Elawa Farm

Elawa Farm A historic farm & food destination in Lake Forest, IL • Adult & Youth Programs • Farm Dinners • Wedding Venue
The Café open Wed-Sun from 8 am - 3 pm!

Elawa Farm, a restored farm and garden, was built in 1917 by the A. Watson Armour family. Designed by David Adler and Alfred Hopkins, Elawa Farm is a historically and architecturally significant farm estate, located in Lake Forest, IL. Today, our mission is to steward a historic farm that enriches greater Lake County as a center for experiential learning to broaden access to education, nutritious food, and our local food system.

09/05/2026

🥬 Quick Tip with Elaine #8: Growing & Harvesting Lettuce Mix! 🌱

Looking for an easy way to keep fresh greens coming from your garden? Lettuce mix is a quick-growing crop that can be succession planted, making it easy to have a steady supply of fresh greens throughout the season! 🥬🌿

In this week’s Quick Tip, Elaine shows us how to harvest lettuce mix using a serrated knife. As a “cut and come again” crop, you can harvest it and have fresh growth ready again in just 7–10 days!

When harvesting, cut higher up on the plant and leave some of the leaves behind. This allows the plant to continue photosynthesizing and encourages it to keep growing for your next harvest. 🌱

Want personalized gardening advice for your own yard? 🌼

Through Edible Yards by Elawa Farm, Elaine Madansky, our Edible Garden Specialist, offers in-home consultations to help your vegetable or cut flower garden thrive. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve an existing garden, Elaine provides expert guidance tailored to your space and goals.

Services include:
🌱 Initial garden consultations
🌿 Soil testing & analysis
🪴 Crop planning & basic garden design
🐞 Garden problem-solving
🌼 Ongoing coaching and support

Ready to grow with confidence? Schedule your consultation through the link below!
https://www.elawafarm.org/edible-yards

Labor Day Hours 🌿In observance of Labor Day, Elawa Farm’s Visitor Center, Café, Market, and other Foundation facilities ...
09/04/2026

Labor Day Hours 🌿

In observance of Labor Day, Elawa Farm’s Visitor Center, Café, Market, and other Foundation facilities will be closed on Monday, September 7.

Our farm grounds and walking trails will remain open for visitors to enjoy throughout the holiday.

We’ll continue operating under our normal hours through Sunday:

☕ Café | Wednesday–Sunday | 8 AM–3 PM
🧺 Market | Thursday–Saturday | 8 AM–3 PM | Sunday | 10 AM–3 PM

Wishing everyone a safe, meaningful, and restful Labor Day! ❤️

🌿 We’re Hiring at the Elawa Farm Café! ☕️🍴Come be part of the team at Elawa Farm! Our Café is looking for enthusiastic, ...
09/03/2026

🌿 We’re Hiring at the Elawa Farm Café! ☕️🍴

Come be part of the team at Elawa Farm! Our Café is looking for enthusiastic, hardworking team members to join us.

We’re currently hiring for:
👩‍🍳 Cook
☕ Barista
🍽️ Food Runner/Busser
💰 Cashier

If you’re passionate about good food, great hospitality, and being part of a welcoming community, we’d love to hear from you!

Interested in joining the team? Apply today through the link below!
https://www.elawafarm.org/careers

09/02/2026

✨ An Evening for the Future of Elawa ✨

Join us Saturday, September 19, for Elawa Farm’s Harvest Benefit Dinner — an unforgettable evening under the stars celebrating the season, our community, and the mission that makes our work possible.

Enjoy a multi-course dinner prepared by Chef Lee Kuebler, showcasing the best of the fall harvest and served in our gardens. The evening will also feature a live auction and paddle raise supporting Elawa’s Food Access, Educational, and Workforce Development programs.

As Elawa’s largest fundraiser of the year, our goal is to raise $325,000 to help expand access to nutritious food, hands-on learning, and meaningful employment opportunities throughout Lake County.

📅 Saturday, September 19
🕕 6:00–10:30 PM

Gather your friends, fmily, and colleagues and join us for a special evening where every seat helps make an impact.

🎟️ Reserve your tickets at the link below.
https://www.elawafarm.org/annual-fundraisers

🍂 September at Elawa FarmWelcome the first signs of fall at Elawa Farm! We’re looking ahead to a month filled with hands...
09/01/2026

🍂 September at Elawa Farm

Welcome the first signs of fall at Elawa Farm! We’re looking ahead to a month filled with hands-on cooking and baking classes, creative workshops, community dinners, family-friendly activities, and more opportunities to slow down and connect with the season.

Here’s a look at select programs and events happening at the farm this September. Be sure to visit our website to explore the full breadth of our September offerings and find something that’s right for you!

