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Writer's pictureBob Benenson

TONIGHT: Webinar on Food Ed and School Food

Don't miss the lively discussion among leading experts in the field




The goal of a better-for-people, better-for-the-planet food system relies in great part on how we teach children and what food we serve them in our schools. This is the pressing topic of The Local Food Forum “Better” Dialogues webinar TONIGHT at 7 p.m. central: Food Education and Its Impact: How Schools Inspire and Feed Our Youngest Eaters.


Please register for free (click the link below) and join co-host Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe and me for a lively and informative discussion with five guest experts, listed below, who lead on a range of issues involving food education.



A request from the “Better” Dialogues team: If you are planning to attend, or even seriously considering, it would help us if you would register by 6:30 p.m. That way you’ll still get the recording even if you can’t make it to the live webinar. That’s not a hard deadline, but we’d greatly appreciate it so we can avoid any last-minute juggling.


Now, a reminder about our special guests:

Two of our guests are executive directors of leading Chicago non-profits that are focused on food education: Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn of Pilot Light and Sebastian White of The Evolved Network.


Talking about the importance of making more fresh, locally farmed food available to school food programs are Spence Medford and Christy Sherding of The Henry Ford organization in Dearborn, Michigan, just outside Detroit. They will discuss their event planned for October that will highlight farm-to-school activities in five cities across the nation, including Chicago.


And thanks to Christy and Spence, we will also be joined by Melvin Parson, founder and executive director of We the People Opportunity Farm in Ypsilanti, Michigan, which provides food education, training and opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. Melvin received the 2023 Carver Prize from the Henry Ford’s Carver-Carson Society.


Join us and you’ll learn so much about food education and its importance to the future of our food system. It will be an enlightening and engaging conversation.

Here’s that registration button again.



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




I don’t know how you judge if a day is perfect, but this past Saturday came as close as I need.


The Local Food Forum issue on Sunday (May 12) covered the fabulous launch party for the Chicago Chefs Cookbook, a collaboration of 46 leading area chefs organized by Chicago Chefs Cook and Mariano’s to raise money for Chi-Care’s charitable efforts to provide for the basic needs of homeless individuals. (A reminder that the cookbook, which can keep you cooking for weeks, is now on sale at all Mariano’s stores for the low, low promotional price of $6.99. It’s really an incredible bargain.)


But it was a beautiful spring day and I spent most of it outside: with a quick run to Green City Market before the cookbook event, and a stroll with Barb around Lincoln Park’s North Pond where we saw gaggles of goslings, our first ducklings of the year, and lots of beautiful flora.


I have so many photos to share that I’m turning it into the first-ever Bob’s World mini-series. I’ll follow with the nature walk, but first, catching you up on a few of the new spring things at the market.


The above photo shows Bacchus radishes at the stand of Froggy Meadow Farm (Beloit, Wisconsin). I haven’t been able to find a citation about why they are named for the Roman god of wine, so I’m going to guess it’s because of their beautiful dark red color.


Bacchus is known as a particularly wild and crazy god (he also gave his name to the word bacchanalia), but did you know that he is also the Roman god of agriculture?



Iron Creek Organic Farm in La Porte, Indiana, had lots of cucumbers, both these pickling size and the big salad variety.




Not in profusion yet, but there are more hothouse heirloom tomatoes coming from Nichols Farm & Orchard each week.


Tune in tomorrow for… baby ducks!




















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