Griggs Farms, since 1940

               great grandfather, Lloyd Griggs,

purchased this farm in 1940. They had

owned a small plot of land in Manhattan,

IL, but the government cited eminent

domain. They immediately went out in

search of another farm. They found this

spot, on the corner of Dixie Hwy. and

St. George Rd., and built a home.

Our grandparents, Kenneth and Iris

Griggs, took over the farm when Lloyd passed away. In 1970, the house burned to the ground. Determined never to be defeated, they rebuilt the home. A quarter of a mile down the road on the same property, my mother and father, James and Roberta, built the home in which I would grow up.

I went off to college and afterward I lived on the property in a small home that my great-grandmother and brother both lived in for a time. When I wasn't bartending, I was traveling. I saw the world, living in Australia and Japan when I wasn't on the farm. My father had encouraged me not to be a farmer. There was no money in it, he had said.

But last year, when he passed away, I felt as if I had been beckoned home. My soon-to-be bride, Emily, and I decided to move to the farm, after which time we'd also get married on it. And, so, since September 1, 2016, we have been residents of the family farm. My brother, who designed this website, resides in the home we grew up, my mother in the small house behind us.

Love and determination and a "family first" attitude have been constants on the farm. We are proud to be the fourth generation to call this land home. 

Sincerely,

Kenneth Griggs

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