It’s in his blood. 

The seventh generation steward of Spence Farm in Livingston County can take a seed and produce heirloom and native crops on the 160-acre farm. 

It’s a process he learned from his ancestors, who purchased the land nearly 200 years ago, and one that he is passing on to his grandchildren.

On the side of producing vegetables, mixed grains, wheat, rye, different varieties of corn sorghum, flours and corn meals, Travis is also planting the seed of opportunity for 60 other Central Illinois small farms through marketing and distribution services that deliver fresh produce, dairy and meat to almost 50 restaurants in Chicago and Central Illinois.

“Last year we delivered about 120 tons of product,” Travis said.

The thriving dining economy was something that was expected to continue in 2020. But, prior to March, Travis saw that the spread of COVID-19 would likely take hold of the United States in the same way as it had in China, Italy and Spain. 

The tried-and-true model of providing products to restaurants would have to shift, and it would need to be done quickly.

In a matter of days, Travis and the 60 farms he works with, went from providing food to 30 restaurants in Chicago to three. He immediately offered a solution that would benefit both restaurant owners and the public: produce deliveries to supplement grocery shopping during the stay-at-home orders.

“Many of our farmers at the very beginning said, ‘Oh, we’re going to scale back; you’re not going to be able to sell it to the restaurants so we should scale back and not plant as much or get rid of some livestock,’” Travis recalled. “And I turned around and I said ‘No, please. Just keep planting, plant as much as you need. We will find the place to make this happen.

“We were able to pivot quickly enough to offer (the product) to local families here in Central Illinois and in Chicago,” Travis said. “It exploded.” 

The demand came with the help of restaurant owners like The Wheelhouse’s Ryan and Abbie Rogiers. The farm-to-table restaurant has a long-standing relationship with Travis. Much of their product comes from the farms he serves.

The Rogiers took a week off after Pritzker announced that restaurants would have to close to figure out a plan that would work for their schedules, budget and customers. 

When they came back, a weekly produce menu was distributed to the public via Facebook. Customers had access to everything that chefs had access to. The orders that were placed on Sunday were delivered to the restaurant from the back of Travis’ truck by mid-week.

“(The customers) could make choices and have control over what they wanted to feed themselves and their families,” Travis said. 

The St. Joseph community was not the only town served, though. Travis continued his weekly trips up I-57 to Chicago in order to deliver to a few restaurant owners and customers there. He also delivered to Peoria and several other small communities.

At the height of the pandemic, the local farmers with the help of some Chicago distributors were serving about 700 families a week.

“I’m thrilled, beyond words to be able to offer all of our farm’s products to local families,” Travis said. “The quality of what we’re offering is, I think, exceptional.”

For Travis, though, selling a product isn’t all that goes into consideration as he grows the distribution business.

First and foremost, “I’m trying to protect the emotional, physical and mental capacity of our farmers,” he said. 

There are also time and packaging limitations on the Spence Farm operation.

Restaurant owners like the Rogiers help to sort and package the goods their customers order. Travis said restaurant owners in Chicago have also done the same. 

“By consolidating all those orders by all in bulk, do the packaging for all the individuals and take care of the sales invoice, that will allow us to come back and do what we do best: taking care of our farmers and our customers, our restaurants and our bulk buyers,” Travis said. “That will eliminate at least 40 hours a week for me.”

Organic farmers like Thomas Harrison from Crooked Row Farm in Champaign said that having an innovative thinker like Travis was reassuring in a time when nothing seemed real.

Moving from part-time work on the farm to a full-time schedule, Harrison had planned to scale up in 2020. 

“I still need to feed myself and my family and my friends; that’s that’s important to me,” Harrison said. “So I’m going to continue to do what I planned to do. I wasn’t really too worried about not selling anything.”

Instead, Harrison chose to work beside Travis.

“How do we learn more about this and adapt and move on,” Harrison said. “Yeah, it was frightening at first; this can affect everybody. And not just certain people in life. This is a pandemic, it’s widespread. And this, this could hit home. But we just need to learn about it at this point in time and then move forward. We’ll learn and adapt.”

Part of the learning and adapting process included going with Travis to Chicago and helping him deliver food. 

“It is the most surreal thing to have this experience in which we pull into an alley behind a restaurant and have down the block and around halfway the other side of the block people lined up,” Travis said. “And many of those people are celebrity chefs who are in a food line to get product from us out of the truck space six feet apart.”

Going to the Illinois’ epicenter for COVID-19, Travis and Harrison knew they were taking a risk.

“We talked briefly about the fear aspect in the risk ask aspect,” Travis said. 

“For me, at the very beginning, there was conscious thought in, ‘Do we take this risk? Do we do this?’ ‘And what does that mean?’ 

We have families, we have responsibilities. But that fear went away very quickly, with more knowledge about how to keep ourselves safe with the purpose of serving people.”

