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All physicals require an appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call 815-561-1283. Inside the Rochelle Petro Travel Plaza (I-39 & Route 38). Entrance on the northwest corner. Ample truck parking available.
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ROCHELLE:
Barman’s launches as local grain-to-glass spirits brand
“They have a state-of-the-art distillery and their attention to detail and professionalism are unmatched,” Holder said. “It made sense to do it here. Most premium vodkas you see in bars are from Europe from 30-40 years ago. That’s A new grain-to-glass spirits brand made in tired and old. There’s nothing that’s locally-made, old-school and premium the Rochelle is launching this month. Barman’s way I wanted to do it. I wanted to do it all from scratch and the right way and produces an original premium vodka alongside that’s how I got here. I live in Naperville and this isn’t too far of a drive for me.” three naturally-infused vodka expressions crafted After getting in touch with Kennay Farms Distilling, the Barman’s ownership from locally-grown winter wheat at Kennay group worked to run a test batch at the facility with its 100 percent wheat Farms Distilling in The Hub City. recipe. The test batch was ready on New Year’s Eve 2025, and the results were Barman’s was created by Johnny Holder, “fantastic”, Holder said. The partnership then moved forward. who was later joined by investors Josh Becker The infusion process of Barman’s three flavored vodkas is done with real, and Bob Whitehead. Each member of the natural fruit, which is the hardest part of the production timeline, Holder said. trio brings decades of restaurant industry “We then hand bottle, label and package everything,” Holder said. “It was experience. Barman’s focuses on products a lot of forklifts and long days. It took about three months to get our first that perform behind the bar. Its vodkas are production run completed and we hope to get that process down to about a week made from 100 percent wheat. or two. It was a learning curve.” Barman’s Spirits are distilled by Barman’s Spirits are 100 percent natural with no added chemicals, Holder Kennay Farms Head Distiller Adam said. Large vodka brands often redistill leftover byproduct to save on costs. Kennay, and hand infused, bottled, labeled and packed by Barman’s owners. Barman’s does not, which makes the bottled end product less harsh, Holder said. Kennay Farms Distilling has partnered with Barman’s for a distilling and “If you taste our vodka next to any of the big brands, you won’t taste that production site. The distillery opened in 2019 at the transformed site of the harshness,” Holder said. “Ours is smooth and clean. It makes cocktails better. former Hub Theater and is owned by the Kennays, a sixth-generation farming And the infused vodka is natural fruit, not chemicals. People want natural now, family. not chemicals or added sugars. That’s where we shine. It’s 100 percent natural, On July 6, Barman’s will ship out its first pallets of vodka to the sales market. local and premium. No corners are cut. It’s the real deal.” The brand will be sold statewide. Holder said he wishes he could have bought vodka like Barman’s in his 30 Holder’s specialty is bar programs, cocktails and infusions. years of running bars. He’s looking forward to seeing how the market takes to a “I’ve done all of it,” Holder said. “I decided to take what I know how to do vodka made for bartenders, by bartenders. and launch my own business so I can be responsible for my own success. I Each bottle of Barman’s features a picture and bio of a local Illinois bartender had the idea and spent six months doing prototypes and got two investors and from Holder’s past and one features himself. He wanted the brand to reflect the partnered with this distillery.” industry it came from. Holder originally looked at starting his own distillery before opting to partner “We’re most excited for the industry to see something come out that’s with an already-existing facility. After touring about 25 distilleries in the region, dedicated to them,” Holder said. “Big, corporate brands put celebrities on their he got in touch with Kennay Farms Distilling and was drawn to the new facility labels that regular people and bartenders don’t have any attachment to. Here’s and local farming family. a brand about us and for us. We’re excited to get it into bartenders’ hands so The Barman’s business model differs from most of what is seen on the current they can be creative with it. I can’t wait to see the recipes that come out of bars where people are using our brand.” vodka market, Holder said. By Jeff Helfrich jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
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Farm-to-table butcher shop, bakery and restaurant Wesley 1895 now open in Mt. Morris ‘I’m excited to give community members and the region an experience like no other’ By Jeff Helfrich jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
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esley 1895, a new farm-to-table butcher shop, bakery, restaurant and event space at 13 S. Wesley Ave. in Mt. Morris, held a soft opening July 3. The butcher shop will have fresh meat in the coming weeks and frozen meat is currently available. The restaurant will open in the coming months, owners Jeff Warren and Josh Nelson said July 16. “The soft opening was our first of many steps when you start looking at the concept of the entire business and having multiple profit centers and entities under one roof,” Nelson said. “We have one profit center open now. There are a lot more to come. It’s gratifying to finally welcome the public into what we offer and we’re excited about what’s to come.” The business has come to fruition, six years after the Mt. Morris Economic Development Corporation brought Warren and Nelson together and they approached the owner of the empty downtown building and purchased it. The downtown building, which was vacant for more than 10 years, has seen a complete revitalization and modernization. The location was previously a pharmacy. Nelson said the pre-1900 building saw a studs-up remodel and modernization. Nelson and Warren, both Mt. Morris residents, have farming backgrounds. Nelson Family Farms and Warren’s BerryView Orchard are community staples. Warren said Wesley 1895’s farm-to-table focus aims to reach out to the entire region, with a movement toward people wanting to shop
