Today we’d like to introduce you to Libby & Derek Ervin. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Glaciers End, owned and operated by Derek and Libby Ervin, is a farm in Johnston City and a store located at 104 N Print Ave Marion, IL. We relocated to beautiful Southern Illinois after spending almost 20 years in Chicago- We took a cue from Green Acres and decided, “Farm Livin’ is the life for us.” We are a farm-to-shelf agribusiness focused on growing specialty crops and utilizing native and invasive fauna from our farm and other farmers throughout southern Illinois. We create delicious and unique products for your kitchen, pantry, and cellar. We produce shrub-drinking vinegar, hot sauces, pickles, jams, jellies, butter, syrups, seasonings, and other exciting and unique creations. On our farm, the main thing we grow is Elderberry. We also have an orchard and focus on other unique and harder-to-find perennial berries (Goji, Aronia, Goose, Currants). In addition, we grow flowers, herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, and all kinds of peppers, from mild to super hot! We also source a lot from our farm and woods (hickory, sumac, blackberry, mulberry). We specialize in traditional food preservation methods using ingredients that we source from our orchards, gardens, and woods, as well as from over fifty local farms and growers. We use natural fermentation and traditional canning methods to preserve our fruit and vegetables, producing healthy and delicious creations that challenge and delight the palate. Although we are not certified organic, our farm uses no sprays on our produce that are not OMRI certified. We use sustainable practices, utilize native and invasive fauna, and attempt to incorporate vegetables and fruits that thrive within our region with as little assistance as possible. In addition to our shop in Marion, we do Farmers Markets throughout Southern IL and the Metro East region (Vine Street Market at O’Fallon Station, Carbondale Community Farmers Market, Farmers Market of Carbondale, LEAF Food Hub), fairs and festivals throughout IL and expanding into other states and you can order our items online!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When we first moved here, we knew very little about farming. We took a Farm Beginnings program through Food Works and learned not only how to farm but how to treat it as a business as well. We attended and continued to do field days throughout the region, in which we learned different growing practices about different crops and plants, interacted with other individuals doing similar things, and learned from others. This has been invaluable to us. We started as Cottage Food, which means we could make our items in our home kitchen. But with that came limitations of where & how we could sell initially only at farmers’ markets and off our farm. We joined the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and were able to lobby and advocate for an expansion of where and how to sell it, expanding to fairs and festivals and expanding into online sales (within the state). As the demand for our products grew, we knew we needed to find somewhere else to cook to expand and take back our kitchen! We found a great place in downtown Marion, IL, going through a beautiful revitalization. Our commercial kitchen has a front space that is our storefront, and we make everything in our kitchen in the back. We continue to navigate rules and regulations with our city and health department. But this new brick-and-mortar space allows us to continue expanding our reach with our offerings. We can now do events and markets outside of IL and ship anywhere in the US!
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your business.
We try to grow as much as we can & what we can’t grow, we source as much as possible from local farmers; we then value-add and turn everything into a product (ex, cucumber into pickles, peppers into sauces, flowers and tree bark into syrups). The main thing that we grow on our 37.5-acre farm is Elderberry. We are a unique specialty foods store. We use unique, local ingredients (hickory, sumac, honeysuckle, mulberry, edible flowers) to grow and make it. We were inducted into Illinois Made at the end of 2023. This program celebrates the small businesses whose uniquely Illinoisan style and creativity set our locally-made goods apart. We are big advocates for farming, small business, and supporting locals. We have gotten involved and found that we have a voice and can use it! We were awarded the Illinois Local Food Changemaker award in 2021 from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance for our work on the Cottage Food bill. We continue to be advocates and voices in farming as Derek is the Co-Chair for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance Soil Health Caucus. In 2023, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance awarded Derek Farmer Leader of the Year. We also went to Washington, DC, in January for Lobby Day to talk to House and State representatives about the importance of the Farm Bill and its priorities. Lastly, Libby is the President of the Illinois Farmers Market Association.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any essential lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
When COVID hit, we could not get into several of our usual farmer’s markets and faced uncertainty for our business. We pivoted and opened a small farm store on our property. People were coming out of their way to our farm to get our products. The main thing we saw was people started to see the importance of supporting locals and getting to know where their food comes from, how it is grown, and who is growing it. This has carried through and beyond COVID-19. In addition, we saw people becoming interested in gardening or farming to provide their food and relying less on others. Another lesson we learned but could be better at doing is that you need to slow down and take time out for yourself. Life is always so busy and fast-paced, and you must stop and smell the roses (or flowers or honeysuckle). The last lesson we learned is that you need to be flexible. Things can change quickly, and you have to be able to pivot and adapt. When we first started farming, we wanted to become a Cidery. Fast forward 6 years to now, we still want to do something in that area but have grown into a specialty food business. What we thought would be a straight line has taken many turns and has led us to where we are today!
Pricing:
- Shrub Drinking Vinegars: $14-$18
- Hot Sauces: $13-$20
- Pickled items: $8-$12
- Syrups: $13-$18
- Jams/Jellies/Butters: $11
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.glaciersend.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glaciers_end/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glaciersend
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@glaciersend
Image Credits
Derek Ervin
