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Plus, watch Sarah Stegner cook, and plan your farmers market week
Meet Melvin Parson, Farmer & Visionary
Local Food Forum is pleased and proud to introduce Melvin Parson, the new member of the amazing panel of guest experts joining me and co-host Chef Sarah Stegner for our next Local Food Forum “Better” Dialogues webinar, Food Education and Its Impact, which takes place on Monday (May 13) at 7 p.m. central.
Melvin is founder and executive director of We the People Opportunity Farm in Ypsilanti, Michigan — which provides training and opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. He needs no introduction to why his mission-driven project is important, as he himself is a formerly incarcerated individual.
The following is his official biography:
Melvin Parson, Executive Director, We The People Opportunity FarmMelvin Parson (AKA Farmer Parson) spent approximately 13 years of his life incarcerated. As such, he has experienced many of the challenges that come along with either being on parole or probation.In 2016 Melvin earned a BSW from Eastern Michigan University. In 2015 he co-founded a mentor program for men and women returning home from incarceration called A Brighter Way. In that same year, Melvin founded We The People Growers Association (WTPGA) and in 2018 he started a nonprofit organization called We The People Opportunity Farm (WTPOF).WTPOF’s vision centers around providing “soil changing” opportunities for both men and women returning home from incarceration. Melvin believes there are several factors which lead people back to prison, a couple of them being lack of employment and lack of community support. Melvin’s goals are to create an internship program that will help spawn meaningful job and educational opportunities and create a culture where folks will have enough support to make strides towards caring about themselves, others, and their community.
Local Food Forum was introduced to Melvin by Spence Medford and Christy Sherding of The Henry Ford, who will be on the same webinar panel to discuss their Dearborn, Michigan-based organization’s dedication to improving food served to school children and the events they are planning in five cities across the nation, including Chicago, to promote expansion of farm-to-school programs.
Melvin’s extraordinary mission and vision prompted The Henry Ford’s Carver-Carson Society to present him with its 2023 Carver Prize. Our three Michigan friends will be joined on the panel by leaders of two leading food education non-profits based in Chicago: Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn of Pilot Light and Sebastian White of The Evolved Network. We’ll all have a lively and informative conversation, with plenty of time for audience Q&A, so please join us. Click below to register for free.
Interest in Chicago Chefs Cookbook Mushrooms
Tuesday’s Local Food Forum shared word about the Chicago Chefs Cookbook — a collaboration between the Chicago Chefs Cook humanitarian fundraising non-profit and the Mariano’s supermarkets. Proceeds from the book will benefit Chi-Care, a local 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to providing meals, water and basic human needs for people experiencing homelessness throughout Chicagoland.
The book is ready, just in time for Mother’s Day. You can pick it up at a special pre-sale event this Saturday (May 11), 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mariano’s store at 3030 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Lakeview community (that’s my neighborhood Mariano’s!). It will then be available at all Mariano’s stores beginning Monday (May 13).
And today (Thursday), WGN-TV News featured a Lunchbreak segment featuring Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe doing a demo of her Creamy Mushroom Toast recipe that is in the cookbook. That’s the same Sarah Stegner who co-founded Chicago Chefs Cook — and yes, the co-host of Local Food Forum’s “Better” Dialogues webinar series.
Click the button below to view the segment, and then visit Mariano’s on Saturday to get the cookbook (and maybe a whole bunch of mushrooms).
Regional Outdoor Farmers Market Schedule
Let the outdoor farmers market surge begin! As you can see from the asterisks marking the season openers, there are six markets opening in the region this week. Let’s get out there and support our local farmers!
By the way… this schedule, created with the assistance of Barb Benenson, is the result of our scouring the web to make this list as comprehensive as possible. But… some markets are easier to find than others. If you look at the list and notice that a favorite market (or a market that you manage is missing), please contact us so we make sure it’s added.
* denotes that it is the market’s season opening day.
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