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Fresh Local News From FamilyFarmed.org
November 2010

Help us Reach our Fall Fundraising Goal,
 Please Donate to FamilyFarmed.org!

After a wonderful Autumn Harvest Supper to kick of our drive (please see the recap in this newsletter), now you can help FamilyFarmed.org strengthen and expand our programs through a tax-deductible donation to our not-for-profit organization.


Please Support Local Food and Farmers and Help Get Fresh Local Produce into School Lunches!


Do you shop at farmers markets? Do you care about local and sustainable food? If so, please consider a donation to FamilyFarmed.org, one of the country's leading non-profit organizations working to support family farmers and local food.


Your contribution will help FamilyFarmed.org expand their Farm to School program, which includes a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools to help procure $2.3 million in local fruits and vegetables to serve to public school children. Your contribution will also help FamilyFarmed.org bring fresh local fresh fruits and vegetables from family farmers to other area schools and large scale buyers.


Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Thank you for supporting our important work!


If you would like to directly help us fundraise, we've created Fundraising Circles. Click here to learn more about them, and to download a PDF with Fundraising Tips and a Form Letter to help in your outreach.


We greatly appreciate your endorsement, as every voice helps to increase awareness about the importance and growth of the regional food system. Last year we accomplished so much. Now we're looking forward to another successful year with an expanded Farm to School Program and many other new and exciting opportunities. Every contribution makes a difference.



Want to learn more about our programs? Hear from our Founder and President, Jim Slama, along with some of our partnering farms, organizations and businesses.


  Our Thank You Gifts:  

$25 donation: Thank you on our website

$50 donation: 1 Ticket for the FamilyFarmed EXPO Local Food Festival, March 19, 2010

$100 doantion: 2 Tickets for the FamilyFarmed EXPO Local Food Festival, March 19, 2010

$250 donation: 2 Tickets for the FamilyFarmed EXPO Local Food Festival, March 19, 2010 and 1 Ticket for the famous Localicious Party March 18, 2010

$500 donation: 2 Tickets for the FamilyFarmed EXPO Local Food Festival, March 19, 2010 and 2 Tickets for the famous Localicious Party March 18, 2010

$1,000 donation: 2 All Access FamilyFarmed EXPO passes, March 17-19, 2010 (Includes the Financing Farm to Fork Conference, the Trade and Policy day, the famous Localicious Party and the Local Food Festival)



Winter CSA Programs are Filling Up,
Sign Up Quickly!

CSA imageIt's such a treat to have amazing, locally-grown food available in the Midwest practically year-round! It's not too late to sign up for a winter CSA program as there is still some availability. Use the FamilyFarmed.org Guide to Chicagoland CSA to narrow down your search by drop off location, then check out the farm's website or call them to see if they are still taking winter members.  Please note that not all CSA programs offer winter shares. 

You can also start your search for spring/summer 2011 shares as some programs are already taking early registrations.

Here are a few farms we have confirmed are still taking winter (or year-round) member sign-ups:

Harvest Moon Farm
773-805-3210

Growing Power Market Baskets
773-347-1374
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm CSA
815-431-9544 (meat CSA)

Coulee View Family Farm
608-874-4144 (meat CSA)
Freedom Organix
847-910-1160 (meat CSA availability only)



From
Crain's Chicago Business:

Farmers are a hot commodity; outdoorsy and nurturing in the new sexy profession 
  

By: Michael Austin November 01, 2010

Farmer Peter Klein and customer Devin Kidner at the Green City Market. While Mr. Klein denies that farmers are hot, he admits he gets recognized. Photo by: Lisa Predko

 
Jim Slama, president of FamilyFarmed.org, was having dinner at a stylish Chicago restaurant with a business contact, a poultry farmer from Wisconsin, a few years ago. The farmer's chickens were on the menu, and when word got out, it caused a stir. 


"There was kind of a buzz in the room. It was like, 'Oh, wow, that's a farmer over there,' " says Mr. Slama, who has run the Oak Park-based organization promoting local and organic farming for 12 years. "The people next to us stood up and walked over and said, 'Man, great chicken-thank you,' and gave the farmer a big high-five."


The scene hardly fits the perception of farmers as toiling in distant fields, isolated and lonely.


"I thought, 'This movement is shifting,' Mr. Slama says. "This profession that people couldn't wait to get out of 10 or 15 years ago was all of a sudden hip to be a part of."


Indeed, farmers seem to be the toast of the town these days.


Continue reading at Crain's Chicago Business here.


FEATURED PRODUCER:
Seedling Orchard

6717 111th AvenueSeedling
South Haven, MI 49090


South central Michigan is a great place to grow fruit and that's where Peter Klein tends his orchards on the 81 acres that make up Seedling Farm. The farm produces an abundance of tree fruits.


