News Archives – Illinois Buy Fresh Buy Local

Shop for local milk, cheese, and dairy near you during Dairy Month

Illinois consumers have lots of local dairy options There is hardly a more pastoral scene than a field full of grazing dairy cows, and Illinois has plenty of them on our state’s small and medium-sized farms. Most milk that Illinois…

Make Mother’s Day extra special with locally-grown flowers

With Mother’s Day, school graduations and the traditional start of wedding season, May is a big time for flower growers. So our featured farm this month is Flora Bay Farm, located just south of Carbondale in southern Illinois. We recommend…

Black-Owned Eden Place Farms’ Heavenly Impact on a South Side Chicago Neighborhood

A century ago, there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in the United States, and they composed about 14 percent of the farm population. Today there are fewer than 50,000, just over 1 percent of all farmers. So if you…

CSA’s the Best Way to Know Your Farmer and Your Food: The Broadview Farm Story

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) was at the cutting edge as consumer interest in buying food directly from local farmers started to build. True believers eagerly subscribed to receive CSA boxes from their favorite farms, ensuring that they would enjoy the products…

Mark Brady & Katie Kennedy Of Timberfeast Farms Make It Easy To Purchase Their Pasture-raised Turkey. Head Over To Their Website For Online Ordering And Pick Up Options, And While You're There, Choose From Hundreds Of Other Local Ingredients In Their Online Store.

17 Farms Where You Can Find Local Turkey this Thanksgiving

Now's the time to start planning your Holiday gatherings. Have you made your turkey plan yet? When you prioritize purchasing a local turkey this Thanksgiving, you'll not only get a turkey with unique and delicious flavor, but you'll be keeping your food dollars local, growing your local economy, and helping keep family farmers on the land.

Buy Fresh and Buy Local this Holiday Season

Holiday shopping will look very different this year, but that does not mean buying from local retailers is off the table. In this post, we explore how important it is to shop locally this season, and how the Illinois Buy Fresh Buy Local directory can help you find local retailers who carry products from your local farmers and food artisans. Photo/Supporting Images:

Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois Announces Farm-to-Table Restaurant Award Winners

Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) is pleased to announce the winners of the first annual Illinois’ Favorite Farm-to-Table Restaurant Awards. Diners from across the state voted for their favorite restaurants listed in the BFBL Illinois Directory. The restaurants that received…

Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois Launches Farm-to-Table Restaurant Awards

Now is your chance to show your favorite farm-to-table restaurants some love in the Illinois’ Favorite Farm-to-Table Restaurant Awards presented by Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois. Voting opens on September 14 and closes on September 30

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The Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois (BFBL IL) directory is “powered by MarketMaker” meaning that it pulls relevant information from the BFBL IL MarketMaker profiles to showcase in our searchable, mappable directory at BuyFreshBuyLocalIllinois.org. MarketMaker is a digital platform and…

Covid-19 Response Updates

From the IL Farm Bureau As concerns and uncertainty grow around coronavirus (COVID-19), Illinois Farm Bureau is working diligently to communicate impacts and resources to help. IFB President Richard Guebert Jr. spent hours discussing the best ways to support farmers during…

Charles B. Shuman Grants available Through IAA Foundation

Through grants made to eligible individuals and organizations, the Charles B. Shuman Fund seeks to strengthen and enhance farming, agriculture, and rural communities. The Fund supports educational, research and leadership development activities that benefit farming and promote choices in agricultural…