Good Food for All

Daily Digest: Chicago Health Department Throws Out Local Fruit Used in Communal Kitchen

Due to licensing discrepancies, the Chicago Health Department destroyed local fruit used by small business owners at Kitchen Chicago, a shared community kitchen.  

Beyond USDA, government agencies can play a significant role in supporting local food systems. Read the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's full report.  

Out of 26.8 million acres of farmland in Illinois, only 0.1% is devoted to organic production. 

Angelic Organics Learning Center is organizing season extension, bee keeping, and backyard chicken workshops in the coming months.  Register here. 

According to a 2009 Gallup poll, 17.2% of Illinois households are food insecure. 

USDA will initiate a series of reforms to improve school lunch safety standards. 

 In addition to the $50 million allocated for USDA and the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, there will be $250 million in the 2011 budget for the Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund "to expand financing for access to healthy foods."

(Photo credit: Fed Up: School Lunch Project) 

Daily Digest: Chicago Food Policy Summit, French Market, and National Fresh Food Financing Initiative

Tickets for the upcoming 5th Annual Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council (CFPAC) Summit are now available for purchase online.  The FamilyFarmed EXPO and the CFPAC Summit will take place March 11-13, 2010. 

The President's proposed 2011 budget will include funds for the National Fresh Food Financing Initiative. In addition, farm subsidies would be reduced and $10 billion would be allocated for nutrition programs. 

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is reducing the budget for the Meat and Poultry Inspection Program by 50%, which will result in fewer state meat inspectors at small slaughterhouses. 

Chicago's newly opened French Market at Ogilvie Transportation Center is adding four new vendors. 

Link to: 

Sustainable Food Jobs & Opportunities

Daily Digest: Season Extension, National Fresh Food Financing Initiative and Good Food, Good Jobs Program

University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center monitored and tracked organic vegetable production in high tunnels this past year.  

The White House also installed a winter garden with the help of USDA.  More locally, Angelic Organics Learning Center will be offering workshops on season extension in February and March. 

Two initiatives were put forth this week regarding access to healthy food and workforce development. 

1) The National Fresh Food Financing Initiative:  Legislation was introduced to Congress in support of creating an economically sustainable solution for improving access to fresh and healthy food. 

2) "Good Food, Good Jobs: Turning Food Deserts into Job Oases" is a new report by Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger.  The report calls for the creation of a Good Food, Good Jobs program that would increase investment to food-related workforce development initiatives, food processing and urban aquaponics. 

Daily Digest: Tomato blight worsens, Illinois Jobs Now!, and Ag grants for IL farmers

MSNBC reports that 10% of healthcare costs are due to obesity. 

Illinois farmers growing specialty crops are eligible to receive grants from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. USDA is providing $435,000 to expand access to locally grown, fresh produce. Applications are due Monday, Aug. 3 and can be downloaded from the IDOA website, or by calling (217) 524-9129. 

Tomato blight in the Northeast is destroying tomato and potato crops. 

Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Illinois Jobs Now! plan, a $31 billion capital construction plan, of which $10 million is allocated for the Illinois Fresh Food Fund to bring grocery stores and food retailers to underserved communities.  Watch the video here.  

Daily Digest: Illinois Fresh Food Fund, Hip-hop, and Healthy Food

Food Retail: 

With $10 million allocated to the Illinois Fresh Food Fund, retail grocery stores are being promoted in Chicago's underserved communities. 

A healthy foods store on Chicago's South Side, Graffiti and Grub, recently opened.  Chicago Public Radio interviews Ladonna Redmond and Will Seegars about the new store and its special twist: a performance space on the second floor for youth.  

Karriem Beyah opened Farmers Best in the fall of 2008 in Back of the Yards neighborhood.  Time.com featured Beyah's store in this video, "Urban Deserts: Fresh-food-free zones." 

Agricultural Conservation Easements: 

According to a national survey by American Farmland Trust, the purchase of agricultural conservation easement (PACE) programs slowed in 2008 and is expected to decrease in 2009. 

Upcoming Conference: 

The Illinois Conference on Agricultural Land Use Planning conference is scheduled for August 6, 2009 in LaSalle, IL.  Click here for the agenda. 

Photo credit: iLoveButter