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Tour of EDR Lamas - a Central IL Farm Beginnings farm & U of I Extension Sustainable Ag Tour

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Chicago Tribune
Chefs Seek Out Ramps

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Bloomington Pantagraph
Benefits of Local Food System

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4.20.08
New York Times
Why Bother? Plant a garden and make a difference!

4.01.08
Gourmet Magazine
Betting the Farm

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Resources for Consumers

The grocery store knows no seasons. It is disconnected from nature, and it is disconnecting for those who shop there. Sure, you can buy tomatoes in January, but that sorry tomato was picked green 2000 miles away and weeks ago, then blasted with ethylene gas to make it turn red just before it was placed on the produce shelf. What we have gained in convenience, we have lost in flavor, freshness, and nutritional value.

Fortunately for you, it is getting easier and easier to find local and organic foods - at farmers markets and through CSAs, or through buying clubs and farm stands. Here are some good places to start if you want to find great local, sustainably grown food.

Local Food

Illinois Farm Direct: www.illinoisfarmdirect.org

Local Harvest: www.localharvest.org

Eat Wild: www.eatwild.com

Food Routes: www.foodroutes.org

Chicago Localvores: http://chicago.localvores.org

Farmers Markets

Farmers Markets in and around Chicago: Click Here

For a map of Chicago farmer's markets: Click Here

Throughout the State of Illinois: Click Here

Heritage Farmers Market: Click Here
Located at 18837 Route 9 between Tremont and Pekin.
Founded by members of the Healthy Farms, Healthy foods, Healthy Communities project and cosponsored by TLC and Heifer International, this market features farmers who raise and sell all-natural chicken, pork, and beef, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables.

CSAs in Illinois

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is sometimes known as “subscription farming,” where instead of receiving a magazine each week, you receive a box of fresh, locally grown or raised fruit, vegetables, eggs, or meats.

A growing trend, Community Supported Agriculture hearkens back to a time¬ when people knew where their food came from, ate in harmony with the seasons, and enjoyed a balanced and nutritional diet of local, seasonal foods.

CSA subscribers don't so much buy food from particular farms as become members of those farms. CSA operations provide more than just food, they offer ways for consumers to become involved in the ecological and human community that supports the farm.

When you subscribe to a CSA, you will never have tomatoes in May or asparagus in August. In May, your vegetable CSA share will be full of luscious lettuce, spinach, asparagus, and other spring delights. When August comes, then you will experience an explosion of true tomato flavor with your first bite of a juicy, just-picked, sun-ripened tomato--proving that some things are worth waiting for!

To find a CSA near you, visit www.illinoisfarmdirect.org or www.localharvest.org/csa/