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Buying organically grown products is an act of responsible consumption. It allows a person to ensure quality and health benefits for him/herself while enhancing the well being of the entire community. These effects are even more pronounced when the product is locally produced.

Events:

Midwest Organic Production and Marketing Conference:

ASAP- Agriculture and Sustainble Agriculture Program at University of Illinois.
ASAP's mission is to facilitate and promote research and education which protects Illinois' natural and human resources while sustaining agricultural production forever. The program's current focus is to help farmers, students and society at large understand the opportunities for additional economic and ecosystem health with both sustainable and organic approaches.

Chicago Food Policy Council:
The Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council (CFPAC) will facilitate the development of responsible policies that improve access for Chicago residents to culturally appropriate, nutritionally sound, and affordable food that is grown through environmentally sustainable practices.

The Evanston Food Policy Council:
Evanston Food Policy Council, formed in August 2005, is looking to address food issues from a local, sustainable perspective.

Sustain:Creating a Sustainable World:
Through public and private partnerships Sustain encourages sustainable economic development that creates jobs and revitalizes communities in an environmentally sound manner.

Family Farmed.org
FamilyFarmed.org is a website, food label, and EXPO that supports Midwestern organic farmers by connecting them with consumers and commercial buyers. FamilyFarmed.org creates sustainable economic development, builds community, and contributes to a healthy environment by encouraging people to buy food from local producers.

Seven Generations Ahead:
From our work to build strong communities to our programs that involve healthy eating for children and adults, Seven Generations Ahead works collaboratively with government, business and the community to forge a
path that will lead to a healthy and prosperous future.

The Organic School Project:
We’re the only organization bringing together hands-on gardening, organic food preparation and meal service with health-related curriculum and scientific evaluation.

This combination of interactive programs is designed to engage children – along with their families, school staffs and communities – in growing, learning about, and preparing the food they eat.

Health Schools Campaign
Healthy Schools Campaign advocates for policies and practices that allow all students, teachers and staff to learn and work in a healthy school environment.

Growing Power:
Growing Power, Inc. is a non-profit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds and the environment in which they provide hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems.

Learn about Community Supported Agriculture
Consumers and farmers work together on behalf of the Earth and each other. While the farmer is tending the Earth on behalf of others, consumers share the costs of supporting the farm and share the risk of variable harvests (and also share the over-abundance of a particularly fruitful years).

The Land Connection:
The Land Connection (TLC) preserves farmland, trains farmers, and supports sustainable farming through land conservation actions, education programs, and farmer-farmland matching, to help ensure every community in Illinois has access to local and organic food.

The Land Stewardship Project:
The mission of the Land Stewardship Project is to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop sustainable communities.

Farmers in 2002 earned their lowest real net cash income since 1940. Meanwhile corporate agribusiness profits have nearly doubled since 1990.
–USDA, 2002

Food Routes
Buying your food locally is good for your local economy, good for family farmers, good for your family's health, and good for the environment. Not to mention how good fresh, local food tastes! Take a look at the following sections to find out more about buying local.

Sustainable Table:
Sustainble Table celebrates teh sustainable food movement, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food.

The Chicago Farmers: The purpose of The Chicago Farmers is to provide a forum for education and the exchange of information between its members and others allied to agribusiness.

Chicago Botanic Garden's Community Gardening Program:
Green Youth Farm is a youth leadership program that builds confidence, teamwork, problem-solving skills, knowledge of business and a sense of pride and ownership in students ages 15 to 18.

The City Farm, Chicago: City Farm is a sustainable organic farm bordering two very diverse Chicago neighborhoods: Cabrini Green and The Gold Coast.

Prairie Crossing
Prairie Crossing, the nationally recognized Conservation Community was designed to combine responsible development, the preservation of open land and is considered a national example of how to design our communities to support a better way of life. One of the special features of Prairie Crossing is its working farm. The Prairie Crossing Organic Farm is based at an old farmstead with several houses, barns and outbuildings, the farm consists of nearly ninety acres.

Chicago Farmers Markets:
Local Harvest
The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.

Green City Market moves to its winter home at the Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park on Saturday. The Winter Market will be open from 7 AM-noon Wednesdays and Saturdays through December 22 (closed on Nov. 24). This is the ONLY farmers market in Chicago in November and December to shop for locally grown, sustainable foods, fresh from the farm.

*Look out for Dennis and Emily grew up with conventional farming, but began the switch to organic in the early 80s, and finally, in the last 5 years or so, have been able to completely support themselves (they have 9 children) from farm income, much of it from direct sales of their certified organic meats and eggs to people and restaurants.

Chicago Farmers' Markets: Chicago's Farmers Markets bring more than 70 vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers to over 20 neighborhoods throughout the City of Chicago. Markets are held Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday around the city.

Chicagoland Organic Restaurants:
Greg Christian Catering:
Greg Christian, Chicago's Conscious Caterer™, is on a mission to nourish with inventive, natural and organic cuisine that will have an impact on the health of the population and a deep regard for the preservation and protection of our planet.

Get Me Greg's Online Catering seeks to change the way offices eat for their meetings by providing organic and hormone-free food items as well as bio-degradable disposable flatware.

Max's Organic Planet Catering:
Max's Organic Planet, M.O.P., is an amazing organic school lunch program, but even more so it is the birth of an educational paradigm. Services include organic shcool lunch delivery, enrichment program, and consulting for school districts.

Prairie Grass Cafe, 601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, (847) 205-4433.
American Contemporary/Regional. Lunch: Tues-Fri. Dinner: Sun, Tues-Sat. Saturday and Sunday brunch. Closed Monday. Suburban contemporary American food.

Corby Kummer, The Pleasures of Slow Food, which celebrates local artisans who raise and prepare the foods of their regions with the love and expertise that come only with generations of practice.

Alive Walters: The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution