Good Food for All

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.

 

Daily Digest: Breaking Through Concrete, New Food and Agriculture PRI Fund and Upcoming Events

RSF Social Finance officially launched their Food & Agriculture Program-Related Investing (PRI) Fund.   

Breaking Through Concrete (BTC) is a nationwide tour of urban farms in America.   BTC recently visited Growing Home's Wood Street Farm in Chicago to learn more about Growing Home's job training program.  

A new USDA Economic Research Service study examines the potential obesity-reducing effects of soda taxes. 

Jewel Osco is looking to shift its product selection as Wal-Mart prepares to build multiple stores in Chicago.  

Good Food for All has an updated Event Calendar, with many more events thanks to ChicagoRegen.com. 

Daily Digest: Farm to School, GM corn, and Food Reserve Systems

The National Farm to School Network is seeking applications for organizations to serve as the Midwest Regional Lead Agency, which would serve to support Farm to School efforts in Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Download The Midwest F2S Regional Lead Agency Request for Proposals.

Center for Science in the Public Interest released a report citing that as many as 25% of farmers are not following federal guidelines with the use of BT (genetically modified) corn.

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) will host a webinar on Nov. 10 to discuss food reserve systems at the national, regional, and international level.

Daily Digest: AUA Fall Meeting, Grocery Retail, and CPS Lunches

Chicago's Advocates for Urban Agriculture will be hosting its fall member meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  Click here for details. 

A Grist article outlines the latest developments in the Illinois foodshed. 

"Black and White, Seeing Red All Over":  Chicago Matters analyzes the dynamics of grocery retail in Chicago's West Haven neighborhood. 

One CPS school is starting a pilot program for healthy school lunches. 

Bon Appétit Management Company Fellows have released a comprehensive Student Garden Guide for universities and colleges. 

ARRA and Grant Opportunities

State, city, and local health departments that sponsor nutrition and obesity prevention programs may be eligible for ARRA funding -- "2009 Communities Putting Prevention to Work."  

To access the full announcement and summary, click here or go to www.grants.gov. 

To view more grant opportunities from federal, corporate, and private philanthropic sources, download the grant database at Good Food for All. 

The 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' website also offers a Grants, Loans & Support page. 

Daily Digest: OneTray.org, Investing in Sustainable Agriculture, and Conservation Easements

Chicago was named one of the five best cities for urban gardening. (via)  

DePaul University's "Food for All Chicago" class visited the Cook County Jail vegetable garden as part of a food systems design course.  

Janine Yorio of NewSeed Advisors writes how sustainable agriculture investment is uniquely positioned to take off in the near future.  

The first national database of conservation easement information is set to debut in May 2011. 

Visit OneTray.org to find out about the Child Nutrition Act and to view the new campaign videos. 

As part of "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food", the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing new rules to allow for interstate shipping of meat and poultry products.  This rule change could provide new economic opportunities for small meat and poultry establishments in Illinois, Indiana, and other states. 

For an excellent overview of KYF, read this story. 

Daily Digest: Food for All, Saving Bees, and Organic Farm Performance

The September 21 issue of The Nation, 'Food for All', features an article on food justice written by LaDonna Redmond, who notes that the use of language is an important component of food justice work.  Other articles include those of Michael Pollan, Anne Lappe and Alice Waters. 

Growing Home has a new video, featuring GH interns and their stories, the history of Englewood, and the transformative power of urban agriculture. (via Mother Nature Network). 

The New York Times has compiled researchers' comments on CCD, or colony collapse disorder.  

The July/August issue of WorldWatch magazine focuses on the economics of local food systems.  Click here for a preview. 

The Time for Lunch campaign is organizing a National Day of Action on Monday, Sept. 7.  To sign the petition for real food in schools, click here.  Eat-Ins will be taking place across the country.  Waters School in Chicago will be hosting one on Monday from 12-3 pm. 

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy created a Smart Guide on hormones in the food system. 

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture released its 2008 Organic Farm Performance report, detailing the cost of production and profitability of organic farms in Minnesota.  

Models for local foods distribution and beginning farmers

A non-profit in Virginia, Local Food Hub, is providing a much needed service for the community: local food aggregation and distribution.  

Illinois is one of 18 states to receive grant money from USDA for programs that will combat childhood obesity.  The Illinois Stewardship Alliance website also offers up-to-date information on the Conservation Stewardship Program, Value-Added Producer Grants, and more federally-funded initiatives. 

Begin Farming Ohio is a new site for beginning farmers in Ohio, with resources and profiles.  To find out about such programs in Illinois, visit The Land Connection. 

Food Purchasing Policies, Buy Local, and Extension Webinars

Resources and News: 

Iowa State University has posted its Extension webinars and recordings on niche meat and poultry processing. 

Institutions, including universities and hospitals, are revising food purchasing policies across the country.  The Sustainable Food Policy Project has a comprehensive listing of purchasing policy initiatives.  Download the Sustainable Food Policy Guide here. 

If you missed the Op-Ed in the NYTimes about First Lady Michelle Obama's good food campaign, you can read it here.  She also visited her garden helpers at Bancroft Elementary. 

Springfieled released its Buy Fresh, Buy Local Directory for 2009.  Download the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Directory. 

Grist writes how alternatives from Woodbury County, Iowa to Hardwick, Vermont, and from Growing Power to People's Grocery, are revitalizing the food system. 

Funny for the Day: 

For those that are interested in viewing Food, Inc. (opening June 12 in selected cities), Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) was interviewed on The Colbert Report describing issues related to factory food. 

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Eric Schlosser
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Keyboard Cat

Blog Roll Tuesday

Here is a sample of local food and agriculture news in the Chicago foodshed from this week: 

University of Illinois Extension's blog, Locally Grown:  HB3990 Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act passed the Illinois General Assembly. 

Food Works' blog, Eat Southern Illinois:  The first event in the state-wide Organic Farm Field Days series begins Friday, June 12th.  The first farm tours will focus on beginning organic farmers and choice to certify or not. 

The Local Beet announces a sweepstakes to win 2 tickets to Growing Home's benefit on June 11th. Simply submit a true story describing why or how you've changed the way you shop for food. 

Real Food Challenge announces its Midwest Real Food Training in Ames, IA for students and young activists interested in local food, July 11-13th. 

The online food marketplace is taking off with new innovations, according to a recent Wired article.  FarmsReach is a new interweb tool to connect farms directly with restaurants.