About The Farm Business Development Center
A place where farmers
grow their careers
The Farm Business Development Center at Prairie Crossing (FBDC) is a place that supports the development of successful family farm enterprises by focusing on the production and marketing of organic foods for local and regional food systems. Also known as an “incubator,” the FBDC is located on a one hundred acre organic farm in Grayslake, Illinois, and has its foundation in the Prairie Crossing Conservation Community. The incubator program works by providing land, farm infrastructure, and a positive learning environment that helps beginning farmers develop the entrepreneurial skills, farming knowledge and market networks needed to become successful professional farmers. The incubator provides support and resources to its farmers using a market-based fee structure where possible. Farmers are a part of the incubator for no more than five years, at which time they are expected to“graduate” to the next level of independence.