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Healthy Farms, Healthy Food, Healthy Communities 1 Welcome The State of Local Food in Illinois: Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

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Healthy Farms, Healthy Food, Healthy Communities

1

Welcome

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

1. The Land Connection

• Who we are

• Mission

• Programs

2. Food in Illinois

• Consumption

• Local Food Sales

• Who Grows it?

• There is an opportunity here

3. How do we Build a Vibrant Local Food System?

• Ask a Farmer:

Shea Belahi

Wes Jarrell

2

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Agenda

MISSION

The Land Connection trains farmers in resilient, restorative farming techniques; informs the public about the sources of our food and why that matters; and works to protect and enhance farmland so that we, and generations to come, will have clean air and water, fertile soil, and healthy, delicious food.

VISION

The Land Connection envisions community-based food systems in which every farmer has the opportunity to grow food in a sustainable manner, and every person can access local and organic foods.

3

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Mission

4

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: About Us

The Land Connection is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization based

in Champaign, Illinois

We are a staff of five:

Farmer Training Program Manager: Mallory Krieger

Farmers’ Market Manager: Sarah Simeziane

Office Manager: Birgit McCall

Program Director: Cassie Carroll

Executive Director: Cara Cummings

We work in three broad program areas:

Farmer Training

Farmers’ Market

Community Outreach

5

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

6

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

7

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Farm Dreams: Four workshops per year • Held on a farm • Skills and resources assessment • Meet farmers, ask questions "Farm Dreams showed me where I have room for growth and helped me put together the vision of what I wanted from our farm. I particularly liked when we were asked to choose one word to describe our farm dream, and to draw and describe the map of our ideal farm." -Tony Grant, Fat Hill Farm

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

8

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Farm Beginnings: Nine full-day workshops, season-long mentorship • Craft a detailed business

plan for your farm, including your vision, mission, goals, and marketing and finance strategies

• Tap into the knowledge of innovative and skilled farmers

• Access opportunities for land and equipment use

• Receive mentoring from a farmer engaged in a similar enterprise

• Develop lasting relationships with many beginning and experienced farmers, plus a wide range of relevant professionals, including USDA specialists, farmers market managers, accountants, and attorneys

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

9

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Mentorships Full season Mentorship is important for those starting small, diversified vegetable operations, for farmers hoping to transition from conventional to organic grain production, and everything in between. Our network of over 45 farmer-mentors from across Illinois and Indiana covers all of these subject areas.

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Production Workshops Half day – Three days • Season Extension

• Shiitake log production

• Agritourism

• Noxious Weeds

• Rotational Grazing

• Pollinators

• Small Engines

• Tractor Operation

• And many more…

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Marketing Workshops Full-Day • Booth Design

• Market Finances

• Wholesale Success

• Direct Market Success

• CSA Fair

• Risk Management in Organic

Grain Production and Marketing

• And many more…

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

12

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery 1-3 years • A program to get beginning

farmers access to land, equipment, markets, and expertise

• Addresses lack of access to those key components is all too common and can stop a good farm business before it starts

• For those who are ready to start farming and need a little more assistance to get their business off (or on) the ground

Farmer Training

• Farm Dreams

• Central Illinois Farm Beginnings

• Mentorships

• Production Workshops

• Marketing Workshops

• Incubator at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

• Organic Grain Transition Workshops/Conferences

13

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Farmer Training

Organic Grain Transition and Small Grain Production Full Day Workshops • Financial Risk in Organic Grain

Transition

• Production Risk in Organic Grain Transition

• Marketing Risk Organic Grain Transition

• Full Day Risk Management

Conference

• Small Grain Production and Marketing

• There are 72,200 farms in Illinois

• Illinois farmland covers nearly 27 million acres -- about 75 percent of the state's total land area

• There are 75,087 farm operators in Illinois, down from 164,000 in 1959

– 3,254 specialty crop growers farming 106,556 acres in Illinois

• The average age of farmers is 58 in the Illinois

• Many new farmers to not come from farm families

• Increased interest in organic grains

• Tom Vilsack (former Secretary of Ag ) called for 100,000 new farmers

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

Farmer Training why?

Angelic Organics Learning Center

Caledonia, Illinois

The Land Connection Champaign, Illinois

Food Works

Carbondale, Illinois

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Farmer Training in Illinois

Farmer Training who is doing the training?

Farmers’ Market

• Downtown Champaign, May-October

• Marketing and Financial Workshops

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

• Opportunity for new farmers to stand out

• Weekday shopping option for consumers

• Producer only market

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

• Farmer education and support

Farmers’ Market Why?

Direct to consumer sales are down

• Remind people where their food comes from

• Opportunity for new farmers to get started

• Improve food access in an area few choices

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

Farmers’ Market Who runs them?

• There are more than 500 farmers’ markets in Illinois

• Markets are operated by:

• Nonprofit organizations

• Municipalities

• Volunteer groups

• Independently

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Farmers’ Markets in Illinois

The Illinois Farmers’ Market Association has a listing of all the

markets in Illinois

Community Outreach

• Farm Fresh Now

• Cooking Classes

• Weekly Harvest

• Classified Ads

• Food Hub

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

Community Outreach Why?

• Farmers report a slump in sales

• As of 2016 more meals are eaten out of the home than in

• People don’t know how to cook

• Consumers are confused by all the choices

• Greenwashing

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

Community Outreach Who is promoting Illinois grown

products?

The Land Connection

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Illinois Department of Agriculture

21

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

The Land Connection: Programs

Food in Illinois

• Illinois consumers spend $48 billion on food annually

• Most of this food is imported

• About 89 percent of the state's cropland is considered prime

farmland, ranking the state third nationally in total prime

farmland acreage

There is a big opportunity here

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Food: Where Does it Come From?

Food in Illinois

The Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act of 2007

Procurement goals for local farm or food products:

(a) In order to create, strengthen, and expand local farm and food economies

throughout Illinois, it shall be the goal of this State that 20% of all food and food products

purchased by State agencies and State-owned facilities, including, without limitation,

facilities for persons with mental health and developmental disabilities, correctional

facilities, and public universities, shall, by 2020, be local farm or food products.

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Food: Where Does it Come From?

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Food: Where Does it Come From?

25

The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Food: Where Does it Come From?

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Food: Where Does it Come From?

Food in Illinois: an Opportunity So why are sales down?

“one result of the contemporary farmers market, which has evolved to meet the needs of a new generation of shoppers who view these outdoor markets as more a lifestyle choice than an opportunity to support local agriculture.”

--Washington Post

• Too much choice?

• Convenience?

• Marketing?

• Price?

• People don’t cook?

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Food: Where Does it Come From?

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

Keep in Touch

Cara Cummings

[email protected]

217-840-2128

Thank You!

Shea Belahi

Blue Moon Farm

Wes Jarrell

Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery

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The State of Local Food in Illinois:

Supporting Illinois Farmers and Strengthening the Local Food System

What are the Barriers?: Ask a Farmer