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 […]
IFSN shares farm to school with early ch...
Under SGA’s local food project, the Illinois Farm to School Network (IFSN), staff participated in the annual symposium produced by Collaboration for Early Childhood on Feb. 23. On this rainy Saturday, hundreds of early care providers filled Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park, lighting the halls and classrooms with conversation and eagerness to learn. […]
Education + Fun = A lifelong love of veg...
The inaugural Illinois Harvest of the Month (HOTM) program year launched in August 2017, after a successful pilot during the previous school year. More than 840 feeding or garden sites with over 467,500 students combined participate in the program each month. Sites that are eligible to participate in HOTM include individual school sites, entire school […]
The Great Illinois Apple Crunch
The Illinois Great Apple Crunch is a day-long celebration of fresh, local apples from the Midwest! Schools across the state of Illinois can participate by serving local apples on the lunch tray and ‘crunch’-ing into them together as a school. We provide educational supplements for use in the cafeteria and the classroom that will teach […]
SGA’s F2S staff provided valuable traini
On May 15, SGA’s Illinois Farm to School Network (IFSN) Coordinators led a day of trainings and workshops in Kane County at the Northern Illinois Food Bank: “Connecting Kane County Farms to Your Cafeteria.” The event was developed in collaboration with the Growing for Kane Program and featured a locally-sourced lunch, a live recipe demonstration, […]
IFSN shares tips and tools at Good Food...
Always a popular event with those interested in food and environmental issues, the 14th annual Good Food EXPO took place March 23-24 at the UIC Forum in Chicago. A hands-on farmer training was held all day on March 22. Some 150 exhibitors and field experts participated this year. The EXPO, which celebrates sustainable food, attracts […]
IFSN expands Harvest of the Month progra...
Seven Generations Ahead introduced the Illinois Harvest of the Month (HOTM) program at the Illinois School Nutrition Association Summer Conference in Tinley Park, making it available to school districts across the state. The HOTM program helps schools buy and serve more local food, while teaching students about healthy eating, nutrition, and agriculture. Each month, participating schools can […]