Weekly Link Roundup – June 10

•  Kitchen to Grocery Store: What Makes a Food Startup Work?, Wharton University
• Farming in Flux – Family farms are disappearing, even as restaurants look to source better ingredients. Can agriculture and foodservice help save each other?, QSR Magazine

Midwest Good Food

• A Midwestern Baker is Reviving a Bread That No One Has Made in 100 Years, Saveur
• Detroit-Style Pizza & Farmer’s Fridge Salads Head To Revival Food Hall, Eater Chicago
• How FARM Illinois Wants to Make the State a Hub for Agriculture Innovation, ChicagoInno
• Mead, Wine & Beer-Making Facility Buzzing, Owner Expects September Debut, DNAInfo
• TBT: Researchers Reveal Rogers Park’s Long-Forgotten Past as Greenhouse Hub, DNAInfo
•  Detroit Is Designing a City With Space for Everyone, Including Goats, Next City

 National Good Food Conversation

• A decade after ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma,’ Michael Pollan sees signs of hope, Washington Post
• The new food economy grows up – An illustrated timeline, New Food Economy
•  Can a Trash-Talking Seed Get People to Care About Consolidation in Agriculture?, Civil Eats
• General Mills Partners with Organic Valley to Help Conventional Dairy Farms Transition to Certified Organic, Robyn O’Brien
• What If The Food Industry Ended Monoculture Farming?, Food + Tech Connect
• Are Shipping Containers the Future of Farming?, Wall Street Journal
•  Nourishing Patients and the Planet: The Role of Hospital Food Service in Climate Leadership, Medium
• The Periodic Table Of Food Tech – 100+ startups disrupting the way we eat and drink, CB Insights

Upcoming Events – Chicago Region

•  Mint Creek Farm Dinner – An Evening with Home Bistro – Kempton, IL
  Ticket price includes a first-hand, interactive tour of the farm, where you’ll get out amongst the animals and learn all the ins and outs of the place from head farmer/owner Harry Carr. The tour is followed by an exceptional meal prepared by one of Chicago’s revered chefs accompanied by live music from a fabulous local band. Mint Creek is a graduate of FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Business Accelerator.

• The Land Connection’s Farm Dreams – Bloomington, IL
  Farm Dreams is an annual workshop series for aspiring farmers to discover what it would really take to start their own farm businesses.

• Heritage Prairie Farm Dinner – Pig Gig Farm Dinner – Elburn, IL
  The Heritage Prairie Pig Gig Farm Dinner is the farm’s 5th annual pig gig event that kicks off all of their summer farm dinners. For this dinner the farm is pairing up with Penrose Brewing Company for a night of beers and delicious food.
•  Range Restaurant Community Night benefitting Gardeneers – Chicago, IL
  Join Range Thursday, June 16th and #dineforschoolgardens! Come in for drinks or local, farm to table appetizers/dinner anytime from 4pm-10pm! A portion of proceeds from the evening will benefit Gardeneers work in school gardens throughout Chicago.
• Local Foods Dinner, Benefiting Green City Market – Chicago, IL
  Join Local Foods for a multi-course, family-style dinner that features seasonal meat, veggies, cheese and fruit sourced from Green City Market vendors and fine botanic beer provided by Forbidden Root.

• Local Foods’ 1st Anniversary Party – Chicago,  IL
  Local Foods is throwing a 1st anniversary party for its retail store in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. Local Foods is an innovative purveyor of fresh local produce, meats from The Butcher & Larder and artisan foods, and is home to Stock Cafe. The party will be held in the store’s parking lot and will include cookout treats and craft beverages for purchase. Admission is free, but an RSVP is requested.
• Openfields Farm Tour – Rockford, IL
  U of I Extension is happy to announce that Openfields Farm Tour will be on Saturday, June 25th from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. On this self-guided tour, visit local producers and learn about locally grown food! View a map of the participating farms.

• Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s Summer Shindig – Bloomington, IL
  Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s Summer Shindig brings together members from all corners of the state and is their way of saying “Thank You” to their supporters. Enjoy a tour of Epiphany Farms (9591 North 1540 East Road, Bloomington, IL 61705) followed by food, music and more at Epiphany Farms Restaurant (220 E Front St, Bloomington, IL 61701) in Bloomington.

To find upcoming farm dinners, check out FamilyFarmed’s farm dinner guide.