Articles written by Leslie Cooperband

For nearly 20 years, Leslie Cooperband and her husband Wes Jarrell owned and operated Illinois’ first farmstead dairy-creamery, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery LLC (Champaign, Illinois). Both soil scientists and academics by trade, they left behind their professorial lives to become goat dairy farmers and farmstead cheese-makers. They transformed a 7-acre cash grain farm into an orchard and goat dairy in 2003 and opened their doors in 2005. They milked 80 goats seasonally and made 8-10 styles of artisan cheese, many of which won national awards, including the American Cheese Society and the Good Food Awards. Their pasture-based goat herd was certified “Animal Welfare Approved” for 14 years. Although the dairy-creamery was the main enterprise, the farm had a farm store, hosted farm to table meals, and offered tours, classes and other agri-tourism events. Leslie and Wes sold their farm business in February 2024, and it is thriving. They currently live on the neighboring farm, which they are restoring and rewilding. Leslie writes a weekly Substack post and is working on a book about her experiences as a dairy farmer and cheese maker.