Crow Creek Farms

Each week we plan to feature one of the Heights Farm Market vendors - allowing you, our customers insight into who they are, what they do and identifying why they are such an asset to the local Heights Farm Market.

This week we are showcasing Crow Creek Farms!

Owner: Kathy Corso

Local Items: Handmade Pasta, Ravioli, Pesto, Salsa and Fresh Herbs and Produce

Chi mangia bene, vive bene - Who eats well, lives well - is the motto of Kathy Corso's farm which started in 2006 as a family enterprise in an effort to grow local herbs and produce in a healthy sustainable way. Kathy says that neither she nor her two adult daughters, Angela and Kristina, had any real agricultural training (except for a backyard garden). The whole idea came about in the spring of 2005 after the girls returned from an Italian Farming Adventure. In the fall of 2004 Angela and Kristina spent time on five organic farms in Northern Italy. They were part of the program World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farms (WWOOF).

That was the inspiration for the family's efforts, and they started with too large a field out in Washburn near the Crow Creek, thus the name, and had no machinery so everything was and still is very hands on. After a few challenging years, they moved to an urban garden site. They saw that value added products were often appreciated by their busy customers. Handmade pastas, basil pesto and fresh salsas were and are best sellers. Kathy sated, "It has always been challenging to find the right venues and we soon realized that good marketing was essential."

While WWOOFING, her daughters became good friends with a family in Tuscany who have run an organic olive oil farm “Podere Vallari” for 30 years. "In early June we (our whole family) had the opportunity to visit this farm seven years later. The beauty of the region and the fabulous quality of “Podere Vallari” is again inspiring and helps us all recommit to the “local foods” and sustainable farming movement. I think the appreciation for fresh, wholesome food has evolved for our family the way it has for many of us. I know that I cook some new recipe including some new veggie or grain on a regular basis." Kathy says that most Italians buy fresh each day. "Even larger grocery stores have the hugest fresh produce sections!" The last 4 days of their recent tour were in Rome where the Campo di Fiori (a flower and vegetable market) is open everyday but Sunday.

The Heights Farm Market is open every Wednesday from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm through September 14th. Be sure to stop by, visit with Kathy, buy her specialty pastas and enjoy a wonderful evening out in Heritage Square on Prospect Rd - Peoria Heights, Illinois!

Click Here to Order through the Good Earth Food Alliance.
Visit Crow Creek Organics' Website.
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