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Local Food Advocates Gathered in Springfield to Press Policy Agenda
- Bob Benenson
- Apr 14
- 7 min read
Recap of Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Food and Farm Lobby Day
Illinois Stewardship Alliance is a force on behalf of the state's local food and farm communities. Recognizing that the goal of achieving a better food system won't happen all at once, the state's leading Good Food policy advocate sets an agenda each year to intensely focus the attentions of lawmakers on several key issues.
The organization has a strong success rate, with the enactment over the past few years of measures such as the Local Food Infrastructure Grant program and an extension of Illinois' cottage food laws that allows home producers to sell more of their products to more people.
That is why the Alliance's 2025 Food and Farm Lobby Day, held on April 8, drew more than 100 advocates from around the state to impress upon House and Senate members the urgency of the five legislative initiatives on this year's agenda.
The following is a recap of the rally held on the lawn of the state Capitol at the start of the day, with the Alliance's explainer of each legislative proposal and takeaway quotes from speakers representing each of bills.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance partnered with Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois Food Justice Alliance, and Chicago Food Policy Action Council on the Food and Farm Lobby Day.
The rally was kicked off by Ed Dubrick, the Alliance's policy organizer and a poultry farmer at his DuChick Ranch in Cissna Park, Illinois.
"Your attendance here today shows how important these issues and the policy solutions to them are your farms, your businesses and your communities," Ed told attendees. "We know being here is a commitment of time and resources, and we thank you for prioritizing it."
Noting the abrupt disruptions to federal food and farm programs since the Trump administration took office in January, Ed added, "At the time of uncertainty regarding federal funding and programming, it only highlights the need for us to organize together and work on solutions that will impact our state and local communities. It would be unrealistic for us to expect state lawmakers to fill all the gaps that may come out of federal decisions... However, by sharing your stories and being here, you shed light on the issues at hand."
The first legislative proposal highlighted was House Bill 2196, which is aimed to reform processing exemptions to allow more livestock farms to process meat on their farms. Illinois Stewardship Alliance's explanation:
There is not enough processing capacity for Illinois farmers to meet consumer demand for locally raised chicken, turkey, duck, etc. There are no inspected plants in Illinois offering processing of ducks, geese, or quail. With limited options, farmers transport livestock long distances, often out of state, increasing the cost of production and adding stress on livestock. Current state regulations put Illinois farmers at a disadvantage. This bill adds processing capacity and aligns Illinois' regulation with 40 other states. It also eliminates the 30-day ownership requirement to process an animal under the personal use exemption.
Jill Vonder Haar of Main Street Pastures farm in Breese, Illinois spoke in favor of the bill:
"The USDA guidelines for our poultry processing exemption includes 20,000 [birds]; in Illinois, we're limited to five [thousand]," she said. "The USDA guidelines also allow wholesale sales to restaurants and institutions. In Illinois, we have to do direct to consumer sales only. That means people have to come to my farm and purchase my chicken and turkeys. This new bill is a step in the right direction. It will increase our limit to 7,500 birds, giving small farmers like me an opportunity to increase capacity and increase sales."
Note: HB 2196 was passed by the state House on a unanimous vote that took place on April 8. The bill awaits action in the state Senate.
The next bill up was HB 54, to permanently establish a Soil Health Week in Illinois. The Illinois Stewardship Alliance explainer:
In March of 2025, Illinois celebrated its fourth annual Soil Health Week. The week has historically been designated through multiple resolutions. This bill makes that celebration permanent by dedicating the first week of March as Soil Health Week. It is a time to honor farmers, researchers and technical assistance provides who do so much for soil health, our land, our water, and our environment. It is also a time to educate all Illinoisans about soil health practices and why they are important.
State Rep. Charlie Meier, the ranking Republican on the state House Agriculture and Conservation Committee (and a farmer in southwest Illinois), took to the podium. "I'm happy to have worked with your group for as long as I have, as we keep working together to protect our soils, to protect our way of life, and to give the Illinois consumers fresh healthy food," he said.
HB 54 was passed by the state House, also unanimously, on April 7, and it awaits further action by the state Senate. "It's going to be done because we as farmers, all we want to do is we want to raise our family, and we want to protect that soil, that farm is a member of the family...," said Rep. Meier. "And we want to make sure that that is better shape than when we took it."
