Reinventing Our Food System: What Will It Look Like?

ReinventingOur Food System:

What Will It Look Like?

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Focusing on 32 Central Illinois Counties

Central Illinois Food & Farm Economy

Ken Meter’s Food System Analysis

Key Points•The current food system takes wealth out of our community

•Community-based food systems may be the best path to economic recovery

Central Illinois Food & Farm Economy

Ken Meter’s Food System Analysis• 26,537 Central Illinois farms -- 35% of all Illinois farms• 40% of farms sell less than $10,000• 37% sell more than $100,000• 36% of farms are less than 50 acres• 408 vegetable farms (based on incomplete data)• 972 farms sell direct to consumers, with over $6 million in sales (2007); since 2002:• 28% rise in number of farms • 74% rise in sales•99 farms sell organic products (based on incomplete data)

Central Illinois Food & Farm Economy

Ken Meter’s Food System Analysis

Farmers produce $4.8 billion of products per year

and…spend $4.3 billion to raise

them, Gaining $464

million . . . after

production costs

Central Illinois Food & Farm Economy

Ken Meter’s Food System AnalysisAll told, Central Illinois . . .

• Gains $464 million in production• Gains $538 million in subsidies• Loses $2.3 billion buying inputs• Loses $3.9 billion buying food

NET LOSS = $5.0 billion

Central Illinois Food & Farm Economy

Ken Meter’s Food System AnalysisThe good news is . . .

If our region’s consumers bought 15% of their food directly from local farms . . .

. . . Central Illinois farmers would earn $639 million of

new income

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The role of Edible Economy:•Build and promote a vision for the new local food economy in Central Illinois•Collaborate with current profit, non-profit, and governmental organizations to identify opportunities for them to play a part in the new local food system•Fill gaps as needed

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Potential gaps:

•Producer or producer-buyer cooperative

•Flexible, year-round workforce – worker-owned coop?

GOAL: Fair pricing and wages, with shared risk/return

across the value chain

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Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen in Mineral Point, WI, is a food processing center that employs people with disabilities while providing value-added food stabilization and processing services for local farmers and other local food entrepreneurs.

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Energy-efficient greenhouse in Galena, AK, will utilize recovered heat from the city's diesel-fired power plant to produce food year-round. Other projects around the country use recovered waste heat from such sources as refrigeration plants, ice rinks, and data centers.

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The Local Food Hub located in Charlottesville, VA, operates a certified organic Educational Farm as a community-based learning center, providing farm education classes, volunteer opportunities, workshops and community events.

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Gourmet Gorilla serves sustainable, local, and organic meals to 80 public, private for profit and nonprofit preschools, elementary schools and high schools in the greater Chicago area.

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The UW-Madison Division of University Housing-Dining and Culinary Services spends 12.5 percent of its annual food budget on locally grown product.

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John Wood Community College’s new Sustainable Local Foods Farming program provides courses and hands-on training in sustainable fruit and vegetable production, entrepreneurship, and marketing.

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Alsum Produce in Wisconsin works with 60 local growers to pack and ship produce to state institutions and school systems.

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Michigan Freeze Pack, LLC specializes in individually quick frozen (IQF) food processing of mostly locally grown vegetables and fruits in Hart, MI.

Current Edible Economy Partners

•Heartland Community College•Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area•The Land Connection•Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market•Normal Trailside Farmers’ Market•Town of Normal•Illinois State University Campus Dining

To Learn More . . .Join us for upcoming

events with Ken Meter in Bloomington,

Normal, Peoria, and Urbana September 8 –

10.Visit

facebook.com/edibleeconomy