FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 20, 2026
Contact: Anthony M. Tamez, 312-632-8325, [email protected] or Yolanda Harris, [email protected]
Local Farms and Food Businesses Receive Nearly $700,000 in Grants to Help Make Metro Chicago Food System More Equitable
CHICAGO – The Chicago Food Policy Action Council and Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) are delighted to announce the awardees of the third annual Metro Chicago Good Food Purchasing Initiative (GFPI) Community Fund. The finalists have been awarded nearly $700,000 in grant funding to advance equity in the local food system by funding underserved farmers and food businesses within 250 miles of Chicago to increase healthy food access while also building local economies and promoting sustainable, humane, and fair labor practices.
Fifteen local farms and food businesses in the metro Chicago area were selected from more than 100 applicants to receive grants ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 each. Seven of these awardees are based in suburban Cook County. In addition to the awarded funds, these local farmers and food business owners will receive technical assistance to support increasing the availability of local produce and food products aligned with the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP). They will also work toward selling their products to large public and private institutions – such as health care systems, schools, and senior living centers – and community meal sites, including food pantries and public meal programs.
“Local leadership matters now more than ever. Cook County is showing what’s possible when local governments partner with community organizations and philanthropy on food and health.” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer at Cook County Department of Public Health. “Local leadership matters now more than ever. Cook County is showing what’s possible when local governments lead boldly on food and health.”
CCDPH awarded $300,000 in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to the GFPI Community Fund to benefit seven grant recipients that are based and operating in suburban Cook County. Other supporters of the Community Fund include The Rockefeller Foundation and Builders Initiative.
“For three consecutive years, our commitment to local farmers and food business owners has been about more than just funding It’s about building a stronger, more resilient food future for Metro Chicago,” said Kaitlyn Poindexter, GFPI community fund program manager at Chicago Food Policy Action Council. “We’re investing in those who grow and produce our food to ensure that everyone in our community has access to good, fresh, and high-quality options.”
In 2018, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution in support of the GFPP, a nationally recognized procurement strategy aimed at creating a more just, healthy, sustainable, humane, and local food system. In partnership with the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, CCDPH is charged with implementing the GFPP in Cook County, a metric-based framework, to shift the foods purchased and served at Cook County institutions, like Cook County Health, Cook County Jail and the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in alignment with GFPP values.
“Advancing good food is not just about food. It’s about building community resilience and creating economic opportunity, protecting workers, reducing waste, and ensuring healthier meals for the people we serve in Cook County,” said Amy O’Rourke, CCDPH director of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control.
The grants support a variety of projects aimed at increasing the amount of locally sourced produce and food products at large institutions from diverse small to mid-sized food businesses that embrace GFPP values. Such values include the fair treatment of workers, humane treatment of animals, and reduction of the carbon footprint.
The selected grantees are working on initiatives that include expanding food hubs, establishing new partnerships with local community institutions, and building out large infrastructure projects to increase their capacity to serve more local and healthy food in the metro Chicago area.
The 2025 grant recipients are:
Otter Oaks Farm, Woodstock, IL
Laos To Your House, Inc, East Garfield Park, Chicago
Sugar Arts Workshop Ltd dba Cakewalk Chicago, Beverly, Chicago
ChiFresh Kitchen, Chatham, Chicago
Evanston Grows, Evanston, IL
Food Hero, Little Village, Chicago
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Little Village, Chicago
Wood St. Collective, West Englewood, Chicago
ARPA Awardees:
Cornerstone Community Development Corporation, Ford Heights, IL
Hope Center, Blue Island, IL
Mother Carr’s Farm, Lynwood, IL
Ditto Foods LLC, Mokena, IL
Roots & Vine Food Hub, Park Forest, IL
Real Foods Collective, Maywood, IL
Fresher Together, Sauk Village, IL
For descriptions of the projects grant recipients will implement, click HERE .
Chicago Food Policy Action Council is a nonprofit organization that co-develops, facilitates, advocates for and supports implementation of policies that advance food justice and food sovereignty in Chicago and across the region. It aims to dismantle systemic racism in the food system.
Cook County Department of Public Health is the nationally accredited, state-certified local health department serving suburban Cook County. They build healthier, more equitable communities by protecting health, preventing disease, engaging communities, and analyzing and sharing data for action.
###