Chicago Chefs Cook Non-Profit Hits Home With #HowLocalCanItGet

Campaign to Promote Local Sourcing Timed to June 16 James Beard Awards

Chicago Chefs Cook is a chef-driven non-profit that over the past three years has held amazingly successful fundraising events to support philanthropic and humanitarian causes.

But none has hit so close to home for Local Food Forum than their #HowLocalCanItGet campaign that will take place this following Friday through Monday (June 13-16) to promote regenerative agriculture and sourcing ingredients locally.

The campaign coincides with James Beard Weekend that precedes the annual James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony, which will be held next Monday (June 16) at the Lyric Opera House.

While most Chicago Chefs Cook events have been single-site, walkaround dining experiences, #HowLocalCanItGet is decentralized, will take place over the span of four days and multiple locations, and includes engagement among chefs, food influencers and diners.

Here's the organization's press release with the details:

CHICAGO CHEFS COOK LAUNCHES #HOWLOCALCANITGET CAMPAIGN AMPLIFYING

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE AHEAD OF 2025 JAMES BEARD AWARDS

CHICAGO, IL — As Chicago prepares to host the prestigious 2025 James Beard Awards (June 13–16), the award-winning culinary collective Chicago Chefs Cook (CCC) is launching a timely new awareness campaign centered on environmentally conscious dining.

The #HowLocalCanItGet campaign calls attention to chefs, restaurants, farms and food influencers leading the charge in the arenas of sustainability, local food systems, and regenerative agriculture.

Leveraging social media and public engagement, the initiative spotlights how food goes from farm to table—and why it matters more than ever.

CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Created by Local Chefs and Journalists

#HowLocalCanItGet is a female-led campaign created by Sarah Stegner, Chicago Chefs Cook co-founder and two-time James Beard Award winner; Sara Faddah, host of the 77 Flavors of Chicago podcast; and local food journalist Jamaica Ponder. The idea stems from their expertise in Chicago’s local food economy and their desire to amplify the stakeholders who keep it running.

Chef-to-Chef Challenge

Participating chefs — from mom-and-pop eateries to James Beard Award winners — are creating video content featuring dishes made with locally sourced, sustainably produced ingredients. Each chef nominates another, creating a ripple effect across the city’s diverse food scene.

Influencer Collaborations

Working with local PR firms such as Bettie Bomb, H2 Public Relations and Kinship, CCC has enlisted Chicago-based food influencers to visit restaurants, explore the origins of ingredients, and share their experiences on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Content will focus on local farms, ingredient sourcing and sustainable practices.

Diner Engagement

Chicago diners are encouraged to visit featured restaurants, learn about regenerative agriculture, and share their own experiences using the hashtag #HowLocalCanItGet. Educational and behind-the-scenes content will help diners make more informed and sustainable food choices.

TIMELINE

Now–Early June: Chefs develop dishes and begin creating campaign content.

June 7–12: Influencer and chef content launches across social media.

June 13–16 (James Beard Awards Weekend): Full public activation. Diners are invited to participate and share.

WHY IT MATTERS

With growing awareness around the environmental impacts of agriculture and food

consumption, #HowLocalCanItGet offers a fresh look at what it means to eat responsibly. Through storytelling and social media, the campaign invites Chicagoans— and a national audience — to consider the value of what’s grown close to home.

ABOUT CHICAGO CHEFS COOK

Under the leadership of Eda Davidman, Darren Gest, Sarah Stegner, and Melissa Clark, Chicago Chefs Cook has quickly grown into an award-winning 501c3 organization. Their work unites and empowers Chicagoland chefs to raise money for humanitarian causes, both local and global, that are on the hearts and minds of the city’s culinary and hospitality communities.

Join the movement. Celebrate local. Ask yourself: How Local Can It Get?

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHICAGO CHEFS COOK

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