Local food procurement for school districts in Illinois just got easier, to the tune of $7.3 million. The USDA’s Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) is providing this funding to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to distribute to school districts across the state. According to ISBE’s website: “The goal of LFS […]
We’re Going Big For Great Apple Crunch 2
Photo courtesy of Healthy Lombard The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder. Kids are heading back to school, and fall is in the air! We know pumpkins get a lot of love this time of year, but we’ve got our eyes on all those crisp, juicy apples at the farmer’s market. We’ve […]
Welcome, our new Farm to School Intern!
Seven Generations Ahead is thrilled to welcome Siobhan Pesce to part of the team as part of the Tyson Foods Summer Community Internship Program. Siobhan will be working with our Farm to School program manager, Diane Chapeta, on work related to the Illinois Farm to School Network. Through the program, full-time college students receive a […]
Illinois Farm to School Coalition Bridge...
Seven Generations Ahead and the Illinois Farm to School Network are pleased to announce the formation of a new working group, the Illinois Farm to School Coalition. The coalition will engage in critical work to advance farm to school programs throughout Illinois, bringing healthier meals to school children, strengthening local economies and food systems, and […]
Gourmet Gorilla Brings the Farm to the C...
Gourmet Gorilla is a Chicago-based food service provider that creates local, sustainable meals for early childhood centers, K-12 schools, and other institutions. The company focuses on making healthy, nutritious meals that kids will love, with ingredients sourced primarily from around the Midwest. They have a unique procurement process that prioritizes relationships with local farms for […]
It’s Fall, and That Means Apple Crunch S
It’s that time of year again. The air is getting cooler, the trees are just beginning to show patches of red, yellow, and orange, and the apples are crisp and juicy. With the magic of fall also comes the joy of the Illinois Great Apple Crunch! The Great Apple Crunch is a celebration of fresh […]
Mooseheart School HOTM program sows seed...
At Mooseheart Child & City School, the young residents and the adults who care for them take the Illinois Harvest of the Month program to heart. From cabbage to Brussels sprouts, all kinds of vegetables end up on the menu at the Kane County residential childcare campus. And that’s not by accident. Mary Zupke, the […]
North Central College senior wraps up a ...
During this eight-week internship with Seven Generations Ahead, Scott Williams was “never not busy doing something,” he said. Because the Oak Park-based nonprofit facilitates and manages multiple sustainability initiatives, Scott worked on not one but two programs during the summer. One of his assignments was helping promote the Illinois Farm to School Network. That assignment […]
Meet Mary Hosier, new Illinois Farm to S...
The Northern Illinois Farm to School Bootcamp just happened to take place when Mary Hosier, the new Illinois Farm to School Network coordinator, was in her first week on the job. So that timing was perfect. It gave her a chance to see how much the network has grown around the Chicago area. Mary will […]