Schools are looking for locally grown produce and products to offer students as snacks or in the cafeteria. This specialized “Meet the School Buyer” program is the first to be held in Illinois. This free program will be held on Wednesday, December 18 from 4-6 pm at Conference Center, DeKalb County Farm Bureau, 1350 West Prairie Drive, Sycamore, IL.
“This is an opportunity for farmers to learn firsthand what schools are looking for in terms of local food”, state Cynthia Haskins, Illinois Farm Bureau. “Chartwells is one of the largest food management companies in the country that services schools”. Livestock and produce farmers as well as beekeepers from across the state are invited.
Julia Govis, University of Illinois Extension Farm to School coordinator will start by sharing opportunities for local produce to be used in schools. Emily Belleu, buyer for DeKalb School District #428 will share about their purchasing protocol and what items they are sourcing. Farmers will have the opportunity to meet with Emily to share what they produce so they should bring business cards and a list of produce, meat, dairy or eggs that they could provide. Ellen Phillips, University of Illinois Extension local food systems and small farm educator will facilitate a discussion on providing local food to schools. Dan Kenney, DeKalb Community Gardens, will also be on hand to give an update on the progress towards a DeKalb County Regional Food Hub and Processing Center to aggregate and process locally grown food.
Farm to School is a National program that encourages local schools to purchase products from local schools. This effort not only helps children understand where their food comes from and how it is grown, harvested and delivered, it supports local farmers. “Local farmers always benefit by having multiple market opportunities, and local schools can provide that opportunity”, claims Julia Govis, Illinois Farm to School State lead, University of Illinois Extension Program Coordinator.
“Farmers are always interested in expanding their markets and selling locally to a school is the perfect match for our farmers”, says Ellen Phillips, University of Illinois Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator.
School Food Buyers often have concerns and questions when buying directly from local growers. Participating Farmer, Jeff Wielert, is ready to address those concerns, “ At Bountiful Blessings Farm Produce we take pride in our safety practices and we strive to produce a quality product at a reasonable price. Our customer’s satisfaction is our priority”, explains Wielert. Wielert was part of the DeKalb focus group that met in October to discuss local foods where increasing local foods in school cafeterias was identified as a priority.
Co-sponsors include: University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Farm to School, DeKalb County Farm Bureau, DeKalb County Community Gardens, Live Healthy DeKalb County
There is no registration fee, but participants are asked to pre-register at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/bdo/. For more information and to attend the event, contact Ellen Phillips, University of Illinois Extension local food systems and small farm educator at ephillps@illinois.edu or 815-758-8194.
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