Marty Travis did not start out as a farmer. For nearly 35 years he reproduced Shaker furniture from museums and private collections around the country. Then in 2005, Marty, with his wife Kris and son Will, created Spence Farm and became equal partners. Today the three of them work full time on the 160 acre, biodiverse farm growing a huge variety of ancient grains, heirloom fruits and vegetables and raising a number of heritage breed livestock. Nearly all of their products goes to chefs in Chicago and Central Illinois. Marty and Kris are also co-founders of the not-for-profit, Spence Farm Foundation and two for-profit famers’ cooperative marketing groups.