Good Food for All

Weekly Digest: Apply today for the Local Food Business Plan Competition!

This week's digest is cross-posted at ChicagoRegen.com. 

• Apply today for the SLoFIG Business Plan Competition! The Sustainably Local Food Finance Group (SLoFIG) is a new angel investment group solely focused on catalyzing the local food system. SLoFIG is sponsoring a Chicago region local food business plan competition in conjunction with the FamilyFarmed.org Expo Financing Fair on March 17th. Applications are due by Feb. 4, 2011.

• Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) has a comprehensive overview of the Urban Agriculture Zoning Ordinance in Chicago. The City Council Zoning Committee will meet next Thursday, Jan. 27.

• Walgreens has plans to add more fresh foods to 400 stores in designated ‘food desert’ areas.

• Wal-Mart is also shifting its strategy to offer healthier foods in its stores nationwide. First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative will monitor Wal-Mart’s progress.

 

 

 

 

Weekly Digest: Better Nutrition Standards for School Lunches, Zoning for Urban Agriculture and Iowa Local Food Plan

This week's digest is cross-posted at ChicagoReGen.com. 

• USDA is raising its nutrition standards for school lunches, calling for dramatic reductions in sodium and calories. Read about the proposed changes here.

• Advocates for Urban Agriculture will host the AUA Winter Members Meeting on Feb. 2, 2011 at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  View meeting info here.

• Read an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune, written by Harry Rhodes of Growing Home, regarding the City of Chicago's proposed zoning ordinance for urban agriculture.  Read Nevin Cohen's op-ed here.

• Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture introduced the "Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan" to the Iowa Legislature last week.

 

Weekly Digest: Urban Agriculture Zoning in Chicago, Vegetable Seeds and Green Growth Platform

This week's digest is cross-posted at ChicagoREgen.com.

• Over 17 environmental groups in Chicago released the “Green Growth Platform” for Chicago’s mayoral candidates. The platform focuses on a number of environmental issues, including energy efficiency, water conservation, and promoting local food.

• Chicago Tribune has a story on the new regulations proposed for urban agriculture in Chicago.

• One Seed Chicago distributes free seeds, encouraging Chicagoans to grow a garden or join a local community garden. This year, One Seed Chicago's candidates are all vegetable seeds. Vote today for swiss chard, radish, or eggplant! Each person who votes will receive the winning seed in the mail.

 

Job Posting: Program Associate, Fresh Taste

Fresh Taste is looking for a new Program Associate.  Please share the job description below with anyone you think might be interested.  There is some exciting work opening up for someone with strong organizational skills who wants to help build the local food movement.  Thanks for your help! 

Download the job description.

Deadline is Jan. 7, 2011.  Interested individuals should submit a resume, cover letter and names of references to: resumes@cct.org.

Weekly Digest: President Obama Signs Child Nutrition Re-Authorization Act

This week's digest is cross-posted at ChicagoReGen.com. 

• This week, President Obama signed the Child Nutrition Re-Authorization Act into law.  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will authorize funding for child nutrition programs and aims to increase access to healthy food for low-income children nationwide.   

• Increasing numbers of private investors are looking for ways to support local food systems. 

• Chicago Garden highlights a number of local food products for the holiday season that support social enterprise ventures.  

• Door to Door Organics is partnering with Goodness Greeness to provide an organic and local food products delivery service in Chicago.  

• Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council and Advocates for Urban Agriculture are actively focusing on Chicago's zoning ordinance proposals for urban agriculture.  Click here to view the ordinance. 

 

Weekly Digest: Food Incubator in Central Illinois, Tracking Fresh Food Access and Heritage Turkeys

This week's digest is cross-posted on ChicagoRegen.com. 

• Using mobile technology, researchers such as Mari Gallagher can easily track stores selling food in the Chicago area.

• Chicago Public Radio featured a story on how Illinois LINK-approved food and liquor stores, gas stations and dollar stores are not fulfilling federal requirements to accept food stamps.

• A Central Illinois food innovation center could support the local food movement by offering a place for producers to process and package their products.

• The Farm Business Development Center at Prairie Crossing has helped launch successful farms such as Dea Dia and Sandhill Organics.

• A niche market is developing in the Chicago region for heritage turkeys.

 

Weekly Digest: Food Oases, Southern Illinois Farmer Network and Updated Grants Database

This week's Good Food for All digest is cross-posted on ChicagoReGen.com. 

• Food Works is launching a Southern Illinois Farmer Network to support local and sustainable food systems. Learn more.

• Walgreens has restructured some of its stores in Chicago to offer healthier food options and attempt to create “food oases” in response to the food-desert challenge.

• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency outlined changes to improve regulations on large livestock farms, also known as CAFOs.

• An updated grants database on local food systems is now available for nonprofits, researchers and government agencies, as well as producers, farmers and entrepreneurs on Good Food for All.

• Help National Good Food Network locate your food hub.  To learn more about food hubs, click here.

 

Weekly Digest: Healthy Changes in Humboldt Park, Child Nutrition Reauthorization, and Zoning for Urban Ag

This week's digest is cross-posted at ChicagoREgen.com.

• Sinai Urban Health Institute received national press on its comprehensive public health assessment of eight Chicago communities and the changes that have occurred since the study was published in 2006.  Block by Block is a campaign to support Humboldt Park residents in making healthy lifestyle changes.

• There could be movement in Congress on the 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR). View resources here.

• The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) has a new data mapping tool of low-access areas to supermarkets in Chicago.

• The Local Beet examines the Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning's latest efforts to update zoning classifications for urban agriculture.

• Large retail chains, including Walmart, CVS and Walgreens, are stocking their stores with more groceries in urban areas.

• Illinois State University is diverting thousands of pounds of food waste from landfills this year.

• Jim Javenkoski and Sunday Dinner will present two sold-out Locavore Dinners on November 15 and 16. The first event features special guests Beth and Brent Eccles of Green Acres Farm (North Judson, IN). Harry and Gwen Carr of Mint Creek Farm (Stelle, IL) are the featured guests for the second event.

 

Weekly Digest: Logan Square Kitchen, TEDxWindyCity, and Illinois Food Systems

This week's digest is posted on ChicagoReGen.com. 

• Not able to make TedxWindyCity?  Click here to watch the TED talks on food deserts, the future of food, and vertical farming.

• Register today for 2010 State of the Plate. Join farmers, chefs, and food distributors to discuss sustainable meat supply in the Midwest.

• The Illinois Public Health Association is seeking community input for defining the IPHA "Food and Nutrition Section." The public meeting will take place on Nov. 17. View the agenda and click here to RSVP.

• Sign a letter of support for Logan Square Kitchen, which is seeking its Food Retail Establishment License.

 

Weekly Digest: CSU's Aquaponics Program and 2010 State of the Plate on Sustainable Meat

This week's digest is cross-posted at ChicagoREgen.com.

• The Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op is sponsoring a one-day seminar on sustainable meat on Nov. 17.  Register today for the 2010 State of the Plate at Harold Washington Library.

• Chicago State University’s aquaponics facility, a research and resource program on campus, uses tilapia to help grow fruits and vegetables.

• Growing Power is offering a Commercial Urban Agriculture Training Program in 2011. Click here to learn more and to download an application.

• Chicago Tribune examines the regulations that bar CPS school garden produce from entering the lunchroom. An increasing number of studies show that students engaged in school gardens score higher on standardized tests.