Peter grows almost 80 varieties of fruit on over 5000 trees; apples, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots...and this year they are planting pluots and apriums.  In addition to tree fruit, they also grow berries, melons, and in their new hoop house, figs and goji berries!


The delicious fruit produced at Seedling includes 25 varieties of apples (yes, including HoneyCrisp!); 12 varieties of peaches, 12 varieties of cherries, 6 varieties of pears, 6 varieties of apricots, 5 varieties of plums...and more on the way!


Fruits are left to hang on the tree as long as possible to allow the flavor to develop fully. Seedling tastes and tests the sugars to be sure the fruit is picked ripe and at the peak of flavor. Waiting for the peak flavor makes the fruit harder to ship and increases waste, but producing the best tasting fruit is the farm's top priority.

 

Their on-site cider mill produces multiple varieties of apple cider, and in 2010 became solar powered! Seedling uses some of this cider to work with a local wine maker to produce sparkling hard cider.  This is available in Chicago-area liquor stores and restaurants.


Seedling Farm uses an integrated pest management system to grow the best quality fruits with the least amount of impact on the environment. Peter is committed to farming sustainably to ensure the land remains viable, to preserve groundwater and to provide his customers with the healthiest, tastiest fruit.


Seedling Fruit can be found in Illinois at the Green City Market, Evanston Market, and other City of Chicago Markets. In Michigan, the fruit is available at the market in Ann Arbor.


Seedling's fruit, dried fruit and preserves are also available on their website and you can find them on Facebook and Twitter!


Find us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter 

SeedlingLogo

Join Our Mailing List!
What is The State of the Plate?
state of plate
The November 17 State of the Plate conference is for chefs, caterers, restaurant owners and managers, and other hospitality professionals who want to better understand the current model of meat production and help develop solutions for healthier, safer, more sustainable food.

The agenda includes:

-Keynotes by Robert Kenner, writer/director of the Academy Award-nominated Food, Inc. and Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appetit Management Company

-Panel discussions with leaders such as rancher and television news anchor Bill Kurtis, Paul Willis of Niman Ranch, policy experts; academic leaders; and diverse Midwestern distributors and producers that use various practices and feeding styles to raise animals sustainably


-Reception at Robert Morris University's Culinary School led by students, chefs, and farmers with taste-testing and sampling of various meat products available for sale to restaurant and food-service purchasers


-Viewing of Food, Inc. followed with a Question and Answer session by Robert Kenner


 

Advance registration required,

Register now using code FF2010 for $10 discount!

bpt

Learn more at:

www.stateoftheplate2010.com

What a Supper!
AHS_thumbnail

Missed the FamilyFarmed.org Autumn Harvest Supper?

 
What a feast and what a gathering!  The Autumn Harvest Supper was a smashing success thanks to our wonderful event partners Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and Heritage Prairie Farm; our amazing event chair Ann Duffy; and the wonderful contributions by local farmers, producers, beverage companies, and event sponsors.
 
Many started their journey to the farm aboard a bus generously donated by Mid-America Charters and featuring mixologists from Death's Door Spirits and Templeton Rye.  At the farm, cocktail hour also featured Two Brothers Brewing, Mary Michelle Winery, and Apple Rush.  The delicious round of appetizers and unseasonably warm late afternoon on the farm really got guests into the harvest celebration mood! Many toured the farm and mingled with farmers and other fans of locally grown food, including leaders from Whole Foods Market, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Goodness Greeness. 
 
AHS pic

The dinner bell rang at dusk and guests flowed into the intimate dining tent.  With the lighting coming up and the music playing, guests mingled and anxiously read the menu cards - after all, a team of five outstanding Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant chefs prepared the feast! The amazing entrees and side dishes were passed family style, and conversations were struck in every corner of the room.

Jim Slama, President of FamilyFarmed.org and Dan McGowan, President of Big Bowl welcomed guests to the supper and thanked them for their support of local farmers and local food.  Desserts, yes several of them, were then passed and they very quickly disappeared like every course before.

The stars came out, guests were treated to spectacular goody bags, and all went their own directions, hopefully even more a champion of local foods than hours earlier.

And then it rained... really hard. Whew!

What a true Autumn Harvest celebration.  Check out some pictures and a great video clip below:
 
View the Facebook Photo Album.

Check out a great video clip here.

A sincere thank you to all of our supper guests, partners, sponsors, contributing farmers, chefs, hosts, and stellar volunteers.  We look forward to celebrating the next Autumn Harvest Supper with all of you!

CorePower Yoga
Donation Class to Benefit FamilyFarmed.org!
CorePowerYoga

Date:  11/16/2010
Time: 5:45PM - 6:45PM
 
Location:CorePower Yoga-South Loop Studio; 555 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago
 
Fee:By donation to benefit
FamilyFarmed.org

Thanks CorePower Yoga!!

FamilyFarmed.org
Quick Links
Find Local Food

 Guide to Chicagoland CSAs

www.foodfarmsjobs.org