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WRIGHT CITY, Mo. 鈥� On a warm, humid day in eastern Missouri, visitors milled about the Long Row Lavender farm, sitting in shaded areas, walking out among the colorful rows of lavender, and perusing the gift shop and cafe inside the farm鈥檚 barn.

Tracy Smith, who owns the farm with her family, says they first planted lavender in 2009, although they didn鈥檛 open the farm to the public until 2016, while they developed their operation.

AMES, Iowa 鈥� Kate Solko took a roundabout path to becoming a farmer, but her farm provides a direct way for some customers to be involved in farming.

Solko runs Root to Rise Organic Farm just outside of Ames. It鈥檚 based on the same property as Prairie Moon Winery and Alluvial Brewing Company. The organic vegetable farm is surrounded on three sides by CRP land. It features a CSA, a presence at a local farmers market, sales to the local Wheatsfield Cooperative, and even some donations to a local food pantry.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. 鈥� Veronica Porter combines her compassion for veterans and her passion for growing and sharing healthy food in many things she does.

Her grandfather was an organic farmer, and several members of her family served in the military. Her father, father-in- law and her husband are all veterans.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. 鈥� Two local foods growers are thinking outside the box when it comes to their CSA boxes. They have teamed up with a fitness club to provide healthy foods and recipes for its members and with a retail shop to pair farm produce with oils, vinegar and spices for their foodie customers.

That鈥檚 not the only area where Cook Farm partners Dylan Cook and Chelsea Meiss are taking a different spin on the traditional Community Supported Agriculture program they offer in central Illinois.

BENTON, Ill. 鈥� 鈥淗ello, ladies,鈥� Philip Brannan says as he welcomes a couple of repeat customers to his stall at the Benton Farmers Market. 鈥淗ow y鈥檃ll doing?鈥�

Brannan emits exuberance and a genuine folksiness. He is one of hundreds of farmers in Illinois whose light shines brightly among the plants, vegetables and other produce on display. The market venues 鈥� which have become increasingly popular over the past few years 鈥� join consumers and farmers like nothing else.