Client Spotlight: Nichols Farm & Orchard

Four Decades of Growing with Curiosity

Since 1978, Nichols Farm & Orchard has been guided by a simple idea: grow exceptional food while caring for the land that makes it possible.

What began as Lloyd and Doreen Nichols' backyard garden has grown into a 300-acre family farm in Marengo, Illinois, where three generations of the Nichols family now work together. Along the way, one thing has remained constant: a market gardener's curiosity and a commitment to growing an extraordinary diversity of crops. Today, the farm cultivates more than 1,000 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including more than 200 varieties of apples, supplying farmers markets, restaurants, CSA members, and home delivery customers throughout the Chicago region.

Nichols Farm & Orchard grows more than 200 varieties of apples.

For the Nichols family, diversity isn't just something customers experience at the market, it's part of how they farm. Growing a wide range of crops requires thoughtful management, close observation, and a long-term perspective. Every season offers an opportunity to learn, trial new varieties, and continue improving the farm for the generations that follow.

That philosophy aligns naturally with Food Alliance's holistic approach to certification. Rather than focusing on a single practice, Food Alliance recognizes operations that consider the full picture of sustainability, from responsible land stewardship and water management to worker well-being and thoughtful production practices.

Nichols Farm & Orchard has been Food Alliance Certified since 2011, reflecting more than a decade of commitment to continuous improvement and responsible farming. Their certification recognizes an operation that values healthy soils, thoughtful resource management, and a resilient approach to agriculture that supports both people and the landscape.

"Nichols Farm & Orchard exemplifies what Food Alliance has always sought to recognize, operations that are committed to continual improvement, thoughtful stewardship, and growing exceptional food with care for both people and the land," said Shaila Cook, Executive Director of Food Alliance. "Their long-standing commitment to certification demonstrates that sustainability is not a single achievement, but an ongoing practice rooted in curiosity, innovation, and responsibility."

For those in the Chicago area, Nichols Farm & Orchard's produce is never far away. Shoppers can find the farm at 13 Chicagoland farmers markets throughout the week, including Daley Plaza, Lincoln Park, Andersonville, Streeterville, West Loop, Evanston, Oak Park, and Elmhurst, or join one of the farm's CSA programs with pickup locations across the city and surrounding suburbs. Nichols also offers home delivery throughout Chicagoland, making it easy for customers to enjoy seasonal produce harvested just hours before it reaches their table.

The farm's commitment to quality has also made it a trusted partner for many of Chicago's most celebrated chefs. Nichols Farm & Orchard supplies seasonal produce to acclaimed restaurants including Topolobampo, The Publican, Girl & The Goat, Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, Terzo Piano, Torali, Homestead on the Roof, and many others. Chef Rick Bayless, whose restaurants have championed regional ingredients for decades, describes the partnership simply: "I'm a huge supporter of local farms. Nichols is one of my favorites. We've become great partners in bringing the most interesting, seasonal produce to our guests."

More than 40 years after selling vegetables from the back of a pickup truck at a local farmers market, the Nichols family continues to do what they have always done best: grow remarkable food, cultivate lasting relationships with their community, and steward the land with care for future generations. Their more than 15 years as a Food Alliance Certified operation are a testament to the enduring value of that commitment.

To learn more about Nichols Farm & Orchard, explore their seasonal offerings, sign up for a CSA, or schedule home delivery throughout the Chicago area, visit www.nicholsfarm.com. You can also find the farm each week at many of the region's farmers markets, including Chicago's Green City Market, where Food Alliance certification is recognized as one of the approved sustainability certifications for participating farms. It's another example of how independent, trusted certification can help connect responsible producers with communities seeking thoughtfully grown food.