Green City's Sustainable Supper
Plus a new nonprofit tool lender and this weekend's farmers market schedule
Random Rabbit Photo
Just because. Happy Friday.
Green City Dinner: Sustenance and Sustainability
Green City Market (GCM) shares that it is hosting an evening of local, sustainable food and conversation at Bungalow by Middle Brow, a Chicago restaurant, brewery, and fan-favorite GCM vendor. The event will take place on Monday, October 24 at 6:00 p.m.
The third installment of GCM’s Sustainable Supper Series will feature a panel discussion on the business of farming and the importance of sustainable collaborations. The panel will be moderated by Marisa Mulh, Director of Marketing at Tock. Marisa will be joined by Pete Tenes, owner of Middle Brow, and Marty Travis, owner and operator of Spence Farm.
Click the button below for more info and tickets, and read the Market’s press release.
October 6, 2022 (Chicago) — Green City Market (GCM), the nonprofit organization behind Chicago's premier sustainable farmers' market, is hosting an evening of local, sustainable food and conversation at Bungalow by Middle Brow, a Chicago restaurant, brewery, and fan-favorite GCM vendor, on Monday, October 24 at 6:00 p.m.
The third installment of GCM’s Sustainable Supper Series will feature a panel discussion on the business of farming and the importance of sustainable collaborations. Previous installments of the series focused on the meaning of local, sustainable food and hyper-local farms working to expand urban agriculture.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Marisa Mulh, Director of Marketing at Tock.
“Both myself and our entire team at Tock are extremely proud to be partnering with GCM’s incredible Sustainable Supper Series,” said Marisa Mulh. “As champions for the F&B industry, we recognize the importance of supporting and promoting a sustainable lifestyle both in and outside the kitchen, and appreciate all that GCM does to expand knowledge of sustainability throughout Chicago.”
Joining Marisa on the panel will be Pete Ternes, owner of Middle Brow, and Marty Travis, owner and operator of Spence Farm, to discuss sustainable collaborations between farms and restaurants.
“The reason we work in food is to engage in and encourage sustainability in our personal lives, our neighborhood and the broader Chicagoland community,” said Pete Ternes. “Sustainability isn't just about driving expensive electric cars. It's about making thoughtful life choices on a daily basis. Meeting and working with farmers through Green City Market has taught us the importance of these small decisions.”
Tickets include a locally and sustainably sourced three-course meal with three beverage pairings (two taster beers and one house brewed kombucha) and a tip for service staff.
Proceeds from this event series will support Green City Market's 501c3 nonprofit mission to support local, sustainable farmers, educate our community about where food comes from and why this knowledge matters, and expand food access in Chicago.
Tickets can be purchased via Tock at www.greencitymarket.org/sustainablesupperseries. GCM’s Sustainable Supper Series is generously sponsored by Tock.
Nonprofit Tool Bank to Serve Community-Based Organizations
I’ve worked so hard to build my Good Food contacts and community over the years that I say my motto is “Always Be Networking.” But when Angelic Organics Learning Center Board Chairman Brad Kemp graciously provided me with a lift to his organization’s Gather & Grow farm social Saturday, I never imagined a side trip to pick up linens would turn into a networking opportunity.
The pickup was at Windy City ToolBank, a nonprofit that recently opened in suburban Elk Grove Village to provide low-cost tool rentals to community-based organizations. Nonprofits working to build a better food system are featured regularly in Local Food Forum, and I thought immediately that these organizations might be interested in learning about Windy City ToolBank.
I will be scheduling an interview soon with ToolBank Executive Director Jim Flory, but I wanted to share the following information he provided — from ToolBank USA (TBUSA) — to raise the awareness of anyone who could use ToolBank’s services.
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Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, with a population of nearly three million people. It is known for its iconic architecture, glittering skyline, renowned cultural institutions and attractions, abundant green-space, picturesque lakefront, and more than 100 distinct neighborhoods that represent a diverse array of cultures, people, and experiences. Chicago is also known for its philanthropic spirit, often topping lists of the most generous cities in the U.S.
Despite these positive attributes, Chicago is a complex metropolis with complex challenges, many of which are rooted in racial and economic inequities. TBUSA seeks to disrupt the cycle of inequitable distribution of wealth by sharing our resources with qualified community-based organizations, including those that lack traditional access or face barriers to resources that others have readily available.
Nonprofits are often closest to community interests and serve as the voice for solutions to inequities faced by the communities they serve. ToolBank empowers community based organizations across a wide variety of impact areas at their precise point of need by eliminating cost barriers to tools and equipment. The time and money saved by borrowing ToolBank tools leaves more available to support their specific missions and programs, and to perform essential work to combat some of the most deeply rooted problems facing our shared communities.
TOOLBANK IN CHICAGO
ToolBank is not new to Chicago; the Chicago Community ToolBank affiliate served the community from 2016-2019. It was governed by an independent Board of Directors responsible for hiring and overseeing the organization’s Executive Director. Unfortunately, the Chicago Community ToolBank fell out of compliance with brand and financial standards required of affiliates. Despite TBUSA’s efforts to help it stabilize, TBUSA was advised by professional counsel to dissolve the Chicago Community ToolBank.
However, TBUSA believes that a ToolBank is a valuable resource for Chicagoland’s nonprofit community. The TBUSA leadership team reflected on the issues that resulted in shuttering the Chicago Community ToolBank and evaluated alternative models of operating a ToolBank in Chicago.
With dedicated work and support from our leadership, staff, and major sponsors, TBUSA has re-established the ToolBank, calling it the Windy City ToolBank. Windy City ToolBank falls under TBUSA’s 501(c)(3) group tax exemption.
TOOL LENDING
Created in Atlanta in 1991, our signature tool lending model allows community-based organizations to focus more time and resources on their mission by relying on ToolBanks to provide, store, and repair critically needed tools and equipment. ToolBanks equip groups numbering from a few to thousands of volunteers to efficiently and effectively complete work with the right tools at minimal costs.