About NWI Food Council

 

The NWI Food Council cultivates a just, thriving and regenerative food system for all in NW Indiana.

We’re a grassroots organization that launched in December 2015 with support from NIRPC, Valpo Law, Food Bank of NWI, and Purdue Extension. The Council serves all of Northwest Indiana: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski counties.

The NWI Food Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations are tax deductible.

Mission & Vision

The NWI Food Council work covers service and support; education and outreach; and policy and advocacy for our local food system to cultivate a just, thriving and regenerative food system for all in NW Indiana.

We envision a local food system where everyone has affordable access to nutritious food that is grown by regional producers using regenerative practices. Through community-based strategies, we work towards collaboration, healthy ecosystems, equity and resiliency for all in NW Indiana.  

NWI Food Council History 

The seed was planted in April 2015, when 100 activists, business owners, chefs, community members, educators, farmers, and foodservice operators from around the region gathered for the Local Food Summit, which had been organized by NIRPC, Purdue Extension, and Valpo University Law.

After the event, a task force was formed to begin guiding action on all of the passion and ideas that participants had developed. Kris Parker from Purdue Extension facilitated our small group of volunteers, who worked diligently for months to form the Council.

In December 2015, we officially launched as the NWI Food Council with board members from across the region, representing diverse sectors of the local food system.

The task force members were:

  • Arleen Peterson, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

  • Gabrielle Biciunas, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Committee (NIRPC)

  • James Cannon, GrowLocal

  • Lynda Bodie-Fernandez, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy

  • Lyndsay Ploehn, Purdue Extension - Porter County

  • Nicole Negowetti, Valparaiso University Law

  • Sarah Highlen, community activist & entrepreneur

The founding board members of NWI Food Council were:

  • Arleen Peterson (Founding Treasurer), Food Bank of Northwest Indiana

  • Dominique Edwards, Graduate Student - Sustainable Urban Development, DePaul University

  • Elias Crim (Founding Secretary), Solidarity Hall and C-Lab

  • Gabrielle Biciunas, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Committee (NIRPC)

  • James Cannon, GrowLocal

  • LaTonya Carter-Sanders, Purdue Extension - Lake County

  • Lynda Bodie-Fernandez, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy

  • Lyndsay Ploehn, Purdue Extension - Porter County

  • Nicole Negowetti (Founding Vice President), Valparaiso University Law

  • Reverend Marty Henderson, Peace Baptist Church

  • Sarah Highlen (Founding President), community activist & entrepreneur

 Our Work Timeline