Join Our Farmers Market Webinar Tonight
And bring your questions... we've saved plenty of time for Q&A
There’s still time for you to register (for free) for Local Food Forum’s “Better” Dialogues webinar, TONIGHT (Monday, April 29) at 7 p.m. central. Co-host Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe and I have lined up a great lineup of expert guests on the topic of Outdoor Farmers Market Season Kickoff: Why You Should Go.
To explain why, we’ll cover areas — such as increasing good food access, promoting sustainability, and building community — that go well beyond the main reason most people shop at farmers markets… which is to buy delicious, super-fresh food from our local farmers.
Our guests are:
Laura Avery, a true legend in the farmers market world. Laura became manager of the Santa Monica Farmers Market adjacent to Los Angeles in 1982, a year after its founding, and at a time when there were just more than 1,000 farmers markets across the entire country. Over her following 36 years as manager, Laura played the leading role in growing the Santa Monica market from 23 farmers and a relative handful of shoppers to roughly 130 farmers and throngs of attendees.
Matthew Ruffi, who heads up the Link Up Illinois program — run by the Experimental Station non-profit — that provides financial support for markets’ “Link Match” programs, and also organizes Chicago’s Uptown Farmers Market (in his role as president of the Chicago Market co-op grocery project)
Janelle St. John, executive director of Chicago’s Growing Home Inc. non-profit, who will discuss how her urban farming and organic produce operation is improving food access in underserved communities on Chicago’s South Side.
Kyle Jacobson of Illinois’ Jacobson Family Farms, who will discuss his innovative approaches to regenerative agriculture.
Alex Finn of Michigan’s Finn’s Ranch, who will discuss the importance of farmers markets in building community, and how that helped her and her family to recover from a devastating fire on their farm.