Transfarmation’s Second Demonstration Hub Is Officially Open!
The Transfarmation Project® celebrated the launch of our second demonstration hub at 1100 Farm on August 8, 2026. Located in Radcliffe, Iowa, the hub is a fully operational specialty mushroom farm in a converted former hog barn.
In collaboration with the Transfarmation™ team, contractors, and consultants, the Faaborg family successfully completed their farm transition this year. Expanding from a small pilot project in 2023, they have significantly increased their capacity. Their conversion involved retrofitting one of their two barns into a 100-foot-by-50-foot space, including four grow rooms, a commercial kitchen, a laboratory space, and a production room for creating mushroom blocks and bags.
What Is a Demonstration Hub?
A demonstration hub is a former factory farm that now grows specialty crops for human consumption. Each one provides a space for research, hosts events, and showcases the potential of farm transitions to create viable opportunities for alternatives to factory farming.
The hub at 1100 Farm will demonstrate that transitioning away from factory farming is not only possible but also profitable and sustainable.
Achieving this milestone in Iowa is especially significant, as the state has been called ground zero for factory farming. With six pigs and 16 poultry birds for every Iowan, this farm transition is a beacon of hope for a better food system.
A Celebration to Remember
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was a huge success, marked by moving speeches from Transfarmation’s director, Katherine Jernigan, and Tanner Faaborg of 1100 Farm. It was well attended by friends, family, allies, and media, who toured the facility, learned about the conversion process, and enjoyed freshly harvested mushrooms from the farm, prepared by local company DSM Pasta Co. and renowned plant-based chef Derek Sarno, who performed an unforgettable cooking demonstration.
The energy was electric as visitors walked through the mushroom-filled, converted barn, then contrasted it with the now-empty hog barn, which has remained untouched since the last pigs left the farm in October 2022. Guests learned about the mushroom-growing process and enjoyed thrilling views of oyster and lion's mane mushrooms in full bloom. They visited Tammy Faaborg’s thriving flower garden, the family orchard full of fresh pears, the converted freshwater pond, and Tanner’s tree nursery.
“The Faaborg’s story is one of ecological and personal healing. On this farm, you will see newly planted trees and pollinator plants. What used to be a cesspool full of hog waste is now a freshwater pond where migratory birds stop by. This hub is a living testament to the fact that we don’t have to tear down our agricultural heritage to build a better future. We just have to plant different seeds.”
—Katherine Jernigan, Director of Transfarmation
The Future of 1100 Farm
What’s next for the Faaborgs? The family has big plans. Not only do they intend to continue growing mushrooms and producing exceptional value-added products, such as mushroom tinctures and coffee, but they’re also continually improving the farm’s sustainability and land stewardship on the farm. Their focus includes efforts to rewild parts of the property, grow pollinator plants, and create buffer zones around neighboring Bear Creek.
The Faaborgs also dream of someday converting their former storage silo, the quintessential symbol of a farm, into a bed-and-breakfast. They are also exploring agritourism to further diversify their income streams and connect people more directly with how their food is grown. Through the demonstration hub, Transfarmation will continue to collect data and document key lessons learned to inform future farm transitions.
We are so excited to see what comes next at 1100 Farm!