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County staff recap Everything Local conference; highlights statewide food systems planning and school food funding
Summary
A county staffer summarized sessions at the Everything Local conference, including a Lake County interactive map for local-food resources, work toward a statewide food systems plan by Experimental Station, HEAL partners’ programs to direct local produce to food pantries, and an ISBE/USDA Local Food and Schools funding opportunity.
Matt, a Kane County staffer, briefed the Agriculture Committee on the Everything Local conference, a merged conference hosted by the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Specialty Crop Association and Illinois Farmers Market Association that brings together farmers and local-government food-system professionals.
Matt said Lake County’s interactive map (developed by College of Lake County, Liberty Prairie Foundation, Lake County Community Foundation, Lake County Farm Bureau and extension) lets users search for restaurants that source local food, community gardens, farms with agritourism and other local-food resources. He suggested Kane County’s existing GIS list of farmers markets, stands and CSA sites could be expanded similarly.
Matt also described a proposed statewide food systems planning effort led by an organization called Experimental Station; the project would involve listening sessions and aims to coordinate local-food initiatives across Illinois. He flagged an initiative led by HEAL food system partners and the Tazewell County Health Department to produce 26,000 pounds of donated produce for food pantries and a “green light” labeling program to help food-pantry clients find more nutritious options.
Matt and other speakers highlighted the Illinois State Board of Education’s Local Food and Schools program, a USDA-funded passthrough that Matt said has roughly $7 million set aside statewide for school food authorities to purchase locally sourced foods and that, as he reported, less than half of the funding had been tapped at the time of the conference. Matt encouraged school districts to consult the ISBE website and the Illinois Farm to School Network for application details; committee members suggested coordinating with the county ROE (Regional Office of Education) to spread the word.
Ending
Committee members asked staff to explore expanding Kane County’s existing GIS map of local-food assets and to coordinate outreach about ISBE’s Local Food and Schools funding. Matt said he will follow up and can help connect local schools with the Farm to School Network and ROE contacts.
