Welcome
3rd Annual Locally Grown FoodFest
Mark your calendars now for the 3rd Annual Locally Grown FoodFest on Saturday, August 4, 2007 in Washington Park in historic downtown Quincy, IL. The FoodFest celebrates the importance of buying and eating locally grown foods, while highlighting local farmers and their products.
Back again for a third year is the ever popular chefs competition with a new iron-chef like twist on the event. The Master Gardeners will once again sponsor the tomato contest. New this year is an amateur grilling contest sponsored by the Farm Bureau Foundation and Redmon & Lee Community Center. You can also meet and talk to local farmers at the Quincy Farmers Market about their fresh produce and locally-raised meat products. Activities for kids and families, great food, informational booths, fun contests and live entertainment will be available throughout the day. Hope to see you there!
Local Food Policy Council Gets Underway
Farmer, restaurant owner, hunger advocate, health professional, consumer - these are just some of the many types of interested citizens who have become part of the local food policy council. Started by University of Illinois Extension, Adams-Brown Unit, the local food policy council has brought together a diverse group of individuals who have a common interest in issues such as agriculture, nutrition, food distribution, and hunger.
To date, members of the food policy council have identified a variety of food system issues under six broad categories:
- Agriculture-local food production and marketing
- Community & Economic Development
- Health and Nutrition
- Education
- Hunger
- Food Access
Traditionally, food policy councils have been innovative collaborations between citizens and officials which give voice to the concerns and interests of everyone in the food system from farmer to consumer. The primary goal of most food policy councils is to examine the local food system and provide ideas and recommendations for improvement.
If you would like to be part of this grass-roots effort or for more information about the food policy council, please contact Brenda Derrick at 217-223-8380 or email at derrickb@uiuc.edu.