SB 2386, a high priority of the Alliance, would renew the $2 million state fund for the Local Food Infrastructure Grant program. The program aims to strengthen Illinois' local food community by helping restore vital services, such as processing, transportation and refrigeration, that virtually disappeared from Illinois' farm landscape as a result of the rise of the conventional agriculture system in the second half of the 20th century.
As described by Illinois Stewardship Alliance, SB 2386:
Appropriates $2 million to the Illinois Department of Agriculture for grants through the Local Food Infrastructure Grant (LFIG) program, which provides state-funded matching grants to support equipment purchases for processing, refrigeration, transportation, food hubs, community kitchens, and other infrastructure to strengthen local food systems. The program was funded at $2 million in FY 2023 and FY 2024, supporting 19 projects with $1.8 million administered by the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. The Department of Agriculture will manage the program going forward, with the 2025 application period opening soon.
Speaking on behalf of the bill was Tracy Gustafson Barkley, director of Sola Gratia Farm in Urbana, Illinois.
"Unlike many grants, this program is primarily focused on buying real assets, real stuff, rather than paying for consultants or just making plans. It's a greater risk, for sure, for the grantor, but also a greater reward for both the grantor and the grantee. It has a bigger food system impact, especially when taken with a strong focus on collaboration within our region and our state...," Tracy said.
She continued, "Did you know that over 90 percent of the food consumed in Illinois is purchased from outside our borders? So there's a clear impact. There's a clear health impact. Families, schools, institutions and communities will benefit from greater access to fresh, healthy, minimally processed local foods. There's a clear equity impact. This grant partner will prioritize small scale and underserved farmers and food businesses that are serving communities in need, ensuring more equitable access to local food and economic growth in the areas most needed. And there's a clear economic impact. A 20% increase in local production, processing and purchasing will generate $20 [billion] to $30 billion of new economic activity annually within the state's borders."
This bill has not yet been taken up by the state Senate and has not yet been introduced in the state House.
The proposed Good Food Purchasing Law (HB 3701/SB 2197) would codify the existing Good Food Purchasing Task Force to conduct a statewide survey of state agencies and facilities (including higher education) to assess current food purchasing and food service practices. The ultimate goal is to establish a values-based Good Food Purchasing Program that would align state food spending with five core values: local and community-based economies, environmental sustainability, worker wellbeing, animal welfare, and community health and nutrition.
The bill is modeled after the Good Food purchasing programs in 26 jurisdictions around the country, including Chicago.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance's bill description:
Illinois spends millions each year to procure food for public institutions, including state agencies and facilities. By ensuring tax dollars stay in Illinois, the Good Food Purchasing Program harnesses the power of institutional purchasing to direct public dollars toward local, circular economies, strengthen the supply chains and infrastructure that our farmers rely on, create more jobs, drive economic growth, and protect Illinois communities from disruptions in global food supply chains.
LaShawn Miller, an Illinois Stewardship Alliance policy organizer and an urban farmer in Chicago, spoke in favor of the bill. "I'm a farmer, a food justice advocate and a believer in the power of public dollars to build stronger, healthier communities. I'm the owner of Finding Justice: A Flower and Vegetable Garden...," LaShawn said. "
She continued, "When our institutions, our schools, our hospitals and our veteran homes buy food, they have a choice. They can keep feeding the broken systems, or they can choose to feed justice. That's what the Good Food Purchasing Program is all about."
Both HB 3701 and SB 2187 are in the committee process in the respective chambers.
The Small Farmer Restoration Act (HB 3067) was the final bill advocated at the rally. Here's the analysis from Illinois Stewardship Alliance:
This bill creates the Small Farmer Restoration Program, which will provide grants for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, technical assistance grants, technical assistance provided by the state Department of Agriculture, and administrative costs incurred by the Department.
Repping for the bill was Adam Peterson, food systems policy manager at Chicago Food Policy Action Council. "Something we're struggling with is succession farming and next steps for when our elder farmers are either passing on or not passing on that land. We have the consolidation and encroachment of developments on farm lands. And so HB 3067 will take federal matching dollars, have the state also match those dollars, and help support agricultural easements, so we can continue to have land designated for agricultural uses," Adam said.
HB 3067 was passed on April 10 in the state House by a vote of 71 to 38 with one abstention. It now awaits action in the state Senate.
Local Food Forum will continue to provide coverage of these important legislative priorities. We also will follow up with coverage of a news conference held in support of the proposed Good Food Purchasing Law, which took place at the state Capitol on April 8.]
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