An App Helps Link Users Find Markets
Crate Free USA Promotes Access, Plus Another Fall Market Haul
A Work Week’s Happy Ending
Friday evening’s sunset, seen from Lakeview. Combined with the warmup after a few days of more winter-like temperatures, it made for a lovely end to a busy week.
Fall Market Haul Still Fills a Kitchen Counter
Just another reminder that your late October markets have plenty of beautiful local food. My haul from Green City Market in Lincoln Park (from right): sweet potatoes, Rhode Island Greening apples and lettuce from Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, Illinois); cremini mushrooms from River Valley Ranch (Burlington, Wisconsin); red bell peppers from Smits Farms (Chicago Heights, Illinois); shishito peppers and Bacchus radishes from Froggy Meadow Farm (Beloit, Wisconsin); carrots from Star Farm Chicago; andouille sausage from Jake’s Country Meats (Cassopolis, Michigan); concord grapes, which are in the green container I forgot to uncover 🙄, from Mick Klug Farm (St. Joseph, Michigan); apple cider and eggs from Ellis Family Farms (Benton Harbor, Michigan); and delicata squash from Flatwater Farms (Buchanan, Michigan).
I also got my chef’s knife, aka Excalibur, a much-needed sharpening from the folks at American Pride Microfarm (Naperville, Illinois).
The leaf colors have changed and many in the morning crowd donned jackets, but big crowds of local food fans continue to flow into Green City and many other farmers markets.
Crate Free USA Helps Link Users Buy Local
Jessica Chipkin is founder and president of Crate Free USA, an Illinois-based non-profit that does great work to reduce the suffering of animals on factory farms through consumer education and advocacy. One of the important tools she has created is an app directory that helps consumers find farms, markets, restaurants and other vendors who sell food that is good for people, good for the planet, and good for animals.
I am happy to share the latest innovation on the app: designations of which farmers markets enable recipients of food assistance benefits under the Illinois Link program and/or participate in Link Match programs that double the value of those benefits.
Link and Link Match have been crucial in providing food assistance recipients with greater access to healthy and sustainably produced local food. Please share the word about the Crate Free USA app to help ensure that the people who can use the Link information are aware of it.
Crate Free USA recently published an article on its website, written by Sam Damiano, about how the farmers market in Woodstock, Illinois helps shoppers who have limited incomes. Here’s an excerpt:
Shopping for sustainably raised meat and dairy products is seen as a luxury. In supermarkets, products labeled certified humane or pasture raised are typically more expensive than their counterparts from industrial farms. Households that receive assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) typically are not able to justify the extra cost while trying to feed their families on a budget. In addition, many households in need will forgo food assistance programs because of the stigma associated with using these benefits. At Crate Free USA, we believe it shouldn’t be a privilege to buy nutritious, healthy, ethically raised meat and dairy.
Kelly Kempf, manager of the farmers’ market in suburban Woodstock, Illinois, shares our sentiment and is taking action. She is pushing for food equity and accessibility at her market by proudly accepting Link cards, the electronic method of distributing SNAP benefits in Illinois. The Woodstock Farmers’ Market also participates in a Link Match program, funded by private donors, to make locally grown food attainable for everyone. We recently visited Kelly at the Woodstock Market to chat about her ongoing efforts to make the market fun and accessible for anyone who attends.
Click the button below to read the full article with the Q&A with Kelly Kempf.
Sunday: “Walking Tamales Tour” Spotlights Murals in Pilsen
Fillo’s Americas Made, the brand name for Sofrito Foods based in suburban North Aurora, is one of the most successful brands to emerge from the Good Food Accelerator program created by FamilyFarmed (now Good Food Catalyst). The company was built on prepared bean dishes with a variety of Latin flavors, sold in ready-to-heat pouches, and recently introduced its Walking Tamales — tamales in both savory and sweet flavors aimed at people on the go.
And I just learned that tomorrow (Sunday), Fillo’s is presenting a Walking Tamales Tour of the amazing murals in the Pilsen community created by Josué Pellot. Pilsen has a largely Mexican-American population and Pellot’s wall art heavily reflects that heritage.
To participate, meet at Pilsen’s Dvorak Park, 1119 W. Cullerton St., at noon. Click below to see a video with more background about the event.