Main Street Pastures Receives FHLBank Grant In Partnership with Bradford National Bank

Bradford National Bank, in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago), has awarded a Community First® Accelerate Grant to small family-run farm, Main Street Pastures, located in St. Rose, IL.

“We are grateful for our partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago which has allowed us to award not one, but two small business grants this year,” said Michael Ennen, president of Bradford National Bank. “Main Street Pastures not only provides exceptional products to their community but also emphasizes the importance of understanding where our food comes from, and we are proud to support their mission.”

Main Street Pastures is a family-run business providing families with pasture-raised proteins from their farm. They raise beef, pork, lamb, turkey, and chicken, as well as eggs. Their livestock are raised using Regenerative Agricultural practices. They also grow the grains included in the feed rations using no-till practices, cover crops, and adaptive multispecies grazing. You can find Main Street Pastures’ products at local farmer’s markets, food hubs, and their farm store located in St. Rose, IL.

“Small businesses in our members’ communities provide valuable products and services that contribute to local economies,” said Katie Naftzger, Community Investment Officer, FHLBank Chicago. “Accelerate Grants provide an opportunity for our members to strengthen their partnerships with local small businesses, thereby supporting economic growth and job opportunities and strengthening the fabric of the rural, urban, and small-town communities served by our members.”

FHLBank Chicago awarded $4.3 million in Accelerate Grants to 172 small businesses in Illinois and Wisconsin in 2023, helping them expand or develop.

Jill Vonder Haar, owner of Main Street Pastures, said, “We are beyond grateful to have been awarded these grant funds to expand our business. The new store on our farm is filled with our meats and eggs, as well as cheeses, milk, flour, rice, popcorn, seasonings, soaps, pet products, and cookie/muffin mixes from other local farmers and producers.”  She added, “Our moto is Healthy Foods start with Healthy Soils.”

With the funds from this grant, we will be able to purchase a new, more efficient, and larger walk-in freezer for our farm store and facility.  We will be able to hold products that are grown seasonally and store them to be able to offer to our customers year-round.”  Visit Main Street Pastures online at www.mainstreetpastures.com or at their farm store located at 8801 Main Street, St. Rose, IL.