October-December, 2008 No.3
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Articles:
A Clean Energy Strategy Could Bring New Life to the Illinois Economy
Vision 20-20: Developing a Regional Economic Vision
The Benefits of Eating Local In Illinois
In this age, technological advancements are occurring almost faster than one can register. It’s interesting that, in the midst of this trend, the Oxford Dictionary’s 2007 word of the year was locavore - a word that embraces a lifestyle humans have embraced for thousands of years: eating local food. Until recently, we were eating locally primarily because there was no other choice. Food could not be preserved long enough and transportation was too slow. However, over the past 100 years food production has been revolutionized. We can, and do, get food from all over the earth.
Food travels, on average, 1,500 miles before it ends up on an Illinois plate. Ninety-five percent of organic foods in Illinois are grown and processed outside of the state. While agriculture is big business within the state, less than 0.2% of food grown in Illinois is sold directly for human consumption. But the recent growth of local farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, and an increasing consumer interest in local and organic products, places Illinois in a position to take advantage of this current economic trend.
Growth of Farmers’ Markets = Growth of Farms
The advantages of local and organic produce are already apparent in Illinois. Since 1999, the number of farmers’ markets in the state has more than doubled to almost 250 markets across the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that sales generated by farmers’ markets across the
country exceed $1 billion a year. This growth brings money to small family farms and helps to invigorate a segment of the workforce that has been struggling in recent years.
Farmers’ markets also serve to strengthen intrastate bonds between the urban, suburban and rural communities through the direct interaction between food producers and consumers at farmers’ markets, communitysupported agriculture and farm shares. In addition, a growing number of farms not only grow food to sell, but also host tours, provide classes, and offer on-site workshops. This adds up to tourism dollars from within and without the state. Angelic Organics in Caledonia, IL (www.angelicorganics.com/) is an example of a farm that has branched out in this direction. They offer several
workshops and have pioneered communitywide education on the benefi ts of sustainable agriculture.
Farms, Cities and Communities Urban farms are also fl ourishing. They are often direct suppliers of urban farmers’ markets and fi ne dining restaurants who are responding to consumer demand for local, fresh food. But urban farms don’t always stop at food production. Non-profi t organizations such as Growing Power (www.growingpower.org), City Farm (www.resourcecenterchicago.org/70thfarm.html) and Growing Home (www.growinghomeinc.org/) have taken the local food movement and combined it with community education. These farms, which are often located in underserved areas, provide a place for participants to learn how to raise and harvest food, as well as gain experience in marketing and sales at farmer’s markets and through direct selling. Growing Power in particular has an interesting model. They use their farms as a transitional employment program designed for individuals with barriers to employment. Participants might be homeless, have been incarcerated, or have had substance abuse issues. Working at Growing Home provides skills and job readiness training, as well as a job in the organic agriculture business for several months. Each of these urban agriculture programs is an example of how growing local food can provide community support as well as fresh, healthy food.
Local Food and Public Health
In addition, Illinois participates in the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). These programs aim to provide fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from farmers’ markets to women, children and seniors who are at nutritional risk. WIC program participants and seniors are eligible to receive checks that they can redeem for goods from vendors participating in the program. The program is funded through a Federal grant from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. More information on Illinois’ participation can be found here: www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=38054 Schools are also starting to use locally prepared foods. In Chicago, the public schools have started a pilot program that aims to put fresh vegetables and fruit on the lunch menu at 30 schools twice a week. The main food service provider for Chicago Public Schools, Chartwells, cites three reasons they wanted to include fresh local foods in the menu. First, local foods are good for the environment because they reduce carbon emissions that occur during transport. Second, with expensive gasoline prices, local foods make sense economically and save the school district money. Third, the introduction of fresh foods in the lunchroom teaches kids the importance of good nutrition and helps combat the obesity epidemic. Bob Bloomer, the Regional Vice President for Chartwells made this observation, “Many kids had never seen whole fruits before. They got turned off by the fuzz on peaches and anything with a slight bruise1.” Fresh produce as a regular part of student’s diet helps familiarize kids with healthy, nutritious foods as an alternative to highly-processed junk food.
Food, Farms and Jobs of the Future
In order that the state take best advantage of the current consumer interest in local and organic food, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Foods, Farms and Jobs Act in August 2007. This act established a task force that, over the period of two years, is charged with developing a plan containing policy and funding recommendations for expanding and supporting state, local and organic food system and for assessing and overcoming obstacles to increasing locally grown, organic and conventional, food production. This plan will cover:
• Land acquisition for local and organic agriculture;
• Expanding current training programs;
• Identifying fi nancial incentives, support, and training for Illinois farmers as they transition to local, organic, and specialty crops;
• Increasing the availability of affordable Illinois-grown foods by creating new food outlets in underserved communities;
• Educating the public on the benefi ts of a local food system.
Other issues pertaining to the growth of the local and organic food industry will be investigated as well. The task force is due to report its fi ndings on Sept 30, 2008.
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1Jennifer Brandel, “School Lunches go Local,”
www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=28902
(16 September 2008).
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