Most efficient ways to aggregate, store, pack and ship local food from farms to regional centers: Illinois Pilot Project

This project proposes to improve the infrastructure for moving local food from farms to regional cities. Limited capacity for post-harvest handling, packing and transporting farm products is an obstacle to further growth in the local food market in Chicago. The goal of this project is to find ways to alleviate these bottlenecks so the many benefits of local food, principally to public health, the environment, and rural economies, can be increased and more broadly enjoyed. To achieve this goal the project will: 1) document through interviews and analyze previous attempts at local food distribution; 2) design a next generation distribution system; 3) test the new design with a pilot distribution program in the Dixon Springs area of Illinois; 4) identify additional enhancements, and; 5) prepare the ground for implementation of additional distribution facilities at other Illinois locations. Successful completion of this project will increase purchases of local vegetables, fruit and animal products. This will be accomplished by improving Illinois farmers' access to the Chicago market, reducing the costs of transportation, and enabling increases in farm production and income.