We're Back, and August Has Been Busy
- Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
August 7th, 2026
It's been a few months since we last wrote here, and honestly, the farm doesn't slow down just because the blog does. While we've been quiet online, the farm has been anything but: new staff have joined the team, aging rooms got a long-overdue upgrade, and 9 kids grew up enough to earn their names. We're back, and we've got a lot to catch you up on.
August is rolling in now, late summer nights are making way for earlier mornings, easy commutes are taking a little longer, and fall already feels close. As a parent to a school-aged kid, that means the scramble to rebuild a routine is officially underway.
On the farm, the summer has looked different. We've grown this summer, adding new staff, finishing off some long-running projects, and learning more about how to best serve the people who come through our doors. Meeting people who've never heard of us before, and sharing our love for this land and these animals, is one of my favorite parts of the job. This past year, our new Farm Store and Classroom building has let us welcome travelers and locals alike, many of them new to the farm, and it's been a real pleasure.
Summer always seems to slip by faster than I'd like. But the season isn't over yet. As much as I'm ready to start dressing the goats up for Halloween, we've still got some summer left to enjoy first.
From the Kitchen
at Caprae
Caprae has launched its new summer menu, and two dishes are standouts: the Flat Iron au Poivre, an 8 oz hanger steak with a cracked black pepper crust, beurre rouge, summer succotash, and frisée dressed in a light Meyer lemon vinaigrette; and the Tomato Toast, griddled sourdough with bone marrow butter, 8-year aged balsamic, Ukrainian farmer's cheese, boquerones, Calabrian chili, and basil, an elevated take on classic pizza flavors.
The Caprae team is also looking forward to the next Farm to Table dinner, a celebration of honey on Thursday, August 13. A few tickets remain for the evening, which features a whipped honey biscuit and tamarind honey lamb chops, made with honey from our own hives and local hives.
The gardens have been bursting with produce making its way straight into the kitchen.
Peppers are coming on fast, with Fresnos showing up in the new Blackened Shrimp plate. Tomatoes are just starting to trickle in, including Linda-1, an "executive" sized variety with rich flavor developed by a
local seedsman and exclusive to our farm. At the end of the month, the team is gearing up for Tomato Fest, with tomato-forward specials running the weekend of August 29-30.
Caprae Restaurant Hours
Brunch Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 2pm
Dinner Hours: Tuesday -Saturday, 4pm to 9pm
From the Dairy Barn
This summer the dairy team has been busy with barn improvements: a new hay manger, redone sheet metal walls, and refreshed dry lots. The does have been happily grazing through the pastures, and their milk is reflecting the diet and care they've been getting.
We narrowed this spring's 178 kids down to just 9 replacer doelings. This year's naming theme is Constellations, so please welcome Cassiopeia, Toucan, Andromeda, Ursa, Capri, Aquila, Ara, Cygnus, and our Kickstarter reward goat, Jezzy. They're developing their personalities and doing a great job as the farm's newest goat ambassadors. We've also added goat treats to the farm store, so you can treat the kids during your next visit.
This week we brought home a new addition to the buck herd: meet Bromance, a Nubian buck around 4 months old, who'll be adding a fresh genetic line to our herd.
The dairy team has also been active on two grants. The first, our SARE grant (aka the "Chicken Project"), has us introducing 30 laying hens to our rotational pasturing in partnership with DuChick Ranch. Together, our two farms are evaluating whether integrating poultry behind goats and sheep in rotational grazing can disrupt parasite cycles, reduce larval presence on pasture, and support healthier forage systems. We'll document the process with photos, videos, and written notes, with field days planned at both farms, one here in September and one at DuChick Ranch next year.
Our second grant, the Women in Ranching Community ReGrant, is bringing a free Hands-On Goat Health and Land Stewardship Workshop on September 19, led by our herd manager, Sarah Gardner. It's geared toward new farmers who want hands-on experience with goat care. The workshop is free but limited to 12 participants, and applications are required.
Apply by: August 14
You'll hear back by: August 19
From the Creamery
It's all about the cheese here! We welcomed three new team members to the creamery this summer: Shelby, Andrea, and Kristin. This summer we also entered several flavored chèvres in the American Cheese Society competition and brought home Silver for our Roasted Garlic Chèvre.
This spring we wrapped up our DBIA grant, which funded upgrades to our aging rooms, giving us better control over the temperature and humidity that shape the flavor, texture, and character of our aged cheeses. These improvements will let us increase production, expand our cheese range, and keep refining our craft. We also expanded our cold storage with a new walk-in cooler.
We've also launched a new cheese club in partnership with Table22. Each month, members receive four cheeses, primarily from our own farmstead creamery, alongside a rotating cast of artisan producers we admire from across the Midwest and beyond. It's a monthly ritual rooted in our place and our people, with a few thoughtful additions from other makers doing beautiful work.
