By David A. F. Sweet The City of Lake Forest received the Program Excellence Award for Community Partnerships for its partnership with Elawa Farm Foundation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.
The ICMA Local Government Excellence Awards Program highlights creative contributions to professional local government management while demonstrating the difference that effective and committed management makes to the quality of life in our communities.
Elawa Farm has been the setting for many elegant dinners.
Through a public-private partnership, Elawa Farm Foundation and the City of Lake Forest work together to steward the historic campus. The City owns the property and maintains the buildings, which were designed by noted architect David Adler. Elawa Farm Foundation provides community programming, educational offerings and manages the farm grounds. City Manager Jason Wicha and Elawa Farm Foundation Executive Director Laura Calvert work together closely, ensuring a strong relationship between the organizations. “Thanks to open communication and collaboration, together we are delivering tangible benefits that improve our residents’ quality of life,” Wicha said. “This partnership exemplifies the value of finding innovative solutions to community challenges.”
Because the City supports its vision and oversees the historic building maintenance, Elawa Farm Foundation can focus on what it does best – provide engaging education and community programs, manage the organic gardens, and be a community destination. As a result, Elawa Farm serves as a vibrant spot where Lake Forest residents can participate in educational experiences, enjoy locally sourced meals, and connect with the local food system.
The unique partnership has helped youngsters learn how vegetables grow.
“The continued partnership with the City allows Elawa Farm Foundation to stretch our wings and accomplish our mission,” said Calvert, who noted that a new café and commercial kitchen will open in mid-September. “We can become an even more engaging destination for our community.”
When the City acquired the property in 1998, the historic farm buildings were in disrepair. The gardens were overrun by invasive buckthorn and honeysuckle, and one building even housed a herd of feral goats. As the City considered the fact that the farm was adjacent to the ecologically significant Middlefork Savanna, the City felt the purchase presented an opportunity for a unique partnership of public and private organizations to collaborate in the preservation and use of the property.
To learn more about Elawa Farm Foundation, please visit elawafarm.org.
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