Local Entrepreneurs at Taste of Chicago Partner with City of Chicago to Purchase Locally-Produced, Sustainable Food

 

Taste of Chicago, in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC), is proud to be participating in the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) this summer. Taste of Chicago attendees can get a #TasteOfGFPP by sampling from five food vendors involved in the GFPP pilot and visiting the GFPP table at the Farm to Festival area.

 
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GFPP is a flexible framework that supports a shift in institutional food purchasing toward five core values:

  • Local Economies - Supporting diverse, small to mid-sized food producers in the region.

  • Fair Treatment of Workers - Sourcing from suppliers that provide safe working conditions and fair compensation for all food chain workers and producers.

  • Environmental Sustainability - Reducing our carbon footprint and sourcing from producers that use sustainable methods.

  • Animal Welfare - Working with producers who provide healthy and  humane conditions for farm animals. 

  • Health & Nutrition - Promoting health and well-being through meals provided in public settings.

DCASE’s signature festival, Taste of Chicago, is piloting the program with five vendors to help facilitate values-based purchasing and build a more transparent, equitable, and sustainable food system. This year’s GFPP-participating vendors who volunteered for the pilot are Aunty Joy’s Jamaican Kitchen, Egg Rolls Etc., Jeannie’s Flan, Jus Sandwiches, and Nourish Catering. 

Partner Agencies

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The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events hopes to expand GFPP to more vendors next year. “The Good Food Purchasing Program is an opportunity for DCASE to have a more equitable and sustainable impact on our food system through the festivals and events we organize,” says Mark Kelly, Commissioner of DCASE.

The Taste of Chicago vendors who are participating in GFPP this year have demonstrated a meaningful commitment to values-based food purchasing. "I don't want to participate in a food system that isn't healthy, beneficial for the environment, and good for animals,” shares Douglas Callegario, founder and owner of Nourish Catering, which makes all its Brazilian-inspired food from scratch. When he’s not in the kitchen, Callegario also helps out at All Grass Farms, a pasture-based farm in Dundee, IL. "Working with a farm that uses regenerative farming techniques, I take care of cows and chickens in an ethical way and have seen how good it is for both the animals and people," says Callegario.  "It's hard to go back to conventional sourcing once you see the difference and start using good food."

Vendors volunteering in this year's pilot will gain insights into their current purchasing sources and receive recommendations and assistance from GFPP’s local non-profit partner, the Chicago Food Policy Action Council. "This is a great idea to connect local businesses with local farmers so we can support one another," said Karen Roberts of Jus Sandwiches, a caterer in the West Pullman neighborhood. 

Andre Harper of Aunty Joy’s Jamaican Kitchen, located in Edgewater, adds, “We are participating because we want to provide food we would eat ourselves--all natural and hormone-free--to our customers.” 

The Chicago City Council adopted GFPP in 2017. With support from CFPAC, the Chicago Department of Public Health has led program implementation with city departments and agencies that purchase and provide food, including the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

For more information, please contact Marlie Wilson, at (872)529-6589, and Kara Rodriguez, at (847)-868-2510, or visit the City of Chicago website. Follow the hashtag #TasteofGFPP for live updates on Twitter.

GFPP Core Values

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Join CFPAC at Taste of Chicago

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This year, we are excited to join the Taste of Chicago, in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), in piloting the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP) at the 2019 festival.

Visit us and the rest of the Chicago Good Food Purchasing Taskforce in the Farm to Festival area in Grant Park, on Ida B. Wells Dr. near Columbus Dr. Make sure to take a picture at the Good Food Selfie Station.

Make sure to get a taste of this year’s GFPP-participating vendors to show your support! Stop by: Aunty Joy’s Jamaican Kitchen, Egg Rolls Etc., Jeannie’s Flan, Jus Sandwiches, and Nourish Catering. 

Enter the Social Media Contest

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Want to win a free t-shirt? Post on social media showing your support for Good FoodPurchasing using the hashtag #TasteofGFPP to be entered. Show your support by:

  • Sharing a selfie at the Good Food Selfie Station

  • Taking a photo at a GFPP-participating vendor

  • Or, Showing your support of the Good Food Purchasing Program and local farmers!

Rules apply. No purchase necessary. In order to be eligible, post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using the hashtag #TasteofGFPP by July 14. Post must be public. Winner will be contacted on July 16. Failure to respond within 24 hours may result in a new winner being selected.

 
 
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