Who We Are:
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Food Works is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization facilitating the development of a regional food economy in Southern Illinois. We believe that a truly enduring approach emphasizes access to good food for everyone, keeps food dollars circulating in local communities, and balances human needs with the health of the air, water and land resources on which all life depends.
In 2013, the Food Works Board of Directors identified key priorities for the organization. Food Works envisions a region where:
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Geographic Reach: |
Food Works serves the 23 southernmost Illinois counties and, at times, bordering areas in Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Arkansas. The region is characterized by prairie that transitions into the Shawnee Hills and then into the big river floodplains of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Southern Illinois is well known for its rich history of fruit and vegetable production, including century-old orchards. Northern areas still produce grain and cattle; southern regions grow rice, cotton, grain, and vegetables. Recently, the region has experienced a resurgent growth in its fruit production, with an emphasis on vineyards and wineries. Through a highly organized and effective campaign, the Shawnee Hills region was designated as an American Viticultural Area. This establishes precedent that Southern Illinois, with its rolling terrain and warmer climate, has great potential to expand and diversify beyond traditional agricultural models given adequate support.
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Our History:Throughout its history, Food Works, incorporated in 2008, has provided training and support for new and existing growers, along with consumer education that helps people connect with food and farming. In establishing Food Works, Dayna Conner, the organization’s first Executive Director, created practical programs to ensure that food grown in Southern Illinois is produced and marketed in ways that respect and honor growers and the living communities of which they are a part.
Food Works’ Farmer education includes workshops for prospective new growers and those considering organic certification. Food Works hosts farm tours, events, and film screenings targeting consumers who want to learn more about how their food is grown, and by whom. We support research into local food systems development, and promote programs and partnerships that help sustain farms, farm economies, human and ecological health, and access to local food. Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings® began successfully in March, 2011, with funding from the Illinois Department of Agriculture and on the advisement of a 12-member Farmer Advisory Committee. With mentoring support from the Central Illinois Farm Beginnings® facilitators, the Land Stewardship Project, and members of the Farm Beginnings Collaborative, this comprehensive new farmer training program has enrolled twelve people in the past three months, representing six new farming families. Each year, up to thirty qualified new farm business entrepreneurs will participate in the program. The Southern Illinois Farming Network was created to support the Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings® program in December, 2010, at the request of the Farmer Advisory Committee. Its purpose is to compliment Food Works’ farmer-led education programs and encourage community among new and existing small farmers in the region. The Southern Illinois Farming Network provides business planning education specific to small farms and seasonal on-farm training, and fosters cooperative relationships for new and existing growers. The supportive community of farmers active in the Southern Illinois Farming Network is critical for Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings® participants. In 2015, the name of the network was changed to the Southern Illinois Farming Alliance to better reflect the focus on building a strong peer community. |
Timeline:2008-Initiated Community Food Assessment for Jackson and Union Counties. Began filming Local Food System documentary for Southern Illinois.
2010 Launched Southern Illinois Farm Beginnings®; Launched Southern Illinois Farming Network 2011 Initiated Regional Food Systems Project; recruited and led steering committee of community leaders. 2012 Commissioned economic analysis of the region (See Crossroads presentation); hosted analyst’s presentation to stakeholders. 2013 Assisted with launch of the new Carbondale Community Farmers Market. 2014 Hosted Documentary Film Series – Community Outreach program. 2015 Opened a new, weekday Downtown Farmers Market; Co-sponsored and organized the first Eat Local Challenge in Carbondale; Partnered with Southern Illinois Healthcare to launch a four-month trial of the first Double Up Food Bucks program in Southern Illinois to boost low income families’ access to farmers market produce. |
