Summer makes many activities easier, like swimming, running and dining alfresco. But there’s also something that becomes extraordinarily easy to do during the warmer months: buying local and sustainable produce.
Farmers markets are now open all over the city, and fresh fruits and vegetables are aplenty. Judith Dunbar Hines of the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture said she’s seen fast growth in the number of Midwest organic and sustainable farms selling at local farmers markets, including the Southport Market (1420 W. Grace St.) in Lakeview, which opens June 25. “Sustainable” is a somewhat loose term that applies to farms adhering to a set of environmental standards, she said, adding that the trend of buying local and sustainable is spreading everywhere we shop.
“Even Jewel and Dominick’s have figured out they need to talk about local,” Hines said. “Almost every restaurant that has opened recently touts their farm-to-table initiative.”
Eating fruits and vegetables from nearby farms has economic, environmental and health advantages, and these benefits are catching on with Lakeview residents and restaurants.
For Andy McGuire, it’s economical. The owner of La Gondola (1258 W. Belmont Ave.), he is slowly changing the way he buys ingredients for his two locations in Lakeview, and he’ll be searching for local products this summer. He wants to help his fellow farmers and stimulate the Midwest economy.
“I truly believe in helping the smaller, local guy in these challenging times,” he said. “It seems to be more appreciated and needed.”
Uncommon Ground (1214 W. Grace St.) has been at the forefront of using ingredients from sustainable farms in the Midwest.
“My hope is that because of our dedication to the sustainable food movement we have educated and influenced many people to eat better food and support our local producers,” said owner Helen Cameron in an email.
Lakeview resident Michelle Lamb, 32, is jumping on the sustainable bandwagon. This summer she’s hoping to partake in a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA is a farm selling boxes of produce directly to the consumer on a weekly basis. Usually there are multiple pick-up points within the city. Lamb says, along with all the other benefits of eating local, she grew up with a garden in her backyard and wants to recapture that fresh taste in her food again.
“I do like to support a green economy whenever possible and would also like to support local farmers,” she said. “The CSA sharing idea brings about a feeling of community.”
Lamb lives by herself and wants to share a CSA with a friend since a weekly box of produce would be one veggie too many. Angelic Farms, which has a CSA pick-up point in Lakeview, says sharing a CSA is its fastest-growing option. Overall the farm has grown to 1,400 shares over the last 9 years, up from 1,100.
But despite this growth, is eating local and sustainable a fad? To those that practice eating local, it does become a way of life.
Owner Michelle Garcia of Bleeding Heart Bakery (1955 West Belmont Ave.)says she opened her organic bakery seven years ago because it’s her passion. She said she was afraid of failure when she first opened, but it turned out to be perfect timing because of the eat-local movement. But she said others that have tried to capitalize on the trend, haven’t been successful.
“We have seen many attempts to directly copy what we have done,” she said. “The biggest mistake we have seen is people doing that for the money, and they all failed miserably.”