After 11 Years, Foodshed Co-op Breaks The Tape

Plus, this week's Chicago region farmers market, and squirrels (yes, squirrels)

Store is Instant Landmark in North-Central Illinois

Scott and Kim Brix had the honor of cutting the ceremonial ribbon on Wednesday (May 15) at the opening of the FOODshed co-op grocery store in the north-central Illinois city of Woodstock. And they certainly earned it.

In 2013, Scott conceived of the idea of creating a cooperative grocery store built on better-for-people-and-the-planet principles, and the couple became the first owners — a term for people who make a financial investment in the development of a co-op project. It “only” took more than 11 years for the project, originally named the McHenry County Food Cooperative, to come to fruition.

The Northern Illinois portion of Chicago’s food region is entering something of a golden age of food co-ops after a long lull.

Before FOODshed threw open its doors on Wednesday, with a crowd estimated at 200 in attendance, there were only two functioning co-ops in the region: Dill Pickle, located in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, and Sugar Beet in suburban Oak Park. FOODshed has led off a cluster of co-op stores that are expected to open within the next year, including Wild Onion Market (Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood), which is scheduled to open on June 12; Prairie Food Co-op (suburban Lombard); and Chicago Market (the city’s Uptown neighborhood).

All of these projects have been years in the making; I have been an owner-member of Chicago Market for roughly 11 years. There are numerous impediments for co-op projects, the need to raise millions of dollars for site selection, build-out, inventory and staffing primary among them.

So Scott Brix induced some knowing laughter from the Grand Opening audience when he held up the project’s original brochure, that presented a timeline culminating in the store’s opening in May… 2015.

“We’ve learned so much. We were so naïve,” Scott said, adding, “We got the month right.” Scott and Kim Brix have both served on the FOODshed Board of Directors. For their contributions, a small space on the edge of the store’s parking lot, was dubbed Brix Garden.

Other speakers at the event included:

Rusty Foszcz, president of the FOODshed Board, who held up a poster highlighting a crucial $2.1 million loan guarantee that the project received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Peter Waldmann, the store’s general manager and longtime veteran of natural channel grocery stores, who described the store opening as “a monumental milestone in the history of McHenry County” and “one of the more significant community endeavors.”

After the ceremony, the store was officially opened. I traveled up from Chicago with three friends who are in the leadership of Chicago Market, and we certainly didn’t come all that way to leave without buying stuff. It would have been rude to our hosts. So, starting with my market basket, here are photos from inside the store, and I am happy to note the heavy emphasis on local.

Regional Outdoor Farmers Market Schedule

The weekly farmers market schedule continues to grow. As you can see from the asterisks marking the season openers, there are seven markets opening in the region this week. They include the first of the city-run Chicago Farmers Markets to open for the season… welcome back!

The weather forecast is currently lovely for all these weekend farmers markets. Let’s get out there and support our local farmers!

* denotes that it is the market’s season opening day.

Saturday, May 18

* Batavia Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., North River St. between Wilson and

Spring Sts.

* Division Street Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 100 W. Division St., Chicago

Downers Grove Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Main St. Train Station Parking

Lot

Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oak St. and University Pl.

Grayslake Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 201 Center St.

Green City Saturday Market Lincoln Park, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.,1817 N. Clark St., Chicago

Green City Saturday Market West Loop, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 115 S. Sangamon St., Chicago

Kankakee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., S. Schuyler Ave. and Merchant St.

* Oak Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 460 Lake St.

Palatine Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Palatine Train Station

Park Forest Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, 152 Main St.

61st Street Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago

* South Loop Farmers Market Printers Row, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, 632 S. Dearborn, Chicago

The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2001 N. Orchard St.

Woodstock Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Historic Woodstock Square

Sunday, May 19

Frankfort Country Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Breidert Green

Logan Square Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Kedzie from Logan to Fullerton,

Chicago**

North Park Community Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5510 N Christiana Ave, Chicago**

95th Street Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago

Wicker Park Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1425 N. Damen, Chicago

** Note: New location for this year due to construction on Logan Square

*** Note: North Park Community Market is open on the 3rd Sunday each month through October

Tuesday, May 21

Lincoln Square Tuesday Farmers Market, 4513 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago****

* Lombard Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., South Park Ave.

The Farmer at The Green, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 320 S. Canal St., Chicago

Woodstock Tuesday Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Historic Woodstock Square

**** Note: New location for this year due to construction at Western Brown Line station

Wednesday, May 22

Andersonville Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 1500 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago

Green City Wednesday Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.,1817 N. Clark St., Chicago

Palos Heights Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 12217 S. Harlem

Ravenswood Community Farmers Market, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., 4900 N. Damen, Chicago

Uptown Farmers Market, 2:30 to 7 p.m., Sunnyside Mall between Magnolia and Beacon

Thursday, May 23

* Daley Plaza Market, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., 50 W. Washington, Chicago

Growing Home’s Englewood Farm Stand, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1844 W. 59th St., Chicago

La Grange Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 53 S. La Grange Rd.

Lincoln Square Thursday Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 4513 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago****

* Note: New location for this year due to construction at Western Brown Line station

Bob’s World, and Welcome to It: Walk in the Parks 4

I’ve come almost full circle in my Bob’s World photo essay about my walk around the beautiful North Pond nature sanctuary in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. It is formally a bird sanctuary, but it is also home to other urban wildlife. I think the squirrels are very used to human company, as they appear to be posing.