WHAT: Governor Patrick Quinn will sign landmark legislation on Tuesday, Aug 18th that could lead to a vastly expanded supply of Illinois-grown food on Illinois tables. Known as HB3990, this new law could ultimately bring an estimated $30 billion a year to the state's economy through a local food, farm, and jobs system.

WHEN: Event begins at 12pm, Tuesday, August 18. Signing ceremony at 12:30.

WHERE: Front Lawn of the home of Department of Agriculture Director Tom Jennings at the State Fairgrounds, Springfield.

WHO: Governor Pat Quinn & Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force

BACKGROUND: The new law is designed to greatly increase demand for locally grown food by building a reliable market, initially at state owned or operated facilities and institutions or those that that receive significant state support. Also, the legislation establishes the Illinois Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council, which will encourage farmers to grow food for local markets and facilitate the building of the systems needed to get it there.

This new legislation comes after almost two year's of effort by the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force to determine the potential for Illinois to grow and produce food for consumption within the state, as well as neighboring states. A study released by the Task Force earlier this year, Local Food, Farms & Jobs: Growing the Illinois Economy, revealed that of the approximately $48 billion spent by Illinoisans on food each year, only a tiny fraction is grown in Illinois. A set of straightforward measures to encourage Illinois farmers to grow food for local consumption, coupled with a system for processing and transporting the food to Illinois markets could keep an estimated $30 billion within the state's economy each year.