![]() Brian Sauder, who is now the director but was a program officer at the time, used to have his office here at St. I partnered a lot on advocacy work in Springfield with a group called Faith in Place. I spent 20 years working with the State of Illinois, and then the organization Prairie Rivers Network, to bridge science and policy and advocate for clean waters. I went to school to get into ecology and clean water protection, and natural resource management. Traci Barkley: This is a second career for me. Smile Politely: Let’s start by having you tell a little about yourself, and how you ended up here. Interview has been edited for length and clarity. Prior to the Urbana Amble, I met Director Traci Barkley at the farm to chat about her role, the needs in our community, goals for the future of the farm, and why turnips are her favorite vegetable. Those pieces are the engine that powers the true purpose of the farm, which is addressing food insecurity in our community by increasing access to healthy and affordable food. They also run a CSA program, which we regularly feature in our annual round ups. ![]() Many are likely familiar with their presence at Urbana’s Market at the Square and the Champaign Farmers Market, where they’ve been a fixture for several years. In their nearly 12 years of existence, the farm has grown from a small ministry of the church, to a robust community organization, all the while maintaining their founding tenets “to share our gifts with the hungry, be good stewards of the earth, and build a community of cooperation and care.” In simplest terms, they are loving their neighbors. The 29 acre expanse of new land is tucked between subdivisions on the southeast side of Urbana, a short walk from their original four acre farm at St. Last month, I spent a sunny late afternoon ambling through the land newly acquired by Sola Gratia Farm, as part of the Urbana Amble garden tour. ![]()
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