The men wore masks, used hand sanitizer often and changed their gloves between every stop in Chicago. 

“People were super comfortable with it,” Travis said. 

“Part of it is in the messaging. Part of it is in creating the community through email. Here’s what we need. What do you need? How can we make this comfortable for you? How can we give you some sense of control back in this? How can we make you feel like, what you’re doing is being responsible toward us and we’re being responsible toward you?

“Then at the end of the day, we take the gloves off, somebody feeds us, and we go home. It’s an intense day but it is a good day.”

When Travis gets home from Chicago on Wednesdays, he does not open his computer. Instead, he regroups for the Thursday trip to St. Joseph. 

Alongside offering the farm box to their customers, the Rogiers also jumped on the wagon with meal kits to be prepared at home once a week. Ryan shows home chefs how to prepare their food on a weekly video while Abbie provides comical insights and thoughts. 

The process from the farm to the table is deliberate. Travis works with restaurant owners each year to get an idea of their seasonal menus so that he can provide planting feedback to the farmers.

“There’s so much education that goes on behind-the-scenes with us trying to help farmers understand what it takes to be profitable, what it takes to be productive, what it takes to be safe and provide a product called food that we all consume.

“It’s important that they learn how to be efficient, and have the highest quality crops,” Travis said.

Harrison added, “It’s a synergy. If our plants or animals are healthy and we consume those, then we’re healthy, and we stand a better chance at fighting disease and virus. If the plants and animals are healthy, they can defend themselves from these things as well.”

An added benefit is that buying produce from local farmers also stimulates the local economy. 

“I’m not saying that this system is for everybody or that it replaces the grocery store; but what I’m saying is it gives people the choice,” Travis said. “It gives the opportunity for each of us to support local economies and local farms in a way that maybe we haven’t stepped up to in the past.”

For Harrison, the slower pace of Illinois during the stay-at-home order helped him reconnect with what is really important to him.

“This also gives us an opportunity to grow as people and just kind of slow down and get back to the things that are important to us: our food, our family and our friends. In that aspect, this pandemic has allowed us to reach and connect with our communities on another level than we have previously.”

Travis said that in recent years he has had to turn down a demand from restaurants for produce, meat and dairy products because while the demand is there, local farmers don’t have the capacity to do everything for everyone.

He has taken the Spence Farm model to help others, like Harrison, to start their own organic farm in hopes that more local farms will be established in Illinois and throughout the country.

“Then we don’t have to be big, we just have to be great,” Travis said. “I want more of these pods around the country, around the world, to create opportunities for local farms, local communities to rebuild and regenerate that whole economy. 

“We can take back our autonomy by having this local economic development again.”

Abbie said that the changes the pandemic is bringing to small businesses could be a good thing, too. Aside from moving from dine-in to curbside to outdoor dining, the Rogiers have also been in the process of setting up a local farm-to-table delivery system.

“That’s my favorite part of this whole thing,” Abbie said. “It’s like forced innovation; you have to change some choice like you can’t just keep going.

“That’s the good thing about being a small farm or small restaurant is that we have the ability to adapt and recreate things.”

Travis agrees.

“It’s a remarkable time,” he said. 

“It’s an opportunist opportunistic time.”

He also thinks it’s an intentional time.

“We’ve all had to practice social distancing, I would hope that we will be able to practice intentional compassion,” he said. “That would go a really really long way throughout society and throughout the world. And it doesn’t take that much.

“Practicing intentional compassion is really trying to take care of each other. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes progress.

“So, we should practice more.”

The post Spence Farm Co-Op provides more than sustenance first appeared on SJO Daily.

Some people may say they are crazy.

Ultramarathoners, anyone who runs a footrace longer than 26.219 miles, might agree that they are a rare breed.

But there is something that keeps those runners coming back, even if it means that they are running for more than 24 hours.

St. Joseph’s Ryan Rogiers’ journey to becoming someone who keeps coming back to ultramarathons began when he returned to the States from a year stationed in Iraq.

A former high school athlete, Rogiers was intrigued by the Chicago Marathon. At the time, he lived in Chicago, working as a chef for Alinea.

As he registered for the event, he realized that he could also make a difference by raising money to help fund Alzheimer’s research, a cause near-and-dear to his heart.

But when Rogiers moved back to his hometown to be with his lifelong love, Abbie, the annual Chicago Marathon no longer became feasible. Rogiers still wanted to raise money though, and he still wanted to run.

“I read this book called ‘Born to Run’,” he said.

“I kind of figured that if I’m going to keep raising money, maybe I should run further.”

Rogiers signed up for and ran 50k in Danville.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Rogiers remembered.

“I think Abbie had me on a recording after that saying that I’m never doing that again.”

But that sentiment didn’t last long.

