We are trying to do our part to help build our local, just, and sustainable food system.
We are a Regional Local Food Hub. We are continually seeking assistance, and giving everything that we can in return. We have a mission...we have a passion!!!
Fresh, locally grown, healthy food goes to waste every season, food that is available locally and in demand locally. The amount of work that it takes to get those foods to market is daunting.
Humor me for a minute, please: Imagine being a vendor at a Farmer's Market for it's duration...showing up early and leaving late, not knowing who to give the unsold fresh food to. Now imagine that you leave that Farmer's Market, still having fresh food in your vehicle, and not even finding somewhere that is open to donate it to. Can you imagine the miserable feeling that you get as you're tossing that good food into your garden for compost?
Let's keep imagining.... The day after the Farmer's Market you walk into your local grocer's to grab some milk, and you hear a child ask his mother for that same type of produce that you had just watched go to waste. Because of the prices, the mother says to the child, "we can't afford that, honey." You walk over to the produce section and notice the words "Product of Honduras" or "Product of Mexico" on the labels.
Where was that family yesterday???
During the market, some people were working...some were at social or family functions...some live on SNAP (food stamp) benefits and the resources aren't in place to accept them....
Why did I ask you to imagine that scenario? Because I've lived it. Hundreds of pounds of fresh, naturally grown produce ended up composting in my garden in 2011.
I could have scaled down for 2012, knowing that without liability insurance I could not get fresh, unsold wares into the local grocery store. Liability insurance is not something that the average gardener can afford. Instead of scaling down, I leased three acres and planted it by hand.
What else could I do to address this issue? The local supply and demand lack a local, socially responsible intermediary.
I did not know of a market for fresh produce that was consistent, reliable, and was easily accessible for local consumers, not in the quantities at-hand. If I had enough food to sell and could ensure that supply was available in the appropriate quantities, I could afford the liability insurance and infrastructure that would enable me to place those goods in the local grocery stores, restaurants, and schools. So I am doing just that.
I called on decades-long friends: farmers. I chose less-volatile produce, as storage was not available. I promised the sky...yet I finished the year with watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkins as the primary crops that I could place...and the pumpkins didn't make it to the stores at all. Yet, as a result of that, the foundation was laid. I was able to cultivate relationships with twenty regional grocery stores and six local restaurants in 2012. Six local roadside vendors were also among the customer list. There was more demand, there was more supply, yet only the first step had been made toward connecting them.
It turns out that help may exist in the region.... Undertaking this kind of project alone is daunting, doing it immediately is even more so.
Illiana Ag Alliance exists to improve the bottom line of farmers, increase local food production and work opportunities, facilitate a shift toward environmentally friendly farming practices, and increase the availability of local, healthy foods for the average consumer.
However, a greater purpose than all of the above exists, and that is to prevent the destruction of our local educational system. This can be assisted, if not prevented, through agriculture. Farm to School initiatives and School Gardens are integral pieces of the puzzle that complete the Food Hub's achievement of core values.
A system of distribution is in place that rewards schools for developing School Gardens.
The demand for local goods, grown in a sustainable manner, is vast. Market share is growing rapidly in our region and is increasing constantly.
Local gardeners, farmers, and orchards are welcomed to our endeavor daily. A recent addition of many small local farmers to our cause has provided a missing link, as their combined property increases acreage for local production exponentially. We are still actively seeking growers from our area to help grow this produce, using the smallest amount of chemicals and being as environmentally-friendly as possible without major crop loss. Demand exists in more than just local markets.
A majority of our customers are your local grocers and restaurants. We have the ability to offer similar pricing as lower-quality products that are shipped from outside of our region. We also offer niche crops that are not usually found locally.
One quarter of all production in 2013 is destined for sales to local schools.
A transparent pricing and payment structure combined with a predetermined distribution structure has allied many to the cause.
We are not all certified organic or certified natural producers. We do, however, ask that growers use sustainable farming practices and limit their use of chemicals as much as possible. That's a huge leap, learning how to use sustainable growing techniques, beneficial pests, and cover crops. It reduces harvests in some cases. A large-scale transition will take time.
There exists a possibility of 300 acres of newly-certified Organic production this year.
Education will be facilitated to area producers, providing opportunities to learn about all aspects of farm production using environmentally-friendly techniques.
Assistance in gaining the necessary education and certifications to reach local markets are also being facilitated.
We especially love heirloom and unique varieties, and welcome a large variety of mainstream and hard-to-find foods. If you didn't garden and had an opportunity to purchase low-cost, locally-raised, vine-ripened, fresh produce, what would you buy? Grow that! Be proactive in something you believe in--whether it be helping to promote local agriculture, agribusiness, and retail businesses to succeed, creating a demand for your produce to be grown with less chemicals, a desire to overhaul the local food production and supply chain, a decision to make your land more fruitful, or just making more money. Whatever your incentive, it helps to promote our cause.
Thank you, and we wish you a fruitful, productive, and prosperous year!
We link local small- and mid-size farmers, gardeners, and Farmer's Markets with local grocers, restaurants, and retailers. We strive to assist our region in becoming more self-supportive, provide local consumers access to healthy and affordable foods, and provide encouragement, education, and incentive for producers to shift toward environmentally sustainable farming practices.
Fresh and Frozen Produce, Bulk Dry Goods, Baked Goods, Pumpkins....
Reviews, get directions and information Illiana Ag Alliance.
