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Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
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The map not only allows you to see your tax dollars at work to support local farmers and food processors, but gives you abundant information about local food infrastructure that exists in your area. From farmers markets, food hubs, and USDA funded projects, the map is a fantastic tool to explore regional differences and local resources about food. With a commitment to continue improving the map, we look forward to updates and hope to see a robust national local food infrastructure continue to evolve in the months and years to come.
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Cooking Onboard
Chicago Passes Food Truck Ordinance
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The City Council of Chicago voted 45-1 in support of a new ordinance that dramatically changes the the food truck landscape in Chicago. Bringing Chicago in line with most other US cities that have food trucks, purveyors can now cook to order, directly onboard the truck.
 The ordinancestrikesa moderate tone in reforming impediments to food truck operation. The inability to cook was a definite barrier for operators, but with this law stricken, new restrictions on location have been instituted. Food trucks may not park within 200' of a restaurant, may not park for more than two hours, and need expensive GPS tracking equipment so that city officials can ensure compliance with the ordinance. All of these restrictions were considered essential by the Illinois Restaurant Association and some individual restaurants, but many food truck operators find them to be overly prohibitive. As the first food trucks with cooking facilities onboard hit the Chicago area streets, we look forward to seeing how eaters respond and whether and how the additional restrictions affect business for both food trucks and restaurants. |
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Drought Aid - Support Your Farmers
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The stories of farmers hit hard by drought are all too common these days. The photographs of desiccated corn fields hammer the disaster home, but our small local farmers often get neglected in national coverage.
 Unfortunately, they suffer from these conditions as much if not more, due to their size. Many smaller farms don't have irrigation infrastructure, so delicate fruit and vegetable crops have been lost from this unpredictable weather. And so, now more than ever, it's important to support your local farmers. There are many ways to do this, and most of them are fun and delicious. A few local restaurants have been offering drought aid to farmers. Uncommon Ground has been supporting Harvest Moon Farms through a special menu upon request, and Farmhouse intends to do the same through a "Draughts for Drought Aid" event in the near future. Additionally, shopping at farmers markets and grocery stores that stock local products is another great ways to support local farmers. We hope to have additional news in the weeks to come about fundraisers, so please check FamilyFarmed.org's Facebook page often for more information. |
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| New Business for Good Food Festival Exhibitor |
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� Grant Kessler
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We're thrilled with the recent news from Katherine Anne Confections about new business generated at the 2012 Good Food Festival and Conference (GFFC).
Due to the event, Katherine Anne Confections connected with McCormick Place in Chicago and has since received several orders, including 1000 marshmallows!
These are the types of business connections the GFFC is all about. With a Trade Show intended to foster these connections, we always love to hear how these efforts grow local food in the Midwest. |
| Good Food Festival Advisory Committees |
Interested in planning the 2013 Chicago Good Food Festival and Conference?
FamilyFarmed.org is seeking community leaders, food advocates, and food lovers of all sorts to participate in one of the Good Food Festival & Conference Advisory Committees.
Participants in the committees directly influence the programming of the event, and are an integral part of the planning process.
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| FamilyFarmed.org Farmer Training | |
Did you know that one of FamilyFarmed.org's main programs is technical assistance and training for farmers across the country?
Using these resources, we coordinate workshops around the US working with regional partners. Through these Wholesale Success Trainings, we've trained over 2500 farmers, and will dramatically increase the number over the coming months.
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