Newsroom | Community Health

Fiona Munro grew up in Urbana, Illinois, for 19 years before she learned that her hometown offered unique opportunities in sustainable farming.

Urbana and surrounding Central Illinois sit on some of the world’s most fertile farming soil. Soybean, corn and cash crop farms dominate the area yet farms growing healthy, affordable food that also offer educational opportunities for children and adults are fewer than you might think, Munro says.

“It’s unfortunate,” she says. “Farming is vital for food production and is a beautiful way of giving back to your community. I want kids to have the opportunity to learn and see that.”

As Education and Outreach Coordinator for Sola Gratia Farm, a nonprofit produce farm dedicated to feeding those in need, Munro teaches children and adults about the benefits of sustainable farming and a healthy lifestyle while providing high-quality, affordable food for the region’s low-income and food-insecure communities. 

More than 134,000 people in eastern Illinois, including 1 in 6 children, don’t have enough to eat, according to Feeding America. Nearly half of students in Urbana School District #116 qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022, according to the district’s Equity Audit Report.  

“Our area is not unique in lacking good sources of healthy, affordable food,” says Munro. “But we do have the unique opportunity to address those needs through our farm.”

With help from a $40,000 Blue Impact℠ grant, Sola Gratia Farm is expanding its operation and developing a 4-acre plot of land into a teaching farm with areas for special projects, workshops and fruit and nut trees.

The grant is part of BCBSIL’s Blue Impact initiative that has awarded nearly $4.5 million to 115 community organizations across the state in 2024. The program partners with organizations focused on locally defined health solutions, increasing access to nutritious food and other areas targeting social and economic factors that affect health.

The newly developed farm space will host free or affordable workshops for children and adults to learn about the farming production process through hands-on weeding, gardening and harvesting.

Funding will also support volunteer opportunities and job training programs. New educational and interactive signage, walkways and exhibits will help visitors learn about healthy, sustainable farming strategies.

“A diet based on healthy food is the basis for good physical and mental health,” said Katie Cangemi, community investment senior program officer at BCBSIL. “With funding through our Blue Impact grant program, Sola Gratia teaches people how to farm their own crops on a small scale, ensuring access to the foods that can keep them healthy.”

Sola Gratia Farm was founded in 2012 by Saint Matthew Lutheran Church and Faith in Place, an organization dedicated to environmental initiatives. The urban farm sits on 29-acres of land and grows high-quality produce, donating 20%-30% of everything it grows, Munro says.

Harvested food goes to local soup kitchens, free markets, feeding programs and food banks in the region, including the Eastern Illinois Food Bank, which serves 18 counties. The farm also sells discounted food to beneficiaries of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

In 2023, Sola Gratia harvested and distributed more than 80,000 pounds of produce using organic practices and connected nearly 250 families to healthy, seasonal food through delivery box subscriptions.

“We’re trying to break down barriers to growing and preparing food in our community and empower people with the skills to be able to meet their own fresh food needs,” Munro says.

With BCBSIL’s support, Munro says she hopes to increase the amount of food the farm can provide to families in need and enhance awareness of local, sustainable farming opportunities for future generations.

“To have the experience of building community with local youth and empower them to grow and prepare their own food and ensure they feel supported and respected in this farm space will build healthy habits and communities for the rest of their lives.”