Tempest Farm

Location

Tempest Farm is located off South Yates Avenue, east of Beecher, in Washington Township.

Phone

815-727-8700

Preserve history

The 40-acre Tempest Farm was acquired in 2020. The preserve is part of the Trim Creek Watershed.

The land was donated by Lisbet “Beth” Temple to honor her late husband, Dr. Arvid Temple. Arvid, an avid horseman and animal lover, bought the Washington Township farm in 1965.

In 2013, the Forest Preserve received a conservation easement on 160 acres of the farm. Per the conservation easement, in 2020, Beth Temple began transferring ownership of the farm to the Forest Preserve, transferring the southeast 40 acres. Full transfer is anticipated in the years to come.

This donation is the largest land gift to the District by an individual.

Natural resources

The site currently protects farmland but provides an opportunity for future grassland restoration near the Trim Creek headwaters.