In 2015, he ran a 50-mile footrace, then moved on to running a 100-mile race in California.

“I just fell in love with the sport,” he said.

“I love the people, I love being out on the trails; that’s where I go to think and get lost. Now I can’t stop.”

As the owner of The Wheelhouse and a father, Rogiers’ training time is limited.

During the week, Rogiers will get in five to seven miles whenever he can. He includes bodyweight training and strength training, then on the weekends he can usually get in a 20-mile run.

Figuring out the training routine was a learning curve, though. Rogiers started trying to get in 40-mile sessions to prepare.

“As I’ve grown older and wiser through my ultra-running years,” he said.

Now Rogiers focuses on getting his body in the best shape he can.

“It’s going to be hard and hurt no matter what,” he said. “Get as fit as you can and have long runs built into it and you’ll do just fine.”

He also had to learn how to pace himself throughout the race.

“I feel great in the beginning and I can run faster, but you have to slow yourself down and keep a pace. In the later stages of the race, it turns into a walk and job. You just keep yourself moving and eating so you can keep your nutrition up.”

There have been times when Rogiers wanted to give up.

In the North Face 50 in Wisconsin, he looked at his wife at mile 35, and said he couldn’t do it anymore.

“My good coach, Abbie, sat me down and was like, ‘Hold on. You’re not quitting. Just get some food, give it 10-minutes and we will see what happens.’”

After the break, Rogiers felt better and completed the course.

Having Abbie there during the race is a must for Rogiers.

“It’s huge for me,” he said.

Even though Abbie can’t always be there for the entire race, she will often show up a little over half-way through the run, when he needs her most.

Recently, she met Rogiers around mile 60, right before he was going into the evening hours.

“That’s the time when it gets tough,” he said. “I need somebody to help change my socks and put on new shoes because it hurts to bend over.”

Aside from making sure that he also gets the right food to keep moving forward, just the thought of seeing Abbie keeps Rogiers going.

“Just to have her there, mentally knowing that I get to see her in an hour, and she’ll help me and get me up and going, it’s huge,” he said.

Rogiers has participated in two 100-mile races in 2019.

The first two did not go as planned.

The wet trails in Ohio resulted in a twisted knee. Then during the middle of the night in Michigan, he jumped to the side of the trail to miss some runners who had fallen and hurt his knee again.

Running through all hours of the night took some getting used to. Aside from missing out on a night of sleep, Rogiers found that the runners had to be alert enough to miss tree stumps, roots and rocks along the trail.

“The burst of energy you get when the sun comes back up the next morning is, it’s huge,” he said. “It’s a brand new day.”

The two injuries could have sidelined him for the year, but Rogiers felt good enough to compete in another 100-mile run in Indiana on Oct. 13.

He hopes to one day be fast enough to finish before the sunrise.

It may be possible.

Rogiers finished his last race in 27 hours and 15 minutes, an hour ahead of his personal best. The evening hours were so cold that Rogiers spent about 2 hours in the car trying to warm up. He also stopped to eat.

Being with other runners who are just as “weird” as him, Rogiers said that the time spent with ultramarathoners is time well spent.

“We just love being out in the woods and being around other people who are just as crazy as we are,” he said.

Knowing they take a toll on the land, the ultramarthoners also give back to the environment.

The run in Indiana gave back to the Indiana State Park system to make sure the trails are kept up. Before runners are accepted into an ultramarathon in the western states, they have to show that they have put in at least eight hours on trail care.

“We take care of the land and materials because that’s where we love to be,” he said.

Rogiers is preparing to run a different type of course in 2020.

He has been accepted as one of 54 runners in the Destin Beach 100 over President’s Day weekend, Feb. 14-16. The run will raise money for another cause near-and-dear to Rogiers’ heart: the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides a post-secondary education to the surviving children of fallen special operations service members.

Luckily, the Rogiers family visits Florida at the end of January each year. Rogiers plans to spend time running on the beach to train.

To kick-off his fundraising effort, Rogiers will host a seven-course dinner in partnership with Momentum beverage on Nov. 15 at The Wheelhouse.

Reservations for the dinner are currently being taken. Dinner is $70 per person. Cocktail pairings and dinner are $100 per person.

Rogiers hopes to raise $3,000 that night to help him reach his goal.

His fundraising efforts will continue until the run that begins on Valentine’s Day.

This isn’t the first time that Rogiers has held a fundraising dinner at The Wheelhouse. Each summer he remembers his late mom, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2006.

The post Rogiers to raise money for Special Operations Warrior Foundation first appeared on SJO Daily.

A hand-knitted sweater, a hat made by grandma, a scarf that has been handed down through generations.

At some point, wardrobes turned from the handmade to the store-bought. But here, in late 2019, there is a movement of people who want to experience the way yarn feels in needles, the pride of giving a handmade gift, the warmth of an item that fits perfectly.

