Hear Jason Hammel Talk Lula at Green City
Also, Food Animal Concerns Trust to accept this year's grant applications
Farm-to-Table Chef on Familiar Ground
Jason Hammel, chef-owner of Lula Cafe, will give a free talk about his new The Lula Cafe Cookbook tomorrow (October 28) at Green City Market’s flagship location in Lincoln Park. The event, which will include light bites and book signings, runs from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Lula Cafe and Green City Market both opened in 1999 and they grew together. Jason has been a regular visitor to the market over these many years in pursuit of locally sourced ingredients for the restaurant’s renowned, changed-daily menu.
For a preview, please check out the following articles on the Local Food Forum website.
Farms: FACT Grant Applications Open Wednesday
Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) is opening its application for this year’s round of Fund-a-Farmer grants on Wednesday (November 1). Here are the details from FACT:
Since 2012 FACT has awarded 608 grants to farmers totaling over $1,110,000 to improve farm animal welfare, expand humane farming, and support capital and operational work done on dozens of farms. In 2023 alone we distributed over $250,000 to 87 farms. Our 2023 grants to farmers seeking or holding animal welfare certification were generously underwritten by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Many past grant projects have focused on fencing, watering systems, or mobile animal shelters. Farmers have also completed a variety of unique projects involving constructing cattle scratching stations, planting trees to improve access to shade, and purchasing equipment for fly control. Please view a complete list of past projects for reference.
The 2024 application period will open at 12am ET [11pm CT] on November 1st, 2023 and close at 11:59pm ET [10:59 pm CT] January 15th 2024.
Please sign up for our farmer email list below to receive news and updates about future rounds of funding. [Click below and scroll down.]
FACT also provides details about eligibility for the grants:
Please read through our complete list of previously funded projects for ideas and inspiration. On farm projects must impact beef cattle, bison, broiler chickens, dairy cows, ducks, geese, goats, laying hens, pigs, sheep and/or turkeys. Eligible expense categories generally include materials, supplies, equipment, shipping costs, professional fees, travel, training, and hired labor costs. Funds will not be awarded to non-profit organizations; operational expenses such as animals, feed and land; and projects related to the slaughter of animals.
This year we will specifically fund:
Grants for farmers seeking to become Certified Animal Welfare Approved (AWA), Certified Humane, or Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Animal Welfare Certified (steps 4 to 5+). These grants will be made for on-farm projects that help improve animal welfare.
Grants for welfare-certified farmers: These grants are for projects that would help farms that already hold one of the certifications above to build capacity or maintain certification. These grants can be for production-related projects, or for projects related to the marketing, sales, and distribution of certified products.
Grants for farmers to improve or expand pasture for their animals: FACT will fund projects that would help farms transition to pasture-based systems, expand animals’ access to well-managed pasture, and improve the quality of pasture for animals. Farmers do not need to hold or be seeking certification. These grants will be made for on-farm, production-related projects that would improve animal welfare and expand pasture-based systems.
If your farm and project fits into more than one category, you may select multiple types on the application form. Funding for grants made to farmers who are seeking certification or who already hold certification has been underwritten by generous support from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Pumpkin Recipes from Natural Awakenings
Did you know that Illinois is the nation’s biggest producer of pumpkins… and by a wide margin? According to the USDA, Illinois’ pumpkin yield is bigger than the next five most productive states (Indiana, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia) combined.
Yay us! And discerning pumpkineers know that the gourd is good for more than Halloween jack-o’-lanterns and pie. Click below for a couple of timely recipes, shared by Natural Awakenings Chicago Publisher Peggy Malecki from the publication’s October issue
Have some pumpkin recipes of your own that you’d like to shout out? Please share and I’ll post them.
Thank you for sharing, Bob!