New Illinois Program to Help Underserved Farmers and Eaters
Read about the official announcement and Local Food Forum's pre-anniversary
$28.8 Million in Grants to Flow to 15 Organizations
Big news for local food and food justice advocates. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday announced $28.8 million in federal grants, which will enable 15 recipient organizations across the state to purchase food from socially disadvantaged farmers at fair market value and distribute it to communities in need at no cost.
This funding, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA), will elevate our local food ecosystem in general; provide a much-needed economic boost to producers from under-represented demographic groups; and address the crucial issue of increased access to healthy, locally produced food for economically challenged individuals and families.
Tuesday’s press release from the governor’s office contains reams of detail about the program, so we’ll get right to it.
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Gov. Pritzker Announces $28.8 Million in USDA Grants to Provide Free Local Food to Communities
Program purchases food from socially disadvantaged growers for distribution to underserved communities at no cost
PEORIA- Governor JB Pritzker announced $28.8 million in grant funding to provide free locally produced food to vulnerable communities. The grants are being awarded to organizations in Illinois in partnership with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).
The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) will allow the State of Illinois to purchase food directly from socially disadvantaged farmers at fair market value. Food will then be distributed by providers, including food banks, farming collaboratives, and other non-profits, to communities in need at no cost. This includes schools, churches and non-profit organizations.
The funds originated through two cooperative agreements with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"Food access is fundamental to healthy and prosperous communities," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Thanks to the cooperation and support of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Illinois-EATS Program is dispersing nearly $29 million in grant funding to fifteen food organizations serving families across our state. Illinois-EATS is lifting up both ends of Illinois' food supply chain — from our farmers to our most food-insecure residents." [Editor note: The EATS in Illinois-EATS stands for Equitable Access Toward Sustainable Systems.]
In crafting its local rollout of the federally funded program, Illinois committed to sourcing 100% of products from historically underserved farmers and ranchers.
"Communities cannot thrive when our neighbors are hungry. The economy cannot thrive when our farmers feel undervalued. The Illinois-EATS Program allows us to both address food insecurity and uplift the hard work of our agriculture professionals," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "Connecting people with the resources they need the most is exactly what I mean when I say 'Ag Connects Us All.'"
In total, 20 grants were awarded to 15 providers, some covering multiple areas. Following is the list of grant recipients.
[Editor note: The third listed organization applied for the grant under its existing name, Angelic Organics Learning Center. The organization re-branded in December and is now Farmers Rising.]
"By purchasing from underserved farmers at fair market value, this grant supports a community of growers who have historically struggled to establish themselves," said Jerry Costello, IDOA Director. "We are creating new markets for their products while strengthening the food supply chain in Illinois."
"Families across Illinois shouldn't have to worry about where their next meal will come from or have to make difficult decisions in order to meet their basic needs," said Dulce M. Quintero, IDHS Secretary Designate. "With this partnership, we make our vision a reality, to ensure every single family has access to nutritious, fresh food, all locally grown by under-utilized farmers and growers. This builds on our work to create more equitable access to services in our communities."
IDOA and IDHS partnered with the University of Illinois Extension to convene an advisory committee to develop the Notice of Funding Opportunity for IL-EATS and execute these agreements. In preparation, the University of Illinois held more than 30 listening sessions to identify key challenges and local needs.
The main gap identified was formal distribution sites with the capacity to aggregate, package, store, process, and transport food products to disinvested communities. In response, grant dollars are being issued to lead agencies to serve as community partners, bridging the gap between farmers and those in need.
Lead agencies include food banks, non-profits, and farming collectives responsible for connecting with historically socially disadvantaged growers and producers to purchase food at fair market value that will be provided at no cost to underserved communities. The program prioritizes ensuring culturally responsive fresh foods are available to food insecure communities.
"The Village of Morton is proud to be home to a division of Midwest Food Bank, and we are excited for the opportunity to support local farmers and positively impact surrounding communities through the IL-EATS Program," said Jeff Kaufman, Mayor of Morton.
"This is a meaningful step toward ensuring equitable access to nutritious food, while supporting our local producers," said State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria). "Investments like these help develop our local food systems, and support producers and consumers throughout Illinois."
