Events
Farmer Appreciation Day Mixer
Join us to raise a glass to each other on National Farmer Appreciation Day at Blockhead Beerworks in Valparaiso. This event is organized by farmers for farmers and is an opportunity to talk shop, commiserate and dream of future seasons.
The NWI Food Council and Region Roots would all like to show our appreciation for your hard work so come hang out, have a round on us and enjoy chef-prepared local food. Mocktails will also be available. And children are welcome.
Region Roots is NWI's first wholesale local farm and food hub and is a project of the NWI Food Council, a 501c3 non profit organization. The Council serves all of Northwest Indiana: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, & Pulaski counties, and cultivates a just, thriving and regenerative food system for all in NW Indiana.
No Till Growers Farm Tour
Marion County SWCD and Urban Soil Health will host a bus trip this spring to visit expert farmer Jesse Frost at Rough Draft Farmstead in Kentucky. It’s a day trip leaving from Indy and picking up in Columbus, on May 23, 2023. If you are a vegetable grower who could benefit from this opportunity, please express interest by March 6 using this Google Form.
New to Jesse ? Check out:
https://roughdraftfarmstead.com/
https://www.notillgrowers.com/aboutntg
Female Farmer Call Out for New Program (FarmHer to Mama) (Copy)
Join a female farmer cooperative of growers coming together to provide locally grown food to first time new mothers living at 250% or more of the poverty level (offering monthly home delivery through Nurse Family Partnership). Be a part of creating a new program that believes everyone deserves a beautiful, dignified and loving experience with food and supports female farmers, too!
Join us virtually for more info, provide input and get started planning your plantings!
May 11th, 9 am - 10 am
contact Anne & Porchea to learn more & participate
info@nwifoodcouncil.org + porchea@nwifoodcouncil.org
Female Farmer Call Out for New Program (FarmHer to Mama)
Join a female farmer cooperative of growers coming together to provide locally grown food to first time new mothers living at 250% or more of the poverty level (offering monthly home delivery through Nurse Family Partnership). Be a part of creating a new program that believes everyone deserves a beautiful, dignified and loving experience with food and supports female farmers, too!
Join us virtually for more info, provide input and get started planning your plantings!
May 3rd, 6 pm - 7 pm
contact Anne & Porchea to learn more & participate
info@nwifoodcouncil.org + porchea@nwifoodcouncil.org
Virtual PSA Training for Market Farmers
Date & Time: April 28 and June 16
Location: Virtual
The cost of this training is covered by the Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice. Participants will receive their certificate of completion in the mail.
The Working Hungry Film Screening & Discussion - Crown Point
The Working Hungry is a 30-minute film built around the stories of three families and through them, the stories of more than 700,000 people across the state of Indiana. Most of these are working families, and their hunger is hidden from those around them.
The compelling documentary asks why, in a time of low unemployment and food abundance, is food insecurity and hunger so prevalent and what can be done. The Working Hungry will dive deep into the reality of food insecurity in Indiana and what more can be done to destigmatize the conversation, more clearly understand underlying causes, and truly end hunger.
Throughout 2023, screenings of The Working Hungry, and relevant discussions will take place statewide, hosted by over 30 organizations.
The Working Hungry Film Screening & Discussion - Hammond
The Working Hungry is a 30-minute film built around the stories of three families and through them, the stories of more than 700,000 people across the state of Indiana. Most of these are working families, and their hunger is hidden from those around them.
The compelling documentary asks why, in a time of low unemployment and food abundance, is food insecurity and hunger so prevalent and what can be done. The Working Hungry will dive deep into the reality of food insecurity in Indiana and what more can be done to destigmatize the conversation, more clearly understand underlying causes, and truly end hunger.
Throughout 2023, screenings of The Working Hungry, and relevant discussions will take place statewide, hosted by over 30 organizations.
Lunch will be provided.
Purdue Extension Farmers Market Certificate
Location: Hybrid
Learn how to navigate food safety regulations, understand legal issues of markets, improve market stability, offer food assistance programs, manage conflict, and more.
