A Rich History
Clearview Farm is where farming’s future meets the heartland’s history. Established over a century ago, Clearview Farm has had a rich agricultural history since its inception.
The original Clearview Farm farmstead was located in a cluster of trees just south of present-day St. Thomas More High School. The property consisted of a farmhouse, farmland, a large corn crib, and a large white barn that boasted the Clearview name (left). The site was home to farmers Don and Lois Wood who raised corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs. The corn crip was said to hold 10,000 bushels of ear corn and 4,000 bushels of oats or soybeans in the overhead bins. The crib coupled with the large barn made Clearview farm a livestock farmers dream.
Dr. Thomas Lahners purchased the farm in 1946. He hired Stanley Wood to be the tenant farmer that year and he and his family moved to the farm. Dr. Lahner’s delivered all of the Wood children back in the day. Sometime later Dr. Lahners donated the farm to Milliken University. Stanley’s son Don moved into the home in 1977 to carry on the Wood/Clearview farm tradition. The Atkins Group (TAG) purchased Clearview Farm in December 1997, and in 2003, the Wood family moved north to their family farm. Clearview Farm has been farmed in a continuous rotation of corn and soybeans ever since.
In the fall of 2020, TAG cultivated a new vision for Clearview Farm. This vision was inspired by a field of sunflowers planted as a transition crop on StoneCreek golf course the prior summer. The sunflowers proved to be a sensation that brought a needed feeling of enjoyment to the Champaign, Urbana, and surrounding communities during a challenging year for many. Energized by the community’s gravitation to the project, TAG leaders cultivated an expanded dream of a landscape developing with opportunity through regenerative agriculture and community engagement at Clearview Farm.
Clearview Farm opened to the public for the first time in 2021.
A Meaningful Vision
The Atkins Group’s purpose is to “exceed expectations that enhance as many lives as possible”, a vision realized at Clearview Farm. Even in its first year, the farm is a vibrant landscape of opportunities for education, community engagement, and enjoyment for all.
At Clearview Farm, people of all ages are invited to enjoy beautiful surroundings and educational opportunities.
- A visually stunning, photo-ready destination during all four seasons
- Field trips, demonstrations, and internships for students
- Abundant testing ground for non-native crops
- Commercial and academic partnerships to strengthen and enrich our local economy
An Abundance of Possibilities
Clearview Farm is a flourishing landscape of diverse crops and regenerative agricultural practices.
The farm will feature a number of beautiful non-native crops year-round—all to be enjoyed by the community, all to be harvested.
Still in its infancy as space for community engagement, the land at Clearview Farm is where ideas take root.
See you at the Farm!
