by Bob Benenson, FamilyFarmed
FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Trade Show and Industry Conference Friday — the middle of three days of the organization’s 12th annual Good Food Festival & Conference — got off to a rousing and inspiring start with an Opening Symposium featuring leading voices from across the local and sustainable food business and advocacy sectors.
The keynote speech at the event was delivered by Steve Koch, deputy mayor for the city of Chicago, who emphasized the city’s efforts to expand opportunities for urban agriculture, to combat food deserts, and to encourage healthy eating habits (especially among children). As shown in the photos below, Koch then took a walk around the Trade floor, where more than 100 exhibitors are showing off their products for buyers and other attendees of the Friday event.
The Good Food Trade Show and Industry Conference continues with more excellent programming throughout the day, capped by an Industry Networking Reception featuring great local food and craft beverages.
The Good Food Festival & Conference wraps up Saturday with the Good Food Festival, the great annual public celebration of the fast-growing Good Food movement. For more information about this very affordable, very family-friendly and fun event, click here. To purchase tickets in advance, click here.
FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Trade Show & Industry Conference Friday started with an Opening Symposium with an impressive lineup that include (from the back) FamilyFarmed Board Chairman Charlotte Flinn, FamilyFarmed President Jim Slama, Wes King of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Kris Moon of the James Beard Foundation, Leland Strom of FARM Illinois, Kate Maehr of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Erika Allen of Growing Power and the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, Renee Michaels of Kinship Foundation, Bobby Turner of Whole Foods Market Midwest, and Tom Spaulding of Angelic Organics Learning Center (who presented the Beginning Farmer of the Year and Farmer Mentor of the Year awards).
Chicago Deputy Mayor Steve Koch with FamilyFarmed President Jim Slama at the Opening Symposium.
With FamilyFarmed Board member Jamie Ponce and Board Chairman Charlotte Flinn.
With Ponce, Ryan Kimura of Local Foods Chicago and Flinn.
With Jim Murphy, chairman of Local Foods Chicago and Mighty Vine, an indoor tomato farming operation in Rochelle, IL that is having a big impact on the Chicago food scene in its first year of operations.
With Viraj Puri of Gotham Greens, which grows tons of fresh leafy greens in rooftop farms in Chicago and New York City.
With Ponce and Darius Jones, partner and general manager of Garfield Produce Company, located in an economically challenged neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.
With Ponce with a representative of Farmer’s Fridge, which sells delicious, fresh and healthy salads in vending machines in locations around Chicago.
Photographs by Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed