FARMERS MARKETS l Baby, it's cold outside, but local food lovers in the Chicago region can still fill up their totes at the area's growing number of indoor markets

FOOD NON-PROFITS l Every year there are clusters of events planned by Chicago non-profits. One of these is in mid-September, with three big events on one day alone

NATURE l The natural environment in which Chicago sits is one of the favorite things about my hometown. Enjoy some lovely photos from the city's North Pond...

CHEFS l Rob Levitt is the new executive chef at The Publican, a restaurant that helped spark the transition of Chicago's meatpacking district into a culinary mecca..

LOCAL FOOD NEWS l Local Food Forum and Natural Awakenings Chicago are collaborating on a feature, Local Food Dispatch, which highlights regional event and food info

CHICAGO AIR AND WATER SHOW l Off-topic, but the Chicago Air and Water Show takes place right outside our apartment window. Love it or hate it, it's quite a photo opp

RESTAURANTS l EEEEEATSON, a food expo put on by The Infatuation restaurant site, is returning to Chicago Aug. 23-24. Worth going, but you have to have a Chase card

CRAFT SPIRITS l Chicago's National Museum of Mexican Art hosts a fundraiser focused on agave spirits. This Local Food Forum interview explains how this came about...

FOOD AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT l Southside Market and Cafe Cooperative is scheduled to open this summer in Chicago's Chatham community, and they are seeking vendors..

NATURE l North Pond is one of my happiest Chicago places. A bird sanctuary, it is always a refuge amidst the big city's bustle. But it comes most to life in spring...