by Bob Benenson, FamilyFarmed
The Hatchery — a joint project of the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC) and nonprofit lender Accion Chicago — is a Chicago food business incubator that is itself going through a growth phase. As part of its efforts to assist its small business associates, The Hatchery held a pop-up market, sponsored by Groupon, at downtown Chicago’s Revival Food Hall on Saturday (June 17).
FamilyFarmed has an interactive relationship with The Hatchery. Many of its incubating businesses also have participated in our organization’s programming, such as our Good Food Festival and our Good Food Accelerator program. So we dropped by to visit with a bunch of our food-making friends — and to purchase some of their delicious products, of course!
Here’s a photo essay of our day at the pop-up! (If you missed it, The Hatchery’s next pop-up at Revival Food Hall is on Saturday, July 8.)
Tea Squares is a 2017 graduate of FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Accelerator program and participated in this year’s Good Food Festival & Conference. Based in the economically and socially challenged South Side community of Englewood, Jordan Buckner (seen here) and his partners produce energy snacks — with caffeine derived from powdered tea — made from raw and organic ingredients, and also hire and train youths from low-income communities. Photo: Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed
the zen of slow cooking exhibited its spice blends — customized for the slow cooker — at FamilyFarmed’s 2017 Good Food Festival & Conference. Along with adding flavor to slow cooker convenience, the company has a social mission: Workers with learning challenges prepare their products for market at Planet Access Company in suburban Chicago. Photo: Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed
Chutney Devis features delicious Indian prepared spice blends, soup mix and kitchari (a yummy rice and lentil dish). Owners Uma Vaiyapuri (seen here on the right) and Vineeta Santoshi have exhibited at the past two Good Food Festival & Conference events. Photo: Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed
No Denial Foods, a 2017 Good Food Festival & Conference exhibitor, came about as the result of founder and CEO Debbie Wood’s search for tasty snacks for people, like her, who have type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. Made with nuts, seeds, coconut flakes and oil, salt and natural sweeteners such as maple syrup and honey, No Denial snacks will be an instant favorite when you try them. Photo: Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed
Kombuchade, which exhibited at the 2017 Good Food Festival & Conference, is gaining a share of the growing market for kombucha, the fermented tea drink that is loaded with probiotics and other health properties. Photo: Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed
Rhine Hall has sampled its excellent fruit brandy — made mainly from fruit grown in Michigan — at FamilyFarmed events. The folks from The Hatchery can check in on how things are going anytime, and have an excellent drink: The distillery and tasting room is located right around the corner on Fulton Street. Photo: Bob Benenson/FamilyFarmed