Buy Local, Help Vital Food Businesses
The economic side of why you should shop at farmers markets
The cornucopia of delicious food that is better for people, the planet and animals is reason enough to be a farmers market regular. But during this National Farmers Market Week, let’s not forget the economic benefits to farmers, other food businesses, and our community as a whole.
As today’s Illinois Farmer Market Association graphic (above) says, your purchases enable local farms and food businesses to survive, thrive and grow.
Numerous studies have shown that dollars spent with local businesses have much greater local impact than dollars spent with companies based elsewhere, building stronger local economies in urban, suburban and rural areas.
And it makes sense that locally grown or produced food would be the answer to providing economic stability and growth in our region, including in our under-resourced communities. Food is in the Chicago region’s DNA, as this metropolis grew as the hub that delivered the bounty from the agrarian Midwest to all of the United States.
And, as we’ve discussed, a robust local food system is crucial to ensuring food security in the event of regional or national crises, as we re-learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So you buy delicious food, it helps food producers succeed, and it bolsters our regional economy? This one’s a win-win-win.
Lakeview’s Low-Line: One “L” of a Market
The Low-Line Market in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood is in one of the most unique locations not only in this city, but for farmers markets anywhere. The market is shoehorned into a tight space directly underneath the Southport station on the Brown Line of the city’s elevated train system, better known as “The L.”
Though within walking distance of I where I live, my Tuesday visit to Low-Line was my first this year. The market accommodates only about a dozen vendors, which was fine; I’m working down some inventory from other recent market visits, and the vendors there had what I needed to fill in.
Low-Line Market is located in the middle of the busy shopping and dining district on Southport Avenue.
I popped into Corridor Brewery and Provisions for a couple of their excellent craft beers (and yes, Tuesday was as beautiful outside as this looks). I’ll have some more beer chat in tomorrow’s Local Food Forum.
And here’s my small Low-Line Market haul. Apricots (possibly the last of the season) and cherry tomatoes from Parra’s; nectarines, my first of the season, from Kugel Farms; and horseradish chive havarti from Stamper Cheese (Chicago).
The Low-Line Market is open on Tuesdays through October 11 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.