In 2006, The Conservation Foundation purchased the historic Dickson-Murst Farm from the Village of Montgomery for $10, saving the farmstead from being developed like the subdivision that surrounds it, and giving conservation a voice amidst the area’s rapid growth. Kendall County was the fastest growing county in the entire country at the time! Our agreement saved the historic farmstead, provided a western office location for our work, and initiated further open space and natural areas restoration efforts in Kendall County.
It’s very important to us to honor the history of Dickson-Murst Farm and the rural heritage it embodies, especially since the passing of the farm’s patriarch, our beloved Shorty Dickson, in 2021. He was the last generation of the Dickson family to live on Dickson Road for their entire life. Many of the farm’s original buildings still stand today, including the 1864 barn built around solid oak tree trunks.
Our all-volunteer Dickson-Murst Farm Partners maintain the farm buildings and grounds and coordinate community engagement events to connect the community to the region’s history and rural farming. They’re the reason the farm buildings are in such pristine condition, and the grounds are so inviting. This energetic group raised the money and provided many hours and much of the sweat equity to restore all 8 of the wood buildings on the farm, moved a large windmill to the farm and got it working, provide hands-on activities to area youth, and plan three events each year to welcome the community to the Dickson-Murst Farm.
Our exceptionally dedicated volunteers have made this farm such an important gathering space for the community to come together. For many of us who grew up in the area, including me, their hard work and thoughtful care makes coming to the farm feel like coming home. For the first couple of years, Day at the Farm literally felt like a neighborhood reunion, where I got to reconnect with childhood neighbors and longtime friends from the local farming community. But more and more over the years, there are more new faces than familiar ones, and I love that even more. I see families of every type enjoying the farm’s rustic setting, and friends chatting while their kids enjoy barrel train rides, the famous corn box, and the whirring wheels and chugging engines on display. These affordable opportunities to make memories are all thanks to the hard work of our Dickson-Murst Farm Partners, and we could never thank them enough!
Over the past several years, we have also added multiple native gardens, solar panels, and a hydropanel that distills drinking water from the moisture in the air as on-the-ground examples of our conservation mission at Dickson-Murst Farm. This year’s exciting addition is our new Farmhouse Garden, which is a blend of edible and native plantings that will provide beauty, educational opportunities, and even food as it matures.
Our purchase of the Dickson-Murst Farm was the best $10 we ever spent, and we hope you will join us at this year’s events to celebrate 20 years at the Dickson-Murst Farm!
Dickson-Murst Farm
2550 Dickson Road
Montgomery, Illinois 60538
2026 Dickson-Murst Farm Events*
20th Anniversary Day at the Farm
Sunday, August 23rd
9:00am to 3:00pm
Beer, Bands & Barns
Saturday, September 26th
3:00 to 9pm
Fridays on the Farm: Movie Nights
Friday, September 18th: Bee Movie
Friday, October 16th: Wall E
6:30pm
*These events are free and no registration is required!