skip to Main Content

Building, Growing, and Resilience: Shining a Light on Illinois’ BIPOC Farmers

It is well known that farmers of color are under-represented in the United States. But in recent years, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) farmers in Illinois have joined the growing movement of young farmers, and are finding ways ...
Read More
photos of grain producers from this article, map of illinois indicating location of each farm

Grains Galore: From Rice to Spirits, Illinois Artisan Grains are Rising to the Occasion

When we talk about Artisan Grains, many of you may think about whole grain wheat and flours used to make breads and other baked goods. It’s likely you may have had some experience in bread baking during the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Read More

Discover Amazing Farm Finds in 2024 with Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has surged in popularity since 2020 when the COVID 19 Pandemic started to impact food distribution across the United States. Although not a new concept within the farming industry (early CSA models in the United States ...
Read More

Four ways to beef up (pun intended) your shopping list to include more pasture raised meats

Pastured meat is easy to find in the winter months and purchasing in January helps support farmers all year round. In recent years, the farmer’s share of the food dollar has dropped to just 14 cents for every dollar you ...
Read More

Homemade Holiday Gift Guide: 6 local food gifts that taste like home and support small businesses

Think back to your favorite cookie, jam or jelly, or slice of bread. More than likely, your favorite food items were made by someone you knew or were related to in their home kitchen. That’s because the best tasting products ...
Read More

Time to gobble up locally raised Thanksgiving turkeys

Thanksgiving turkey is one of the hardiest traditions for many Americans, so much so that the holiday long ago was dubbed as “Turkey Day.” Its place in American culture is enshrined in Norman Rockwell’s famous painting of the hosts presenting ...
Read More

Hope Rises in Cairo Around New Food Co-Op

October is National Co-op Month. To celebrate, we share the uplifting story of Rise Community Market in Cairo, located at the southern tip of Illinois. A food co-op is a grocery store that’s owned and managed by people who shop ...
Read More

Savor Autumn in Illinois with Agritourism Adventures

It’s always great to visit a farm and get to know the farmers who grow our food. But there’s no better time than September and October, as the heat of summer gives way to the cool comforts of autumn, and ...
Read More

August is THE month to visit a local farm market

This year’s National Farmers Market Week is August 6-12, and Illinois Farmers Market Association (ILFMA) joins markets from across the country in celebrating the positive impacts farmers markets have. Farmers markets provide access to delicious, nutritious locally produced food, support ...
Read More

Savor the Seasons with Farm to Table Restaurants

Over the past few decades, chefs and restaurateurs in locations throughout the state have also been serving diners with fresh, delicious, sustainably produced vegetables, fruit and produce from farms close to home. In this article, Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois ...
Read More

‘Whey’ Cool: A Look at Two Sustainable Illinois Dairies

June is National Dairy Month, and our Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois article highlights two of our state’s outstanding sustainable dairy farms: Marcoot Jersey Creamery in Greenville and Kilgus Farmstead in Fairbury. No two farms are exactly alike. So if ...
Read More

Flowers and Bees: The Essence of Spring from Local Illinois Farmers

There was a popular song in the 1960s that starts “Let me tell you ‘bout the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees...”. Well, it’s finally spring, so Buy Fresh Buy Local Illinois is here to tell ...
Read More
Loading...
Back To Top