Village Farmstand to Roll Out Delivery in 20 Zip Codes

Evanston-Based Online Local Food Retailer Takes First Step Back in Business

Rachael and Jesse Smedberg, leading advocates for a better food system in the Chicago region, has been steadfastly dealing with a pair of business crises.

Rachael on Tuesday testified before the Illinois House Agriculture Committee about the impact of a federal funding freeze on the couple's Tulip Tree Gardens farm in Beecher. Their other business — the Village Farmstand local food aggregator and e-commerce retailer — has been closed by mid-February because of emergency building repairs over which they have no control.

But today, some good news: Rachael sent out an email to the Village Farmstand list announcing that they are initiating a delivery program to restart their business. Her newsletter content, which also referencing her state House testimony, is below.

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Good morning everyone,

Thank you for your patience as we navigate the closure of our Evanston location. I’m pleased to share that repairs are set to begin on Monday, finally. Our landlord is committed to working diligently over the next few weeks to ensure that everything is addressed promptly.

Unfortunately, these much-needed repairs have taken longer than we anticipated, placing a burden not only on our business but also on our farming community. While this situation has been challenging and largely out of our control, one thing remains clear: we are resilient.

On a brighter note, we’re excited to announce the launch of our at-home delivery pilot program starting Monday! While our storefront is temporarily closed, we’re expanding our reach to serve over 20 zip codes in the Chicagoland area. Our partners at Top Box Foods have been working hard to integrate our website with their distribution services.

As a community-driven non-profit, Top Box Foods addresses food insecurity throughout the Chicagoland area and ensures access to healthy, affordable food for all. We are grateful for our collaboration with them. We are still seeking a few individuals to join us for this pilot program.

Given our partnership with Top Box Foods, our flexibility is somewhat limited, but we’d love to have you onboard... Deliveries will occur based on Top Box’s schedule, specifically on Mondays from 9 AM to 6 PM, so we’re looking for individuals who can be adaptable and ready to give valuable feedback.

Additionally, on Tuesday, our farm family traveled to Springfield to speak before the agriculture and conservation committee about the significant impact that funding freezes have on our farmers and our operations statewide.

We acknowledge the current atmosphere of uncertainty, but we are thankful to the Illinois Stewardship Alliance for their exceptional leadership in facilitating this vital conversation.

Our voices were heard, resonating alongside many others who share our commitment to this cause. We are hopeful that these funding freezes will soon be lifted, as the health of our nation depends on the support of our farmers. This is a cause that merits our collective attention and action.

Stand with Illinois farmers, your voice matters! You can urge your member of congress to lift USDA funding freeze to support a thriving local sustainable farm and food system. Check out the Ilinois Stewardship Alliance Take Action link below to urge the USDA to honor contracts with farmers.

Thank you for being part of our community during these times. 

Warm regards,  

Rachael

LEARN MORE ABOUT VILLAGE FARMSTAND

READ EXCERPTS FROM RACHEL'S TESTIMONY

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