Local Food, Farms and Jobs Update
It's time to celebrate! |
 Great News!
Sixteen months after the creation of the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force, the effort has come to harvest. Just days ago, the Illinois General Assembly overwhelmingly passed the Illinois Local Food Farms and Jobs Act, legislation that is based on a report from the Task Force. Governor Quinn has stated his
intention to sign the bill.
Of significance, the Act creates a process to encourage state agencies and state owned facilities to purchase local food, including a 10% price preference in bids. The goal is for 20% of this food to be grown and processed in state by 2020. In addition, the Act creates the Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council which will have up to 4 staff people to support food systems development.
Congratulations to the Task Force, legislative champions Julie Hamos and Jackie Collins, and everyone else who supported this historic measure.
Learn more here! |
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Off to Market!It's that great time of year again when seasonal farmers markets open and showcase fantastic local food and goods. Don't delay-- support your local market, explore new markets, meet area farmers, ask them questions, try something new each week, and celebrate great food with fellow shoppers!
  
Use these Farmers Markets Guides to locate a market near you: |
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FEATURED PRODUCERWild Goose Farm
Grayslake, IL 
Meg Runyan is the owner/farmer of Wild Goose Farm in Grayslake, IL, a two-acre farm Meg rents through the Prairie Crossing Farm Business Development Center. She grows delicious vegetables using sustainable practices and the farm will be certified organic this year.
Meg does most of the day-to-day work and is incredibly grateful for her family's help. Her mom, dad, sisters, brother, in-laws and nephews are all eager and excited to get their hands dirty. You can find Wild Goose Farm produce at the Main Street Libertyville's Farmers Market and the Northfield Farmers Market.
What is your growing philosophy?
As a follower of Jesus, I believe we ought to be stewards of Creation. We need to treat the land with care and respect. That means we need to farm in ways that are sustainable, ways that improve the health of the land. This holistic method will ensure that the food we grow is healthy for us, the land is able to continue growing great produce and ensure the health of the surrounding plant and wildlife. Good stewardship creates a beautiful place to live and gives meaning to our work. It puts us in a right relationship with the land and honors God.
What is your favorite part of farming?
I love being outside and being a part of the day. By being a farmer I experience what is going on outside. I don't look out the window and say, "Oh, it's sunny and a little windy today." I actually feel the sun on my face and feel the wind blow by. I get soaked by the rain and chilled on the cold days. But, those days are great too because you get to appreciate hot chocolate and hot soup even more.
What is your least favorite part?
My least favorite part is hard to say. There are things I don't always like and yet there are always good lessons to learn from those things. Such as learning to persevere when it's hot and humid and you just don't want to harvest another zucchini. There is patience and trust to learn when it doesn't rain for a long time. Of course these are easy to talk about comfortably typing on a computer. Farming is a difficult challenge, but those challenges can be the most rewarding.
If you farm organically, why did you choose this path?
I farm organically because those farming practices closely resemble my philosophy. People don't always ask farmers how or why they farm. Having my produce be organic just puts my farming practices out there. People don't have to ask. They can see that I'm organic. I still think those conversations need to happen though. People need to be actively involved in agriculture, they need to ask questions about how their food is grown or raised. Our complacency with food has a lot of dire consequences from dying rural communities to growing rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
What makes your farm special?
My farm puts my faith into action. I believe we are to be stewards of Creation, that farming should improve the health of the land as well as our health. I may not be able to change the whole world but I am able to take care of this little part of the world. Not only that, but through my farm other people are able to re-connect with the land through volunteering, purchasing produce, and even through conversations. By farming, I can offer an opportunity for others to support the kind of agriculture they believe in. People want to know what they can do to lead healthier lives and to take better care of the earth. Health, economic, environmental problems are huge and we are so small. Yet, here I am, and other farmers too, offering people opportunities to answer these seemingly impossible problems. We offer healthy, wholesome food that is grown and raised locally and in sustainable ways. Investing in this kind of food is investing in yourself, the land, the community and generations to come.
For more information about Wild Goose Farm, please contact Meg at 630.945.8361 or email wildgoose.farm@yahoo.com.
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NEW FEATURE
ON OUR WEBSITE
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We've recently added an email archive feature to our website.
Read our past newsletters here!
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Food Safety
in the
Spotlight
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On June 3, FamilyFarmed.org, in partnership with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and the Wallace Center National Good Food Network/Sysco Corporation Partnership, gathered over 20 Illinois farmers to discuss best practices in farm food safety. The workshop was hosted by Sysco Central IL.
Warren King of Wellspring Management presented an overview of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP). He explained the voluntary auditing process by which farmers develop and implement on farm food safety plans and have these plans certified by the USDA or a 3rd party certifying agency.
Warren told the group "One, two, three seasons from now, it's going to be harder and harder to sell your product without a farm food safety plan." This plan is essentially a "roadmap" for actively reducing food safety risks on your farm. Warren continued, "A Food Safety Plan & Farm Certification tells the market that you are ready to do business."
Sysco Central IL hosted the workshop as they are committed to sourcing more and more products locally. Their new BuyLocal online marketplace is an opportunity for food service operators to purchase local product from local farmers and artisans.
Regarding food safety, Sysco Central IL President/CEO Robbie Robert says "It is paramount that local farmers endorse the GAP process to help us ensure the products coming from their farms are safe and wholesome for our customers."
For more information about Food Safety workshops, please email FamilyFarmed.org.
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