Food to Market Challenge Offers $500,000 for Best Idea to Grow Chicago’s Good Food Supply

Many organizations and companies are working hard to untie knots in the supply chain for local and sustainable food in the Chicago area, the nation’s third most populous consumer market. Now the effort is getting a big boost from the Food to Market Challenge, a newly launched competition that will bestow a $500,000 award on the winning concept.

Guidance on New FSMA Produce Safety Rules from National Sustainable Ag Coalition

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released new regulations for produce under the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), bringing the difficult process of implementing this major law to closure. There is no better source for information about the new regulations than the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, which has published a two-part series of blog posts on the subject that we share with you here.

Farm Aid 30’s Powerful Lessons About Family Farmers’ Challenges

As has been the case since its very beginning in 1985, the nonprofit Farm Aid organization’s annual schedule is built around a mega-star fundraising concert held in a different city every year. But when it came to Chicago for its milestone 30th anniversary concert, Farm Aid presented events that provided deep perspective on the farm crisis of the 1980s that gravely threatened tens of thousands of family farmers, and spurred the organization’s creation.

Sam Kass photo

AFP: Chefs Kass, Barber Spotlight Food Waste at UN “Trash Lunch”

The amount of edible food that goes to waste in United States and around the world is drawing increasing concern and attention from policymakers and producers alike. That was the inspiration behind a special “trash lunch” produced by famous chefs Sam Kass and Dan Barber for President Barack Obama and other world dignitaries Sunday.

Guidance on New Federal Food Safety Rules From National Sustainable Ag Coalition

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Sept. 10 released new regulations under the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), bringing the difficult process of implementing this major law closer to closure. And the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition — which has been deeply engaged in this rule-making process for five years as an advocate for small and medium-sized farms — this week has published a three-part series of blog posts on the subject that we share with you here.

Farm Aid Week in Chicago: Join the Fun, Film Festival and Good Food Revolution

Chicago will host the 30th anniversary Farm Aid concert this Saturday (Sept. 19). Residents of the nation’s third most-populous city will have the opportunity to reacquaint with issues concerning family farmers, through the highest-profile — and most star-powered — event that benefits them and their causes. Farm Aid is not just about the music, though.

Living Water Farms

Living Water Farms: From Accelerator Fellow to Farm Aid Hero

Farm Aid’s website includes a number of stories about “Farmer Heroes,” and one recent post featured Living Water Farms — which just happened to be one of the nine businesses that participated as Fellows in the first year (2014-15) of FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Business Accelerator.

Accelerator Fellow Riana Lynn’s FoodTrace: Connecting Good Food Buyers and Sellers Through Technology

Even in the Internet age, it can still be challenging for Good Food buyers and sellers to find each other and do business. That is why FoodTrace, founded in 2014 by young Chicago entrepreneur Riana Lynn, is drawing so much positive attention for its technology-based platform, designed to enable producers and food businesses to connect.

Farmers Talent Show logo
Good Food Festival 2015 logo
GMO OMG promo

Multi-Faceted Trade Day at Good Food Festival & Conference Captures Movement’s Span

There are so many elements to the Good Food movement that it would be hard for any one event to capture its breadth. But “Trade Day” at FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Festival & Conference March 20 — comes as close as can be to a comprehensive overview of this sweeping effort to change the way we eat for the better.

Farmer Gene Mealhow of Tiny But Mighty.
FamilyFarmed's Wholesale Success manual

Wholesale Success and You: Building the Supply of Local Food

Retail outlets, restaurants, schools, and other wholesale buyers have a difficult time finding enough local food to meet the fast-rising consumer demand. FamilyFarmed is addressing that issue through its Wholesale Success program, which has scheduled workshops around the country over the course of this year.

Good Food Business Accelerator logo
Local Food Buyers Exchange — Midwest

Local Food Association Previews Its Nov. 6 Buyers Exchange Event in Chicago

The Local Food Association (LFA) is the only national trade association for those in the business of local food. And it will stage its inaugural event, the LOCAL FOOD BUYERS EXCHANGE – Midwest, on Thursday, Nov. 6 at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont.

Kerri McClimen

Activists Ramp Up Efforts to Get Congress to Act on Overuse of Antibiotics on Livestock

Concerns about the routine use of antibiotics in livestock production is rising among consumers, prompting an increase in both market demand and supply of meat labeled as “antibiotic-free.” And efforts to get the attention of policy makers to this issue are increasing.

McDonald's restaurant on Clark Street in Chicago, across the street from Wrigley Field

McDonald’s Can Make History — and Rescue its Brand — With Sustainable Food

McDonald’s Golden Arches are tarnished these days. To restore the shine, it’s time for the fast-food behemoth to chart a new course: one that acknowledges the growing consumer demand for Good Food, grown as close to home as possible, by sustainable, humane, and fair producers.

More Tips for Farmers Market Savings

Our previous article on stretching your dollars at farmers markets drew a lot of interest. Even better, it drew several comments — shared here — that are loaded with even more great money-saving ideas.

Those tips are shared here.