Macomb Food Initiatives Group

When we buy local food and other local products the positive impact of our locally spent dollars is up to four (4) times as great as it would be if we purchased items in a Big Box store that were made thousands of miles away. This is according to a recent report by the Urban Conservancy that studied the redevelopment of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.  Here is an article that describes that study and contains a link to the study itself.   The State of Illinois has taken steps to grow its economy by supporting local foods by adopting HB3990: The Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act that was signed by Governor Quinn this fall.  Illinois imports 95% of the $48 Billion we spend on food each year.  Can you imagine what a benefit it would be to our state and local economies if we shifted some of that spending to locally grown foods?  Below the level of state governments, local communities and counties across the United States are beginning to realize the advantages that a stronger local food system can provide and the economic benefits are now being documented.  The University of Illinois Extension Office just published an article entitled, “Economic Analysis of an Ohio County Offers Blueprint for Nation” that was written by researchers at Ohio State University that found local foods to be an important segment of a strong local economy.  The University of Illinois Extension article and a further link to the Ohio State University study itself are available here.  You might ask, “what is the problem that this law and academic studies like this are trying to fix?”  My answer is that people want a more free and open market for locally produced food and state and local governments are beginning to look for ways to meet that demand because, as the reports cited above suggest, it makes economic sense to buy local food and other products. (more…)

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Economic Development by Dan Barclay

A FIG planning meeting in Macomb's City Hall

The Food Initiatives Group (FIG) is inviting you to join or rejoin our cause!  Help us build a healthy and sustainable local food system in Western Illinois.  New and renewing members will receive a coupon to New Copperfield’s Bookstore from now until December 31st, 2009.  Student ($10) and Individual ($15) memberships will receive a $5 coupon.  Family memberships ($25) will receive a $10 coupon.  Membership dues help FIG support community garden projects, FIG activities at the Macomb Farmer’s Market, Local Foods Dinners, and more.  Send your dues to “FIG Treasurer, P.O. Box 663, Macomb, IL, 61455. (more…)

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Membership Drive by Dan Barclay

Margaret Ovitt, the Membership Coordinator for FIG, recently reported to the Board on two Life Classes that she offered in 2009. The spring class was called, “What’s For Dinner,” and included reading Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemna, a viewing of the film King Corn, and a tour of Good Hope Gardens.  Good Hope Gardens is a local example of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and is a family farm that has been operated by the Decounter family in Good Hope, Illinois, across at least four generations.

The fall class read Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally and also watched severall short films.  Margaret explained that, “I also had everyone bring a local dish to class one day as well as prepare one local meal a week and report back on where the food from that meal came from.  The class all submitted a recipe or two containing local foods, and I am in the process of making a class recipe collection.” She had a total of 27 students in the two classes.

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Education by Dan Barclay

Kenne and Debbie Dallefeld of West Prairie Farm just outside Macomb will host Cornucopia of Local Foods this Saturday, December 5th.  They will have their own beef as well as local honey, cheese, squash, garlic, and apples.  Pecan Granola will also be on hand.  A few items from Basil’s Harvest will be available such as: Nona’s Rub and Opa’s Sauerkraut.  Basil’s Harvest, based in Elmwood, IL, just north of Farmington, is a small food company that uses local ingredients to make its products.  They are currently taking orders for their Winter Soup Shares and are considering delivery to Macomb if enough people sign up.  You can view their soups and other products here.

Please call Kenne and Debbie Dallefeld if you have questions or would like directions to West Prairie Farm.

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Events, Local Food by Dan Barclay

What food initiative books do you have in your library?  What food books do you recommend to other people?  For the purposes of this book list we can be broad and inclusive of: fiction, non-fiction, reference, gardening, cooking, policy, cultural, historical, etc.

I will start our FIG Virtual Library with Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World. (more…)

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Lists by Dan Barclay

Heather McIlvaine-Newsad shared some of her family’s Thanksgiving Day traditions on WIUM.  What food traditions does your family have?  How many years of doing something does it take to make a tradition?  Is eating a free-range heritage turkey for the last 4 years count as a tradition?  Or shall we say that the Thanksgiving Day birds raised in the factories of the late 20th Century just interrupted our tradition of eating “natural” birds?

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Food traditions, In the news by Dan Barclay

Local efforts to establish more community gardens in Macomb are underway and FIG members are contributing their expertise and their labor.  Dr. Rob Porter of of the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration at Western Illinois University is coordinating the project.  A United States Department of Agriculture grant proposal is being written to raise funds to establish the gardens.  A grant like this requires the local community to match the contribution of the USDA and FIG has played a large role in providing that local contribution.  The commitment of professional expertise, equipment, labor, and money from FIG is equivalent to more than $4,500.00.  Dr. Porter spoke with NPR’s Rich Egger about the project.

(more…)

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Community Gardens, In the news by Dan Barclay

A number of people in McDonough County have begun planning a food coop for Macomb.  The current initiative was hatched by Clare Kernek and a 4-person steering committee has now been formed.  A community survey will be distributed beginning in early December to gauge interest and support for the new cooperative business.  An open community meeting is tentatively scheduled for mid-December.  The FIG Board is very supportive of this effort and will discuss the food co-op in detail at the November 30 Board meeting.

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Food Coop by Dan Barclay

The FIG Board has approved joining the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA).  The ISA is a statewide organization based in Springfield that states its mission to “promote ecologically sustainable, economically viable, socially just local food systems through policy development, advocacy and education.”

ISA Executive Director Lindsay Record recently hosted two statewide conference calls that included FIG Chair Dan Barclay and other leaders of similar organizations around Illinois.  A conference in Bloomington is planned for late February or early March 2010 that will help Illinois local food organizations learn of successful local food projects around the state and identify resources to accomplish their goals.

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Uncategorized by Dan Barclay

Heather McIlvaine-Newsad reviewed the new documentary Food, Inc. for WIUM.  I highly recommend this documentary.  What are your favorite food documentaries?

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Documentary, In the news, Lists by Dan Barclay