🌿 Adventures at Elawa | September 2, 23 & 30 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
🍔 Burger Night | September 2, 9 & 30 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
🧘 Little Yogis: Yoga & Craft with Marbear Yoga | September 3 | 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
🔥 Summer Grill Night | September 3, 17 & 24 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
💐 Late Summer Bouquet Making with Eileen Weber | September 10 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
📖 Japanese Stab Binding with Regin Igloria | September 15 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
🥯 Mini Bagels and Schmears with Micah Siva | September 16 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🔔 Autumn Equinox Sound Bath Experience with Mina Multack | September 16 | 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
🌻 Paint the Sunshine: Sunflowers in Watercolor with Evelyn Phelps | September 18 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
🐟 Demo Cooking Class: Premium Gluten-Free Seafood with Chef Mickey Knutson | September 22 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🥧 Easy As Pie: Local Harvest Pies and Tarts with Chef Maggie Logan | September 23 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
🍝 Kids Cooking Class: Colorful Pasta Making | September 23 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
🌮 Kids Cooking Class: Tortilla Making with Chef Ernesto | September 28 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
🧘 Yoga on the Farm | Saturdays | 9:00 AM
🐓 Feathery Friends | Fridays & Saturdays | 9:30 AM & 1:00 PM
🚶 Goat Stroll | Saturdays | 12:00 PM
🐐 Goat Yoga | Saturdays | 10:30 AM
🐾 Hooves & Hugs | Saturdays & Sundays | 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM & 11:00 AM
🚜 Public Farm Tours | Select Saturdays | 10:00 AM & 12:00 PM

Plus,

🛒 The Market | Thursday–Saturday | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Sunday | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
☕ The Café | Wednesday–Sunday | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM

✨ Tickets and details are available now—click the links below and join us for a beautiful September at Elawa Farm!

https://www.elawafarm.org/classes-programs

https://www.elawafarm.org/farm-dining

🌸 Late Summer Bouquet Making with Eileen Weber 🌸📅 Thursday, September 10⏰ 10:30 AM–12 PMJoin Eileen Weber, AAF PFCI, of ...
08/31/2026

🌸 Late Summer Bouquet Making with Eileen Weber 🌸

📅 Thursday, September 10
⏰ 10:30 AM–12 PM

Join Eileen Weber, AAF PFCI, of Lake Forest Flowers, for a hands-on floral design class at Elawa Farm! Start with a brief tour of our gardens to learn about harvesting techniques, then create your own late-summer garden arrangement using locally sourced flowers in a variety of colors and textures. 💐

You’ll leave with a beautiful bouquet to take home and new tips for creating your own floral arrangements!

Eileen brings extensive experience teaching floral design and has presented at garden clubs, libraries, the Evanston Art Center, and more. We’re excited to welcome her back to Elawa following our Blooms to Bouquets and Brunch event!

🌿 Space is limited. Click the link below to sign up!
https://www.exploretock.com/elawafarm/event/617320/late-summer-bouquet-making-with-eileen-weber

🌱 From the Garden to the Kitchen at CEL 🌿We recently joined CEL Catalyst members for a special garden-to-table cooking d...
08/28/2026

🌱 From the Garden to the Kitchen at CEL 🌿

We recently joined CEL Catalyst members for a special garden-to-table cooking demonstration led by our Community Partnership Manager, Karen McGowan, as part of Elawa’s Specialty Crop Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Karen brought an abundance of ripe produce grown at Elawa Farm and by our local farm partners, while CEL contributed fresh dill and basil from their own garden. Together, participants chopped, mixed, and cooked while learning how seasonal ingredients can come together to create a healthy, balanced meal. 🥕🍅🌿

Karen also shared tips for making the most of locally grown produce and encouraged participants to think about where their food comes from and how they can incorporate more fresh, seasonal ingredients into their meals.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with the Catalyst community and share a little garden-to-table inspiration! 💚
CEL - Center for Enriched Living

08/27/2026

🌱 Quick Tip with Elaine #7: Planting for Fall! 🥬

Have an open garden bed? Now is the time to start thinking about your fall crops! Even though it’s still hot outside, cooler temperatures are right around the corner, making this the perfect time to get your fall garden growing. 🌿

In this week’s Quick Tip, Elaine shares some of her favorite crops to plant for the cooler season, including Swiss chard, kale, lettuce, carrots, radishes, and arugula. 🥕🥬🌱

These cool-season crops can continue growing and producing well into fall, with many lasting right up until the first frost, which typically arrives around October 15 in our area. That means there’s still plenty of time to fill those empty beds and keep your garden producing! 🍂

Want personalized gardening advice for your own yard? 🌼

Through Edible Yards by Elawa Farm, Elaine Madansky, our Edible Garden Specialist, offers in-home consultations to help your vegetable or cut flower garden thrive. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve an existing garden, Elaine provides expert guidance tailored to your space and goals.

Services include:
🌱 Initial garden consultations
🌿 Soil testing & analysis
🪴 Crop planning & basic garden design
🐞 Garden problem-solving
🌼 Ongoing coaching and support

Ready to grow with confidence? Schedule your consultation through the link below!
https://www.elawafarm.org/edible-yards

08/25/2026

Greenhouse Cooking with Chef Lee 🌿

This time in the greenhouse, Chef Lee made a colorful ratatouille using freshly harvested eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and peppers from the garden at Elawa Farm.

From garden to plate, it’s always a little more special when the ingredients come straight from the farm. 🌱✨

08/24/2026

🌿 Start your Saturday with a little movement, fresh air, and beautiful views.

Join us for Yoga on the Farm every Saturday at 9 AM, and flow through an hour of movement surrounded by the beauty of our restored gardens. 🧘‍♀️✨

All levels are welcome, so bring your mat, take a deep breath, and start your weekend with a little time for yourself.

Click the link below to reserve your spot:
https://www.exploretock.com/elawafarm/event/602469/yoga-on-the-farm

See you on the mat! 💚

Address

1401 Middlefork Drive
Lake Forest, IL
60045

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm
Saturday 8am - 3pm
Sunday 8am - 3pm

Telephone

+18472341966

Website

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