Most Illinois farmland is not owned by farmers
Surrounded by rows of soybeans and corn, Hans Bishop’s farm in central Illinois was an anomaly. He grew kale, peppers, eggplants and radishes, selling to Whole Foods from June through October and to local restaurants, grocers and families year-round. The vegetable farm was born in 2009 on a quarter acre rented to him by his father, a row crop farmer. After spending a decade in the corporate world, Bishop was inspired by documentaries such as “Fresh” and “Food, Inc.” that scrutinized conventiona