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Good Food Festival & Conference
Santa Monica, CA
September 14-18
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 The Santa Monica Farmers Market is celebrating its 30th anniversary by partnering with FamilyFarmed.org to launch the Good Food Festival & Conference on September 14-18. The conference showcases locally and sustainably produced food and innovative leaders from the Good Food movement. It will focus on regional and national issues integral to building local food systems, supporting California family farms, and educating people and families about the benefits of good food.
"FamilyFarmed.org is honored to partner with the Santa Monica Farmers Market to produce this event," says president and founder, Jim Slama. "It is one of the country's leading farmers markets and has an amazing following of people, families, chefs and distributors that shop there each and every week."
In addition to trade and industry events, the weekend will also feature a two-day street festival in which experts will give demonstrations on seed starting, fruit trees, backyard chickens, container gardening, bee keeping and preserving. Attendees will also get to see local chefs work with local farmers in the "Chefs at Play" series throughout the day.
"The Santa Monica Farmers Market is pleased to bring these groundbreaking events to consumers and businesses in Southern California," says Laura Avery, who has managed the market for 29 of its 30 years.
Click here to learn more about the Good Food Festival & Conference and to buy tickets!
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Save Local Ice Cream
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Local ice cream makers in Chicago are beginning to face some challenges due to stringent Illinois Department Public of Health regulations that are suited more for large-scale ice cream operations. Despite meeting the pasteurization process standards in Illinois, IDPH recently warned Kris Swanberg, owner of the beloved artisan ice creamery Nice Cream, that she would have to close-up shop if she did not obtain a "dairy license".
Nice Cream is a small operation that prides itself on producing handcrafted ice cream using only fresh, local and organic ingredients. However, in order to obtain a "dairy license", Kris Swanberg would need to either purchase a $40,000 pasteurizer or sacrifice the quality of Nice Cream ice cream and use pre-made mix. The Illinois Local Food Entrepreneur and Cottage Food Operation Act, which differentiates rules for small food operations and large corporations, recently passed into law, but it unfortunately does not apply to ice cream makers.
Kris Swanberg is working to change these regulations, but Nice Cream needs the help of ice cream lovers in Illinois to win this fight. Fundraising has already begun to support this effort. Donations can be made to the Nice Cream Kickstarter Project.
In addition, a fundraiser event, sponsored by Revolution Brewing, will be held on Sunday, August 28th to further support this cause. Tickets are $40 per person and includes beer, appetizers, an opportunity to bid in a silent auction, and of course Nice Cream ice cream.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Although Nice Cream is not currently available in Chicagoland grocery stores, Nice Cream ice cream can still be purchased at local farmers' markets.
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SLOW MONEY
3rd National Gathering
Fort Mason, San Francisco
Oct. 12-14
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"The gathering was life changing. Welcome to a revolution!"
-Paul Tryba, THE FARM, Long Beach, CA
Courtesy of Slow Money:
Looking for a new kind of social investing for the 21st century? If so, plan to join Slow Money's emerging network of thought leaders, investors, donors, farmers, social entrepreneurs and everyday folks for their 3rd National Gathering this October in San Francisco. Three days of conversations, network building and action planning on an historic wharf in a food-loving town. What could be better?
The list of speakers is phenomenal: award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster David Suzuki; global thinker, scientist and acclaimed author Vandana Shiva, named by Forbes as "one of the seven most influential women in the world"; Wes Jackson, founder of The Land Institute, which for 30 years has conducted cutting-edge research on sustainable agriculture; Leslie Christian, CEO of Portfolio 21; and many more.
There will also be investment presentations from two dozen small food enterprises and break out sessions on topics ranging from New Visions of Corporate Philanthropy to Mapping Local Food Sheds, plus the opportunity to collaborate with folks from around the country who are finding new ways to connect money, culture and the soil-including members of the 11 chapters channeling millions of dollars into local small food enterprises.
The Slow Money National Gathering brings together people who are rebuilding local food systems across the U.S. and around the world. More than 1,000 people attended the first two national gatherings-resulting in more than $4.25 million invested in 16 small food enterprises!
Join this forward thinking group now. For details and to register, click here.
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FamilyFarmed.org at Lollapalooza
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 FamilyFarmed.org thanks Lollapalooza music festival and all the fantastic people we met there.
Over the course of the festival, hundreds of young people signed up for the mailing list. They also expressed their desire to eat local. Our hope is that these individuals will someday be key players in the Good Food movement.
The weekend ended as the heavens opened and soaked our dedicated workers.
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2011 Film Fair
& Eco-Film Fest
in Oak Park
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Come out and enjoy the 2011 Film Fair & Eco Film Fest Green Fair happening Sunday, August 28th at 611 Randolph in Oak Park, Illinois. There will be live music at 11:15 and 2:15. The Film Fest includes a screening of Matt Brigg's eco-documentary, Deep Green, with showings at noon and 3pm and discussions with Gary Cuneen (of Seven Generations Ahead) following. Click here to purchase tickets for $5 in advance; $7.50 at the door. Also, check out the Green Fair from 11:30am - 3pm where there will be activities on sustainable living. For more information, follow the festival on Facebook.
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Chicago Premier of Farmageddon
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The Chicago premier of Farmageddon--the Unseen War on American Family Farms will be on Monday, August 29, 6:00pm, at the Gene Siskel Center, 164 N. State Street.
Courtesy of
Nourishing the Planet:
Kristin Canty's son was healed of multiple allergies by farm fresh foods, among them raw milk. When she heard of the armed raids and seizures taking place on family farms she was horrified and knew she had to do something about it.
In this enthralling film, Canty lets the small farmers tell their stories.
Kristin Canty, the filmmaker, will be on hand for a short Q&A after the movie. A reception will follow in the Gene Siskel Center Gallery Cafe where you can enjoy Farm Fresh Organic Soups and Meet the Chef, Guy Meikle of Nana's Organic Restaurant.
Visit the film's official website.
All proceeds will benefit the ShowYourHearts.org campaign.
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Check out What's in Season!
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Visit your local farmers market and see what's in season. Click here to view the Illinois...What's in Season guide.
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A Special Thanks
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The FamilyFarmed.org staff would like to thank John Perryman for his hard work and dedication to helping make the Good Food Festival a successful event.
A million thanks to John, and wishing him all the best in his future endeavors.
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