local more and know where their food comes from. Nelson wants the venture to be for all farmers in Northern Illinois. He wants to provide an outlet for as many producers as possible, whether it’s vegetables, produce, meat, grain or otherwise. “We want to have locally sourced items that we personally know how and where they were raised and that they meet standards,” Nelson said. “Because the consumer wants to interact with who is raising and growing what they’re eating. It’s about getting to a public space where we can meet the consumer as producers. It’s an opportunity for us to go directly to the consumer and share what we do and give them another opportunity or outlet for the products.” Nelson doesn’t know of many other, if any, business models that are like Wesley 1895 in the region. He and Warren want the shop to become a destination and draw people to Mt. Morris. Nelson was born and raised in Mt. Morris and Warren has been a resident for almost 40 years. For Mt. Morris, the co-owners want to be part of continued economic growth locally while reaching out to customers of the region. “For Mt. Morris, this is about a renewed business opportunity and revitalization for the downtown area,” Nelson said. “We’re part of creating a snowball effect. We’re not the first and we won’t be the last. We’re just part of that growth curve. Being born and raised in Mt. Morris, I take great pride in having the opportunity to give back to and be part of that transformation in a positive manner.”
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Wesley 1895 owners Josh Nelson (left) and Jeff Warren bring backgrounds from farming.
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The past six years have been a labor of love for Warren and Nelson, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic along with ups and downs and delays. They’re happy to now see employees coming in each day and sold products going out the door. Nelson thanked the community, including the village, MMEDC, lenders, contractors and customers, for their support over the past six years. Wesley 1895’s Facebook page will have the latest updates on the opening of the butcher shop and restaurant, along with a future outdoor patio. “The community has been a tremendous lifeline for us,” Nelson said. “Every single person that has interacted with this has played a vital part in our success to get to this point. The community is going to tell us what it’s looking for. The best thing we’ve tried to do is remain flexible. Everyone sees opportunity in this community in different places. We want to provide some of those things that are missing.” Warren said the upstairs event space at Wesley 1895 can be used for small weddings, anniversary parties, class reunions, proms and more. Nelson said the diverse business will allow it to maximize business all year long. “The restaurant will be receiving all of its bread from
the inhouse bakery,” Nelson said. “The restaurant will serve steaks that were cut here. The butcher shop will sell buns as well as meat. Everything will overlap. My great-grandfather said that diversity will help in the long run. We have a very diverse business because we know the year is not constant.” Warren thanked Wesley 1895’s staff for their work so far and being receptive to the new business model. He and Nelson are working to provide the community and region with something that’s never been seen before. “I’m excited to give community members and the region an experience like no other,” Nelson said. “Everyone has a love affair with food. Significant milestones are usually paired with eating and food. It helps enhance those memories. I think this business has the opportunity to raise those expectations and those milestones.”
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By Jeff Helfrich jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
OCFB’S KERN: Growing season in Ogle County aided by rain after dry planting season
‘We were so dry before this year. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as too much rain for us’
The crop growing season in Ogle County has been aided by rain after a dry planting season, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said July 7. Spring planting in Ogle County got started “a little late” before farmers got caught up due to dry temperatures in May, Kern said. However, that dryness affected some germination rates and stands, particularly in soybeans, he said. Rain came in June and has been steady since. Kern said meteorological data shows rain will continue locally as long as a current high pressure system remains. “We were so dry before this year,” Kern said. “I don’t know if there’s such a thing as too much rain for us. Some of the rains we got were so quick and heavy that we got some ponding and flooding in fields. Some fields that were ponded and flooded from a couple of those rains bounced back from it. Other fields the ponding will probably affect the yield or there won’t be a yield where the flooding was.” Ogle County farmers’ current work includes spraying crops, mostly soybeans. Aerial application of fungicide will be seen in coming weeks and farmers will be doing crop scouting for the presence of insect or disease pressure. Kern said the current Ogle County corn crop looks “good” and is “moving right along”. Soybeans may have a different outlook due to the dry planting season affecting germination, Kern said. “I don’t think the stand is there,” Kern said. “Some farmers CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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did replanting and some didn’t. Some wish now that they had. I think the beans that are out there that are growing look good. I just don’t think they have the population that they thought they would to start with. I think beans are going to be a mixed bag.” In recent months, farmers nationwide have encountered rising input costs such as fuel and chemicals. Kern said those issues have started to “steady”, but have not decreased a lot. Kern said he hopes