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Congratulations To The Martins--Named Farmer Heroes By National Association Of Conservation Districts (NACD) And EPA

I am delighted to extend my congratulations to Jeff Martin and his family for their recognition by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and EPA for their work in soil conversation.

 Story On EPA Website

Martin Family Farms blog to learn more about the Martins:

Martin Family Farms Blog

Specifically these farmers were recognized for their best management practices that resulted in reduced pollution and increased soil quality.  Nobody I know of has won more awards, done more education  and worked harder for soil conservation than the Martins. This is a well deserved awared for folks who were working on soil conservation well before it was trendy.

 

Thank You To Governor Quinn, Representative Moylan And All The Legislators Who Voted For The Illinois Cup Cake Law

Thank You To Governor Quinn, Representative Moylan And All The Legislators Who Voted For The Illinois Cup Cake Law.

 Kudos to Governor Quinn for signing the Illinois Cupcake Act (HB 5354) and to Representative Moylan (my rep) and all the other legislators who voted for this Bill.

 Yesterday, the Governor signed the Bill in the home of Chloe Stirling. Chloe lives in Alton and hopes to use the $200 per month she makes selling cupcakes for a car someday.

 Governor Quinn Signs Cupcake Bill

 The text of the Bill can be found here:

 

 Cupcake Act

 

Chloe, unfortunately, ran afoul of the Illinois public health requirement that bakeries have certified kitchens. Certified kitchens are usually so expensive that people who want to make a few bucks can't spend the big bucks certified kitchens require.This law makes it possible for the little guy or girl to make and sell food, and that is a very good thing, and we need to more of it.

As I blogged about in an earlier post. Tim Wu has a brilliant point in his book, The Master Switch.

The Master Switch

We can all have a cell phone company if we have 12 billion or so dollars to spend on tech infrastrruture, but if we don't ,we can't. We may be able to consume the service but creating the means of proudction is shall we say a bit out of the average consumer's reach.

We need to look at food more like how Mr. Wu looks at information technologies. If only the wealthy  can own the means of production of farming and food, then only the wealthy can control food and farm production. Is that what we really want? We've been here before as a bunch. In the Middle Ages, the King owned everything, and the barons served him in exchange for land, and the peasants in turn served them. But, who really wants to live in feudalism? 

Rohini Dey Is So Right--Check Out Her Crain's Op-Ed "Two Ways Chicago Can Become A World-Class Gastrohub"--Showcasing A Regional Midwestern Cuisine

Rohini Dey is so very right in her op-ed in Crain's. Chicago does have all the ingredients to be a "gastrohub" that people flock to.

 

 

 Crain's Two ways Chicago can become a world-class gastrohub

 

"Great Dining Cities Revel In The Richness Of Their Street Fare" as she notes.   Indeed they do. Chicago, however, acts like a bunch of guilty Lutherans hoping nobody notices their food trucks or ask too many questions about whether they enjoy having food trucks. A rich diverse gastrohub worthy city would celebrate and embrace food trucks and the entrepreneurs who want to create them. In fact, a city worthy of gastrohub status would be  far easier terrain for all local food entrepreneurs to navigate. It's time to de mothball the welcome mat and roll it out. An entrepreneur based, diverse, innovative food and ag economy is what helped make the Midwest great and it is what could remake it into a region of prosperity and opportunity again.

 

"Cross-pollination Export And Trade", as she also notes. I'd add immigration to her list. And I'd aim for  lots and lots of  immigrant food and farm entrepreneurs because immigrants are willing to take big risks, have them flop and try and try again. Seems like these are useful qualities in the food and restaurant biz as well. Immigrants also have got the "vision" thing down.  They tend to be people who focus on opportunity and take risks to achieve things.

 

She's also right about the concept of the "culinary epicenter" too. Chicago needs to lead this movement, and it needs to be big, and it needs to involve the whole Midwest.  Dey talks about California cuisine, California is different. If it were a country, it would be the 8th largest economy in the world--it's a foreign country like France, and just happens to be attached to the U.S. Illinois isn't, In fact, if you add up all  the I states of Indiana, Iowa and Illinois, you don't have California. But, if you add the whole Midwest together, then you've got enough throw weight to get something done.  You could create a regional cuisine with Chicago as its epicenter, and you could revitalize the Midwest as a place to live and work and invest. And that's a dinner worth cooking on a food truck worth driving and permitting.