A Dixon farm sanctuary made its case to expand onto a 72.45-acre property next to it on June 2, but that property is owned by Dixon Public Schools, and administrators say it’s not for sale.

At the June 2 Kitzman’s Farm Sanctuary open house, local officials and community members toured the grounds and fed its many resident animals, as Tracy and Steve Kitzman talked about what they’ve accomplished since opening as a nonprofit in May 2025. However, they said they’ve reached a roadblock in the form of a property line.

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Tracy Kitzman picks up a rescued chicken Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Kitzman’s Farm Sanctuary in Dixon. The owners of the farm, located on Brinton Avenue, want to obtain land owned by the Dixon School District in order to expand. (Alex T. Paschal)

Their proposed solution is to purchase the property along North Brinton Avenue west of the farm, but DPS Superintendent Margo Empen told Shaw Local the district is not interested in selling the property because it currently serves as Dixon High School’s agriculture lab for its three ag classes and Future Farmers of America program.

The Kitzmans’ plans for expansion

Since the Kitzmans’ farm opened, Tracy and farm manager Cat Austin have rescued and cared for over 100 animals. It also grows various produce, such as apples and wine grapes, Tracy said.

Among its resident animals are two cows with an affinity for bananas that Tracy said are “totally tame,” so much so that “they think they’re dogs.”

Austin said they save every animal they can and receive five to six calls daily for rescue.

Unfortunately, Tracy said, they’ve had to turn several animals down recently because they’ve run out of space.

The farm also provides volunteer opportunities to area students earning tuition at Sauk Valley Community College through its Impact Program. It provides hands-on learning experiences to ag and FFA students in Sterling and Ashton schools, as well as learning opportunities with a licensed veterinarian from Polo’s vet clinic, Tracy said.

Sterling High School ag teacher and FFA adviser Meg Stanley said she brings her ag students.

“When they get that hands-on” experience, it has a much more lasting impact on students compared to what they learn in the walls of a classroom, Stanley said.

Tracy, as an educator herself at Reagan Middle School in Dixon, said providing learning opportunities is really important to her, and she wants to expand those, especially since she’s planning to retire in the next couple of years.

The farm also hosts many community programs, such as those for local Boy and Girl Scout troops and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Even during the June 2 open house, members of a local art club were set up with canvases throughout the farm and spent the afternoon painting the landscape.

“We really want to expand, and the kids want us to expand as well,” Austin said.

With the extra land, which the Kitzmans say they’re fully prepared to purchase with their own funds, they plan to expand their existing programs and create structured veterinary learning opportunities, Tracy said.

They also plan on building a larger educational facility for those student-learning opportunities, additional housing for animals and a larger barn for animal care and student training, Tracy said.

“There’s so much to learn, so much more that we can do here,” Tracy said.

Why DPS doesn’t want to sell

Empen said the school board has received three past inquiries from the Kitzmans regarding the acquisition of the property and responded to each request that the district is not interested in selling any portion of it.

DPS purchased the property in August 2017, Lee County records show.

Steve said he believes the district previously was planning to use it for an athletic facility.

“I think there’s better spots for a sports facility,” Steve said, noting that only about 30 to 35 acres of the property is flat and would be usable.

But, Empen said, it’s used for ag education.

In 2018, Shaw Local reported the district entered a 5-year agreement with SVCC to allow its students to farm a portion of the land and DHS students to earn dual credit through an online ag course at Sauk.

Dixon High School reinstated its ag program during the 2024-2025 school year, Shaw Local reported.

Today, Empen said, those classes utilize the property for their lab, and Dixon FFA also uses it for various activities.

“We have been fortunate to partner with Aaron Book and other local farmers to plant and harvest the property,” Empen said.

Empen said those farmers donate all materials and labor to DHS, and all harvest profits are donated as well. The district has used those funds to cover all dual-enrollment fees for DHS students, support its ag program and provide as-needed funds for students enrolled in Sauk’s ag programs.

“The ever-expanding agriculture program has been fortunate to have this plot to experience hands-on opportunities with what they are learning in the classroom. With the district going into Year 3 of the ag program, the full capacity of the property hasn’t even been realized yet,” Empen said.