Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Byline
Announcing a new collaboration with the Illinois farm and food directory
In This Issue
• Announcing Local Food Forum’s Collaboration With Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois
• Get Listed With Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois
• Local Food Job Board
Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Byline
I am thrilled to officially announce my new collaboration with Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois, a coalition of 10 organizations and agencies across the state committed to working together to build our regional local food economy.
The core of Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois is a directory, available online, of farms that produce delicious, sustainable local food, and the direct-to-consumer farms, farmers markets, farm to table restaurants and retail outlets from whom you can buy that food.
Once a month, I will be contributing an article to the BFBL website about one sector of the local farm community. The first article, just published, is about pastured meat, with a spotlight on Colleen Ruhter, who with husband Jeremy Ruhter founded and runs That Little Farm in the Country in Sidney, Illinois (near Champaign).
The Ruhters raise chickens and Idaho Pasture Pigs, and sell meat at Urbana’s Market at the Square. Both hold engineering degrees and just started farming over the past few years. The farm has quickly made an impact, as Colleen was nominated by The Land Connection for Routes to Farm’s beginning farmer of the year competition in 2021.
Please click below to read the whole article, based on a very engaging interview with Colleen.
You’ll also learn about That Little Farm’s robust merchandising program. It includes the “Support Small Local Farms” shirt below, modeled by Jeremy Ruhter, that I know you’re going to want (I’m gonna get me one of those…)
Get Listed with Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois
From Buy Fresh Buy Local:
Are you a farm, farmers market, farm-to-table restaurant, or grocery store that sells local products purchased directly from local farms? Get listed in Illinois’ most trusted guide to local food. Your listing is absolutely free. Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois is a local foods marketing project led by a coalition of organizations across the state working to promote local farms and food businesses like yours. Get listed and start reaching new customers today!
Local Food Job Board
Here are some great opportunities if you’re looking for a new job in the local food community or looking to dive in.
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Green City Market
Green City Market (Chicago) currently has three positions open. Click the highlighted links below for more information and to apply:
• Programs Manager, to oversee the successful strategic development and execution of our farmer support, food access, and edible education programming.
• Operations Coordinator, to support the successful operations of all aspects of our farmer support programs, physical markets and e-commerce markets.
• Communications Coordinator, to drive Green City Market's communications and marketing activities, including print and digital communications, event marketing, website maintenance and social media management.
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The Land Connection
The Land Connection (Champaign) has four positions open. Click the button below to access information and application details for all four jobs.
• Finance and Operations Director
• Farmland Access Program Manager
• Local Foods Program Manager
• Farmer Training Coordinator
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Gary Comer Youth Center
Gary Comer Youth Center (Chicago) is looking for young adult (~18-24) interns to work in their urban agriculture internship program. The starting wage is $15 per hour with very real possibilities for advancement, and Comer Crops interns receive free produce and honey from our gardens and urban farm. Email Bill at bladd-cawthorne@gcychome.org.