In this month's cheese box, we're introducing sheep's milk to the rotation for the first time, pairing our creamery with Green Dirt Farm in Weston, Missouri, a Certified Animal Welfare Approved sheep dairy founded in 2002 by Sarah Hoffmann, a physician who left medicine to start her farm. Two creameries, two milk types, one summer box:
Everything Bagel Chèvre — fresh flavored farmstead goat milk chèvre, Prairie Fruits Farm, Champaign IL
Fleur de la Prairie — goat milk bloomy rind, ACS 1st Place 2022, Good Food Award 2021, Prairie Fruits Farm, Champaign IL
Dirt Lover — ash-ripened sheep milk bloomy, ACS 1st Place 2022-2025, Green Dirt Farm, Weston MO
Prairie Tomme — hard aged sheep milk, ACS Best in Show 3rd 2023, WCA Silver, Green Dirt Farm, Weston MO
Learn more about our Cheese Club!
Classroom & Kids Programs
The full August classroom and workshop schedule is live. A few highlights:
Tortilla Making Cooking Class with Chef Ernesto of El Molcajete Sauces —
August 27
A new weekly drop-in Farmstead Cheese Making Class, where you'll learn to make a simple, fresh artisan cheese with techniques you can recreate at home
Stitch Camp with Sara Jones, a 6-week series walking through basic sewing techniques
We're also excited to announce continued children's programming. This summer's Prairie Explorers was such a hit that we wanted to keep the momentum going with programming for our youngest visitors. Prairie Explorers, Jr. brings weekly pre-k programs two days a week, plus story time and sensory activities every other Saturday, all designed to connect our littlest ones to this land and community.
Volunteer Corner
We've welcomed our new Volunteer & Intern Coordinator, Sarah Miller, to the team, and we're excited to expand our volunteer and intern programming in more meaningful ways, not just during kidding season. New opportunities include:
Goat Spa Days, Goat Hike Leaders, and Goat Docents — working directly with the herd
Garden Volunteers — sowing, planting, and harvesting alongside our farm team
Chicken Care — thinking about keeping chickens but not sure where to start? Learn the basics with us
Event Help — support in the kids' corner, event setup and teardown, or showing off our goats
There's a little something for everyone interested in volunteering at the farm, with Family and Group Volunteer days coming soon. Sign up for an orientation here.
Volunteer Orientation Dates
8/12 at 5:30pm
8/14 at 10am
8/19 at 5:30pm
See you at the farm.
Christina Asklund
Director of Business Development
Weekly at the Farm
There is always something to do at the farm. From story time, cheese making to hiking with goats our schedule is full with weekly activities.
Monday — 9:30am Pre-K Story Time & Activity
Tuesday — 5:30pm Happy Hour Goat Hike;
5:30pm Drop-In Pasta Making Class
Wednesday — 9:30am Prairie Explorers, Jr. Sensory Explorations
Thursday — 6pm Drop-In Farmstead Cheese Making Class
Friday — 5-7pm Hot Dogs & Goats (free); 5:30pm Farm Tour with Cheese Tasting
Saturday — 9:30am Morning Goat Hike; Free Story time every other Saturday (8/8 & 8/22)
Sunday — 1:30pm Afternoon Goat Hike
Upcoming August Events
August is full with special events that bring community together.
August 7 — Music Bingo, 7-9pm
August 12 — Goats & Grooves,
5-7pm
August 13 — Farm to Table Honey Dinner, 4pm & 6pm seatings
August 16 — Honey Celebration, 10am-2pm
August 21 — Music on the Prairie,
5-9pm
August 29-30 — Tomato Fest
Find Us at a Local Farmers' Market & Grocery
You can find us at the following Farmer Markets:
CU Farmers Market
The market is every Tuesday till October
Hours: 3pm-6pm
Location: Downtown Champaign
The market is every Saturday through October
Hours: 7:30am - 12pm
Location: Downtown Bloomington
The market is every Saturday through October
Hours: 8am- 12:30pm
Location: Downtown Springfield
Find Our Cheese at these Retailers
Our award-winning cheeses are available at these fine retailers:
Martinelli's Market (Champaign)
Salt Fork Food Works Bloomington Food Hub
Salt Fork Food Works Springfield Food Hub
Pekara Bakery and Bistro (Champaign)
Common Ground Food Coop (Urbana)
Harvest Market (Champaign & Springfield)
Green Top Grocery (Bloomington)
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market (St Louis and Chicago Locations)
Prairie Food Co-op (Lombard, IL)
Rosewood Farms (Sugar Grove, IL)
For wholesale inquiries, contact office@prairiefruitsfarm.com
Prairie Fruits Farm & Caprae Restaurant
Farm Visiting Hours includes Farm Store and Caprae Restaurant
During all open hours, guests can explore our marked trails, visit the goats, and enjoy meals or beverages in our pavilion or on the lawns. Our staff is always happy to chat about our farm, goats, and cheese-making process.
Hours & Service
Tuesday-Friday: 4-9 PM Dinner
Saturday: 9 AM-2 PM Brunch
4 PM-9 PM Dinner
Sunday: 9 AM-2 PM Brunch
Seating Options
Indoor dining room and Outdoor patio (weather permitting)
Follow us on social media for specials and updates!
*Please note: No outside food or pets are allowed. All activities are weather-permitting.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at farm life during the seasons.