There is something more happening these days going into winter; people in St. Joseph are finding a space and opportunity to gather to make something, to learn something, to laugh about something and to reconnect with something at The Wheelhouse.

The Wheelhouse started as a place where St. Joseph-Ogden alums Abbie and Ryan Rogiers could fulfill their dream of serving unique farm-to-table food for their family, friends, neighbors and new acquaintances.

But the Rogiers had another vision, too: one they are finally seeing begin to come to fruition.

Soon after opening The Wheelhouse in 2017, the Rogiers were approached by their lifelong friend, Wes Miller.

“Wes had talked about hosting a quiz night for a few years and when Ryan and Abbie opened The Wheelhouse, he talked to them about doing it,” his wife Amanda said.

The Millers, who live in the house that Wes grew up in, spend some of their time between the first Wednesday of each month, coming up with questions, keeping five categories in mind: pop culture, general knowledge, music, in the news and words.

“We have also done theme nights like 90s TV or Oscar-Winning Directors. I’m a huge Seinfeld fan so naturally we’ve done two Seinfeld nights,” Amanda said.

The Rogiers usually supply the prizes, but the Millers have explored the trove of their home to see what they can come up with from time-to-time.

“Wes grew up in our house so it has 40 years of treasures stored away in the attic and basement,” Amanda said. “Once we did an advertising mascots category and we happened to find a 7-Up Spot keychain in the basement that we used as a bonus prize.”

The Millers host Trivia at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, and Joel and Loren Sanders have started hosting it on the second Wednesday.

“We have some regulars that come, but it’s also fun when people just happen to come in on a Wednesday and join in the fun,” Amanda continued.

The introvert of the group, Amanda said she usually sits at the bar and watches Wes work with the crowd.

“But what I’ve liked most about the experience is how it has brought people together and helped to make The Wheelhouse a place to gather,” she said. “I know that was one of Abbie’s hopes for the restaurant and I like we have contributed to that in a small way.”

Starting earlier this month, Amanda, alongside Jill Lagerstam, is contributing a little bit more to Abbie’s vision. The friends put together an opportunity for people to learn how to knit on Sundays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Jill actually taught Amanda how to knit about eight years ago.

“There were probably six to eight of us at that original lesson and I think I’m the only one that continued knitting after that night,” she said.

“My mom was always crafty and she taught me to cross-stitch growing up. I took on knitting pretty quickly and I find it relaxing. I also love that it makes me feel productive when I’m sitting around watching really bad TV — at least I’m making something.”

Over the years, Amanda has knitted scarves, cowls, blankets, shawls, hats, mittens, socks, ear warmers, hair bows, and a bag to hold her yoga mat.

She has even attempted to teach her three children and her niece. The children did not take to the hobby immediately, but they do have remnants of their projects, which they work on from time-to-time.

Amanda said that although she is not knitting all the time, there is a resurgence among adults.

“Knitting has made a huge comeback and is very trendy right now,” she said.

“I think people like it because it’s relaxing and productive. You feel a great sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed a project.

“It’s also much more accessible than it used to be. There are a million great videos on YouTube that can help you learn a new stitch or fix a mistake. It’s so much easier than trying to learn from a diagram or having to find someone who can show you.”

Through talking about her hobby, Amanda found that there might be a need for one-on-one training in the St. Joseph community.

“When people find out I knit, they often tell me how they’d like to learn. It seemed like there was an interest out there,” she said.

When an inquiry about book and knitting groups came up on the St. Joseph Community Facebook page, Amanda and Jill decided that there was a larger interest than they first thought.

“I texted Jill and Abbie and we started to plan,” Amanda said. “We created a class and provided yarn and needles and committed to hosting knitting sessions every Sunday in October from 3:30-5:30.”

The first group, which met on Oct. 6, grew in numbers last Sunday. Those new to knitting are working on making a basic scarf, while others, who already know how to knit just bring their projects to socialize while they are working. a

“I hope people just enjoy themselves and connect with new people,” Amanda said. “Ideally, they will all become master knitters and love the art, but I don’t think that’s what’s most important.”

In a world that is seemingly disconnected, Amanda said that isolation has led to a very divided society.

“It’s nice to have something to come together around that is very neutral,” she said.

“Experiences like this allow us to get to know each other as people, not by who we support politically or how we feel about hot-button issues. It’s a beautiful respite from the politically charged life we encounter through radio, TV and social media.”

Anyone interested in joining The Wheelhouse Knitting group should contact Amanda Miller on Facebook (Amanda Payton Miller), email amnda86@hotmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page.

A fee is included for newcomers, and includes knitting needles, yarn, a pattern and instruction.

The post Miller brings love of knitting to The Wheelhouse first appeared on SJO Daily.