Posted Sep 11, 2024
We’re thrilled to announce that Green City Market has been awarded a $125,000 grant from Food:Land:Opportunity, a collaboration between Kinship Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust funded through the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust to deepen support for local, sustainable farmers through media relations, marketing, and merchandising strategies.
“This generous grant from Food:Land:Opportunity is a vital investment in the future of Chicago’s local food system," said Mandy Moody, Executive Director of Green City Market. "With their support, we can strengthen our farmers’ ability to thrive, elevate their stories, and ensure that sustainable, locally grown food remains at the heart of our city’s food culture."
In addition, this funding will enable Green City Market to serve as a local food leader through an impactful resource-sharing project — the facilitation of the Chicago Farmers Market Collective (CFMC). CFMC, composed of 40+ independent and City of Chicago farmers’ market directors, managers, and staff, meets monthly for 90 minutes to discuss pertinent issues and opportunities at the national, state, and municipal levels related to operating farmers markets. The collective, in partnership with local food access organizations, state, and national entities, aims to advance the local food economy in Chicago, envisioning an equitable and sustainable system that benefits all Chicagoans through access to locally grown, nutrient-dense food.
"The Chicago Farmers Market Collective is a powerful platform for collaboration in the local food sector," continued Moody. "By bringing together leaders from across the city, we’re able to address challenges, share resources, provide support, and drive meaningful progress toward a more equitable and sustainable food system with efficiency. This funding empowers us to deepen those efforts and amplify the impact of farmers markets all across Chicago."
This is the fourth consecutive year that GCM has been awarded Food:Land:Opportunity funding and GCM is pleased to be able to continue its work of deepening support for 50+ farmers’ and food producers. In that time, visitors to the market have grown more than 65 percent, attracting significantly more customers to purchase from local growers.
"To operate a viable local food producing enterprise, farmers need the support of a growing market for their products and the knowledge of how to access those customers," said Lenore Beyer, Director of Conservation Initiatives at Kinship Foundation. "One of the core strategies Food:Land:Opportunity pursues in building a robust local foodshed for Chicago is strengthening food business skills, which requires just the sort of long-term investment that Green City Market's programming provides."
Through GCM’s continued work, this grant will help ensure Green City Market’s vision of a future where sustainable farmers are thriving and a future where everyone — in the Chicago community and across the nation — knows who grows their food, how it's grown, and why this knowledge matters. It will also allow GCM to continue efforts to make certain that local, sustainably-grown food is available for all in generations to come, regardless of zip code or income level.
Learn more about Green City Market’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit mission deepening support for sustainable farmers, educating our community, and expanding access to locally-grown food, and how you can be a part of growing a more local, sustainable food system.