By Jessica Ro, Local Food Team
EAF member Liz attended the Chicago GastroConference held at UChicago on April 13. Organized by EnvisionDo (a campus organization that helps student entrepreneurs develop and pitch their ideas), the GastroConference featured panels on a variety of topics, including the creative and logistical process of running a restaurant; sourcing ingredients locally; entrepreneurship in the food industry; and “food and the social good” which tackled issues on access and health.
The first panel Liz checked out was “Sourcing the Ingredients” which included representatives from The Plant (a vertical farm in Chicago), Sunday Dinner Club (an underground, referral-only restaurant), the Slagel Family Farm from Central Illinois, and SAGE Dining Services. The panel started with an interesting discussion on organic vs. local vs. sustainable food, with everyone agreeing that local food is most impactful and best in terms of quality of ingredients and ethics of production. Even more, purchasing local food means money goes directly to the farmer, allowing for a much more personal relationship between buyer and seller.
Also discussed in the panel were local production and distribution processes. Slagel Family Farm owns its entire supply chain (from land and animals to processing facilities and transportation). Therefore, owner LouisJohn Slagel can complete the entire processing of an animal and have his product delivered to the city the next day. The Plant, an “aquaponics” farm located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, has become an incubator for local businesses and is trying to create a closed energy loop, utilizing food and brewing waste for power.
Liz also sat in on a panel that dealt with food equality with speakers from The Plant, Chicago Tribune, Fresh Moves (a mobile produce market), New Venture Advisors (a business advisory service for new ventures in local food and sustainable agriculture), and the University of Chicago Urban Network. In their discussion, panel members talked about the difficulty of addressing food insecurity and the lack of education and accessibility to healthy foods in poorer neighborhoods, such as those in Chicago’s West and South sides. The speakers also tackled the complex issue of changing the food system in America, speaking in a tone of cautious optimism. A panelist offered advice for those seeking change: spend money on quality, local food and let your retailers know that you expect and are willing to pay for this quality. In the current food system, it was stressed that change must start with high-income consumers who have the money to purchase “just” food.
On this Saturday afternoon, Liz was exposed to and learned of the many benefits of local food as well as the great work being done in Chicago to grow, source, and educate the public about local, healthy food.