for Earth and humanity. It is a Hongik ECO Farm, which indicates it is a widely beneficial operation rooted in the philosophy of helping all of humanity by sharing its produce and supporting Earth with healthy farming methods.
To support a number of community organizations and individuals throughout McHenry County, the organization will offer a fully functioning farm and a variety of training and wellness programs as part of its “salt of the Earth” approach to operations.
The ECO Farm leadership team is comprised of local volunteers whose vision is to build a place where anyone can volunteer and learn about regenerative agricultural practices nfrom seeds to distribution. All farm products will be distributed freely to volunteers and at local food banks.
Hongik ECO Farm founder/board member Younglim Lee looks forward to sharing the details of the not-for-profit status. With the experience of having a proven, working model for regenerative community farming, Lee was eager to launch her own concept.
COVID-19 had exposed many of society’s vulnerabilities, encouraging her to believe that now was the time to launch the Hongik ECO Farm.
Next steps for the group include finalizing the plans to purchase the location, building the key stakeholder list for community outreach, completing a fundraising campaign and communicating the five-year plan to local agencies and community groups. The vision and goals of the ECO Farm are simple and powerful—promote wellness and community connection through cultivating regenerative agriculture, encourage sustainable living, advocate natural health practices and facilitate meaningful community service projects. The group is looking for volunteers and donations to support its efforts.
For more information, visit HongikECOFarm.org.