prices stay flat or go down, but said the situation with the war in Iran brings about uncertainty. “Most farmers are constantly monitoring the market and talking to suppliers to see where things may go,” Kern said. “With harvest coming, they’re trying to lock in low fuel prices ahead of time for delivery. Fertilizer won’t be needed until next spring, but they’re trying to lock in future prices for that as well.” Farmers are still awaiting more progress by Congress on a new federal Farm Bill, which it passes every five years to set comprehensive agricultural programs and policies. The current Farm Bill, passed in 2018, has been extended for a year twice, most recently in December. The federal Farm Bill allocates funding for crop insurance, disaster assistance and conservation programs for farmers. Kern said a version of a new Farm Bill passed in the House of Representatives recently, but has not passed in the Senate. Export markets for crops have not changed much recently, Kern said. The OCFB manager said he doesn’t “expect too much upside” through the rest of the year. Beef prices were down last month and pork exports did “quite good”, Kern said. Farmers have faced difficulties with crop export markets, namely in soybeans, due to the White House’s tariffs. China, a large player in the market, turned to South America for its soybeans following the tariffs. The United States picked up secondary markets left by that change, but that hasn’t been enough to fill the void left by China, Kern said. “The bottom line is that it just doesn’t replace that market the U.S. had,” Kern
said. “The trouble with trade is when you become a non-reliable supplier in the global market, it becomes hard to get those markets back, particularly when those people you were supplying turn to a different direction. We have a lot of fence mending to do in the next few years.” Uncontrollable factors of input prices, markets and weather have made for an interesting year for farmers in Ogle County and nationwide. “You go out and work hard and do it all right and plant a crop,” Kern said. “You sit and pray and put yourself in God’s hands. I’m sure farmers would tell you they’d rather have a little more rain than a drought. They like getting out in the fields at harvest time and seeing the monitor show a bunch of bushels.” Kern expects harvest to start in Ogle County in late September at the earliest, which would be soybeans that were planted early. He has a wish list before that time. “I would like to see an inch of rain per week all the way through August,” Kern said. “And then I’d like sunny, dry days in October and November and a place to put all these bushels of crops. I want to see the export market improve and drive the prices back up and drive the input costs back down and make everybody happy.”
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GRANNY’S By Jeff Helfrich jhelfrich@shawmedia.com Photo by Jeff Helfrich, jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
Blueberry fields at Granny’s Berries at 10864 E. Grist Mill Road in rural Rochelle.
Open for season in rural Rochelle with new 3rd generation owner
Granny’s Berries at 10864 E. Grist Mill Road northwest of Rochelle recently opened for the season on June 20. The family business is in its first year of operation under new ownership. Granny’s Berries offers a field of fresh-grown blueberries where people and families can go to pick them. After the passing of Marian (Asselborn) Richman last year, who started the business in 1981 with her husband, Jim, Granny’s Berries has been taken over by family members Jane Cassidy and Courtney Arnquist. Richman was the second generation of “Granny” after the passing of her mother in law, Mildred (Briggs) Asselborn. The business is now in its third generation of “Granny”. Mildred Asselborn, great grandmother of Arnquist and grandmother of Cassidy, had a dream of a blueberry farm after growing up in Montana picking wildberries. That was the catalyst behind Jim and Marian starting the farm in 1981. The blueberry farm is one of only a handful in Illinois. Bushes were brought in from Michigan years ago. “We wanted to keep it going,” Cassidy said. “It’s our family’s berry farm and it was very important to keep the tradition going.” Arnquist said the season has been going well since opening, with good turnouts from the community. Customers now use an entrance on White Rock Road and the field and a new stand are now located west of where they previously were. For the most up-to-date status on blueberry picking, customers can check the Granny’s Berries Facebook page, which is updated each evening prior to opening. The growing season has been positive for Granny’s Berries, with plenty of rain and heat coming in late June and early July, Arnquist said. Arnquist said she’s appreciated the support of customers this year and in previous
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years. “We really rely on the community to come out and pick our berries,” Arnquist said. “It’s really great to see the same people come back every single year so excited to get out here. They’re usually lined up here before 8 a.m. ready to go. Seeing families come out here together is really exciting. People can know where their food comes from and there’s the education piece for the kids. And families can build their own traditions and memories.” The business model of Granny’s Berries has fit well into the recent locally-grown
food movement and people wanting more control over their food and knowledge of where it comes from, Arnquist said. The work on the berry farm is labor intensive, Arnquist said, but it’s a labor of love for her and her family members. She’s excited to carry on the legacy of earlier generations. “It’s been really exciting to know that we were able to carry it on for my grandmother, my grandfather and my great grandmother,” Arnquist said. “I think being in business for 45 years goes to show the support for a farm like this and our customers’ desire to pick berries.”
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Photo by Jeff Helfrich, jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
Blueberry fields at Granny’s Berries at 10864 E. Grist Mill Road in rural Rochelle.
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