By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

More Illinois-grown food soon could be heading to Illinois tables.

Gov. Pat Quinn was to sign legislation today designed to bring an estimated $30 billion a year to the state's economy through a local food, farm and jobs system.

The bill signing during Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield follows two years of work by the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force to determine the potential for growing and producing food for consumption in the state and neighboring states.

"It's good that the state government recognized the importance of a sustainable local economy and how it can affect everyone," said Gerry Kettler, director of consumer affairs for Niemann Foods Inc., who served on the task force's consumer access committee.

He said more people are interested in knowing where food comes from and making a connection with people who produce it.

"With the recent economy, it's good to get back to some of the basics, get back to what's important to you," Kettler said. "This movement is a reflection of that. I think the entire program will continue to grow as the farmers rally and support it. The grocery stores certainly have more opportunity to sell local items, and the consumers purchase it."

The task force issued a report in March highlighting a local farm and feed development strategy that officials say could trigger $20 billion to $30 billion in new economic activity annually, creating thousands of new jobs while revitalizing rural communities.

"What this will do is form a statewide council that will be able to follow up on the recommendations," said Carrie Edgar, University of Illinois Extension Adams/Brown Unit leader who was chairman of the task force's education committee. "The research has been done. The recommendations are there. This is the logical next step on how we move it forward."

Even though Illinois has one of the nation's largest agricultural economies, only about 5 percent of the state's estimated $48 billion in annual spending on food goes toward products grown in the state. The task force hopes to increase the amount of money spent on Illinois-grown food.

"There is no question we can produce locally grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. We also have the processing and packaging capabilities right here in our own backyard," Illinois Agriculture Director Tom Jennings said in a news release.

"Setting up a distribution system that moves items at reasonable cost from tree or vine to the table is the big challenge, and this legislation is an important step toward realizing that goal."

The task force, launched in January 2008, highlighted several obstacles to "growing" local food production and use, including a lack of processing infrastructure and funding, especially for beginning farmers or conventional farmers looking to diversify.

Funding also is an issue for the task force and its recommendations.

"We didn't even ask for that, recognizing now isn't the time to ask the state to fund a new program," Edgar said. "Hopefully as each of these recommendations come to fruition, there will be funding tied to them."

-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379