"This funding will help to bring quality food to communities that are too often overlooked," said Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria). "We need to continue to take steps forward to eliminate food deserts, increase access to nutritious meals and support diverse growers across our state."
Producers and non-profits interested in participating in the program can learn more at https://extension.illinois.edu/food/illinois-equitable-access-towards-sustainable-systems-il-eats-funded-lfpa. Eligible products include fruits, vegetables, meat proteins, eggs, dairy products, grains, and other minimally processed items. A complete list is available at https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/lfpa_allowable_foods_list.pdf.
Local Food Forum: It All Started Three Years Ago
The above photo, taken at Prairie Wind Family Farm in Grayslake, Illinois, graced the first “beta” issue of Local Food Forum on March 6, 2021 — three years ago today.
I was in my last month at the Good Food non-profit where I’d worked for almost seven years, having decided that January to leave because of organizational changes (it’s a long story). My departure wasn’t planned, and I was granted through March to figure out what I would do next.
One of the people I consulted was David Rapp, a friend and former boss from my politics writing days in D.C. He asked a question that would have a major and beneficial impact on my plans: “Have you heard of Substack?”
I quickly determined how easy it would be to start a publication. Powered by my years of learning and networking, my passionate belief in the need for a better food system, and my conviction that our local food ecosystem needed its own media platform, I started developing what became Local Food Forum.
With a goal of officially launching the newsletter on April 1, 2021, I published a handful of test issues in March and asked friends and associates to let me know what they thought. The feedback was complimentary, and several lovely people subscribed before the launch date.
We have now published a total of 770 issues. No, really. That averages to 252 a year, or five issues per week, despite some well-meant warnings that more than one or two a week would turn people off. We’ve grown to 1,040 total free and paid subscribers… and we’re not done yet.
Over the next few months, I’ll be announcing some new programs and events — some aimed as benefits to paid subscribers — that will hopefully bring more value to joining the Local Food Forum community. I’ll be seeking ways to draw in content from beyond the Chicago region, so we can learn about and from our fellow local food ecosystems.
And we’ll be trying to find ways to make this publication more financially self-sustaining. I’ll have more about that soon. But in the meantime, I’m going to slip in the following button in hope that a few more dear readers will become paid subscribers.
I’ll be even more celebratory on the official 3rd anniversary on April 1 (yes, I did launch on April Fool’s Day). In the meantime, here is the introduction note at the top of Issue 1. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether I’ve lived up to the promises. But as that song in the Ted Lasso opening says, heaven knows I’ve tried.
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I am passionate about local food.
First, I had a passion for any food, and I inherited my cooking jones from my mother. I was a Good Food early adopter in the ‘80s, driving 10 miles to the nearest Whole Foods and becoming a farmers market regular. And that was all before I left a 30-year career as a political journalist in Washington, D.C. 10 years ago to move to Chicago (my wife Barb grew up on a farm in Peotone, just south of the city).
Thirty years in politics was enough. I wanted to do something mission-driven, and with some serendipity I ended up focusing on local and sustainably produced food.
Through seven years doing communications at Chicago nonprofit FamilyFarmed and through my proximity to Green City Market, I met and made friends with amazing people — farmers, market managers, processors, chefs, school and community garden creators, food access advocates, entrepreneurs, promoters of food as an engine of economic growth, and more — who are building a better food system.
These are people who always deserved to have their work and their stories elevated. While I was pleased to write articles about these folks for FamilyFarmed, they haven’t had a comprehensive platform to talk directly to consumers and among themselves.
Until now.
I’m wrapping up my time with FamilyFarmed, and the idea of a local food news source went from the back of my brain to the front. On Local Food Forum, you’ll meet innovators and creators across the local food spectrum and learn the challenges and joys of getting local food on everyone’s table. You’ll find news you can use about where to find and prepare local food. Lots of pretty pictures too (I’m a photographer).
And there will be features that are just fun. It’s food. No reason to be stodgy.
Local Food Forum is in “soft launch” mode, meaning access will be totally free for the first few issues. I can only do this long-term if it pays some bills, so a paid subscription option will launch soon with the low, low price of $5/month or $50/year.
If you only want to read, you are welcome to do so for free, but if you want to comment and participate in the conversation, you’ll need a paid subscription. I hope you do subscribe because it isn’t your newsletter unless you are participating.
Welcome and I hope you enjoy.