Good Food Catalyst

Market development: creating new markets for family farmers is key to building local Food systems as more than 99% of agricultural products consumed in united states are purchased through wholesale channels. The organization's current market development initiatives include: 1.farmer training: Familyfarmed has played an important role in helping farmers succeed with a comprehensive program and manuals that have trained more than 13,700 farmers in 43 states. The program includes our wholesale success and direct market success manuals and our Food safety binders, and is designed to help small and mid-acreage fruit and vegetable farmers with one of the biggest challenges they face: growing their business. This program gives farmers the resources and tools they need to make sure their produce is of the highest quality, to manage Food safety and other risks, and to nurture the relationships with customers that they need to be successful. Each training workshop can be customized to meet local grown needs. 2. Local Food procurement: Familyfarmed works to build the overall supply chain of local Food by providing technical assitance to farmers, connecting wholesale buyers with producers, and helping to create infrastructure that supports the growth of these systems. Familyfarmed works with many leading buyes of local Food, including whole foods mafket, chipotle, treasure island, local foods, nature's path, patagonia, us foods, kehe, unfi, mariano's, Illinois restaurant association, fortune fish & gourmet, central grocers, anthony marano & comapny, compass group, chicago public schools, mccormick place convention center, testa produce, aramark, farmlogix, midway airport, lettuce entertain you, and natural direct, plus many other supermarkets and restaurants, to connect them with local Food sources. Mccormick place, the largest convention center in united states, announced its intention to buy Good Food at the organization's trade show and now buys more than 40 percent of its Food from local and or substainable sources. 3. Organic grain promotional initiative: the organic grain promotion initiative ("ogpi") will support farmers in producing and selling organic grains, milled flours and legumes in the midwest region. Ogpi will connect buyers to producers in order to increase local production, infrastructure, supply and purchasing , as well as support farmers in increasing existing organic acreage or transitioning to organic.

Good Food expo and financing & innovation conference: Familyfarmed's major annual event to advance the Good Food movement, began in 2004 as the local organic trade show, the first event of its kind. The event has been foundational in building local Food infrastructure and creating lasting relationships that have helped push the Good Food movement forward. A decade and more later, the demand for local Food is greater than the supply, everyone is more conscious of where our Food comes from, and large buyers including grocery stores, distributors and institutions are rushing to keep up with the rapidly changing marketplace. This impactful event connects all parts of Good Food movement by providing in-depth programming that helps grow local Food procurement capacity, educating the public about the importance and impact of Good Food, engaging local school districts and discussing local, statewide and national Food policy. Now the oldest and largest gathering focused on locally and sustainably produced Food. This event has been rebranded as the Good Food expo after running for several years as the Good Food festival & conference, . The event has been foundational in building local Food infrastructure and creating lasting relationships that have helped push the Good Food movement

Good Food accelerator: the Good Food eccelerator, launched by Familyfarmed by 2014, provides competitively selected fellows with a six-month cirriculum, mentoring, strategic and technical support, networking opportunities and access to providers of capital or loans for new or growing Good Food businesses. Fellows participate in a program that builds business skills, pairs then with industry-leading mentors, and connects them to potential customers and investors.

Naturally chicago fosters sustainable and responsible practices while stimulating conscious growth, entrepreneurship and exceptional leadership in the region's natural and consumer products sector.