Chicago Fuels Farmer's Fridge Growth
So says founder/CEO Luke Saunders in a Fast Company article
In This Issue
• Farmer’s Fridge CEO Says Chicago Rocks for Food Entrepreneurs
• Hot Job: The Land Connection ISO Farmland Program Access Manager
Farmer’s Fridge CEO Says Chicago Rocks
Chicago is a great launching pad for food entrepreneurs, says Luke Saunders, founder/CEO of Farmer’s Fridge, in his August 31 article for Fast Company.
He should know.
His refrigerated vending machines — selling fresh and healthy salads, bowls and sandwiches — were strategically placed in high-traffic Chicago locations, and they proved an immediate hit. The company created an innovative app-based tech platform that enabled customers to easily find nearby fridges, while informing company analysts about what was selling most and where.
Early success drew the attention of Chicago-based investors, providing capital that fueled the company’s growth. And when the COVID crisis hit, Farmer’s Fridge pivoted nimbly to home delivery and expanded its sales through retail partnerships.
Food business is in Chicago’s DNA. Luke — who grew up on the East Coast, went to college in St. Louis, and started his professional life in New York — found fertile ground when he moved here shortly before launching Farmer’s Fridge in 2013.
Chicago is the home of a number of successful food-tech startups, including disruptors like Grubhub, which accelerated online food ordering, meal kit pioneer Home Chef, protein snack RXBar (now part of Kellogg’s), and emerging players like Tovala and Nature’s Fynd.
Being surrounded by so many food-tech startups makes it clear that I ended up in exactly the right place. The city’s startup ecosystem has embraced Chicago’s roots as a food center — and I’ll explain how and why that’s been a boon for our company and others — and offers a great roadmap for founders and economic development officials in other communities seeking to leverage their traditional strengths to encourage innovation and win in new, technology-enabled industries.
He goes on to describe Chicago’s role as a production and distribution epicenter, its lower cost of doing business than in many major cities, its top-tier talent, and its historic role as a food city. Click below to read the full article.
I formerly worked for FamilyFarmed and first crossed paths with Luke, early in the life of Farmer’s Fridge, when he exhibited at FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Financing & Innovation Conference, gaining visibility for the startup. Luke is now on the boards of directors of FamilyFarmed and Naturally Chicago (now an independent organization after being launched by FamilyFarmed).
Luke is also a supporter of Local Food Forum, for which we are very grateful.
Land Connection Hiring for Land Access Program
Affordable access to land is a major issue for early-stage farmers. Now The Land Connection — a non-profit based in Champaign, Illinois — plans to address this problem by hiring a Farmland Program Access Manager. This Manager will play a major role in the organization’s new, collaborative Illinois Farmland Access Initiative.
The posted salary range for the fulltime position is $40,000-$50,000, depending on experience and qualifications, and includes benefits. Here is The Land Connection’s background and description of the position:
Background and History
For more than 20 years, The Land Connection has actively worked to build a more just and equitable food and farming system for Illinois. Beginning with a small farm in central Illinois rented to organic farmers to preserve this land, our organization has since expanded to offer training, education and resources to farmers, food businesses and consumers.
As we head into the next iteration of our organization’s history, we have identified the need for a statewide farmland access program. Currently there is no single source for farmers and landowners in Illinois to access the resources and assistance needed to sell, purchase or lease farmland. Our solution is the creation of a new collaborative effort called the Illinois Farmland Access Initiative. The initiative consists of five core elements:
An inclusive and coordinated network of technical resources and service providers, the Farmland Access Hub, that fully represents the diversity of Illinois’ food and farming system;
Farmland Access Navigators embedded across the state to provide one-on-one direct service to farmers and farmland owners;
A moderated statewide Illinois FarmLink website to connect farmland owners, including non-operating landowners and retiring farmers, and farmers with land, resources and each other;
Farmland Access Trainings specifically tailored for Illinois farmers and landowners; and
Farmland Succession and Transition Support, designed for Illinois non-operating landowners and retiring farmers
Summary Job Description
As an integral part of this program, The Land Connection seeks an enthusiastic program manager to develop and coordinate the initiative’s growth and expansion in a way that instills equity and collaboration in every element. This position will lead the work to implement the initiative, including growing the network of organizations, agricultural service providers and individuals participating in the work; guiding the training and work of four regional land access navigators; assisting with the transition of illinoisfarmlink.org to a statewide resource for farmers, landowners and agriculture service providers; and leading the development of strong land access and transfer education programs to aid farmers and landowners throughout the state. The successful candidate will shape the evolution of the Illinois Farmland Access Initiative.
Click the button below to learn more (including qualifications and primary responsibilities) and to apply.
Does Farmers Fridge source any salad ingredients locally? It doesn't sound like it in Luke's piece. He refers to getting chips and bread from great Chicago chefs who source locally and sustainably but not the produce they sell.