Registration/more info at:https://cvent.me/XVN4ba
$75
Includes market manager or market vendor manual, which
you select during registration. The Indiana Cooperative Development Center has funding
to provide a $50 discount code. Contact Amanda Mosiman for information at bailey1@purdue.edu.
The Working Hungry Film Screening & Discussion Over Dinner - La Porte
The Working Hungry is a 30-minute film built around the stories of three families and through them, the stories of more than 700,000 people across the state of Indiana. Most of these are working families, and their hunger is hidden from those around them.
The compelling documentary asks why, in a time of low unemployment and food abundance, is food insecurity and hunger so prevalent and what can be done. The Working Hungry will dive deep into the reality of food insecurity in Indiana and what more can be done to destigmatize the conversation, more clearly understand underlying causes, and truly end hunger.
Throughout 2023, screenings of The Working Hungry, and relevant discussions will take place statewide, hosted by over 30 organizations.
Dinner will be provided.
The Working Hungry Film Screening & Discussion - Rensselaer
The Working Hungry is a 30-minute film built around the stories of three families and through them, the stories of more than 700,000 people across the state of Indiana. Most of these are working families, and their hunger is hidden from those around them.
The compelling documentary asks why, in a time of low unemployment and food abundance, is food insecurity and hunger so prevalent and what can be done. The Working Hungry will dive deep into the reality of food insecurity in Indiana and what more can be done to destigmatize the conversation, more clearly understand underlying causes, and truly end hunger.
Throughout 2023, screenings of The Working Hungry, and relevant discussions will take place statewide, hosted by over 30 organizations.
Register for this event by clicking the button below or by calling Jasper County Community Services at 219-866-8071.
Black Loam Conference - Gary
The Black Loam conference builds agricultural relationships and networking opportunities. These workshops will provide introductions to USDA programs and resources available to BIPOC and socially disadvantaged rural, urban and community farmers, growers and producers to assist and increase participation of USDA programs, loans, grants, sustainable agriculture practices, business planning, and community development.
Poverty Simulation: Understanding & Empathy - Lake County
Location: Jean Shepherd Community Center, Hammond
A Poverty Simulation is a facilitated, immersive experience designed to provide participants with a glimpse of the realities of poverty. Participants assume the roles of “families” who do their best to survive week‐to‐week over a simulated one‐month period. The simulation presents participants with real‐life scenarios and challenges faced by people living in poverty. The exercise is immediately followed by a group debrief and discussion, during which participants reflect on the experience, discuss insights, and consider next steps.
21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge
Date: April 3-23
Location: Virtual
Food Systems New England presents its annual 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. Each year, thousands of individuals and hundreds of officially participating organizations join in a shared journey of learning and charting a course of action to dismantle racism in our food system and our world.
Indiana Small Farms Conference
Since 2013, the Indiana Small Farm Conference has been the premier annual event for Indiana’s small- and diversified-farm community — helping them experience continuing education and enjoy farmer-to-farmer networking.
The Indiana Small Farm Conference serves as the annual educational and farmer-to-farmer networking event for the Indiana small and diversified farm community. The conference was developed in response to a gathering of Indiana small farmers and stakeholders at the Purdue University campus in the fall of 2011. The Purdue Small Farm team hosted the inaugural conference in 2013 and has had continued success thanks to the support of Indiana farmers and organizations. The conference now hosts over 500 attendees, 50 exhibitors, and several national speakers. We look forward to continuing to build this growing conference in partnership with the small and diversified farm community of Indiana!
Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference: Farmers, friends, and food
TOGETHER, WE’RE BUILDING A RESILIENT ORGANIC FARMING MOVEMENT!
Now in its 34th year, the Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference, formerly known as the MOSES Conference, draws a diverse audience of farmers, homesteaders and food system professionals for three days of educational programming on a wide range of food and farming topics. Whether you’re certified organic, using organic practices on your sustainable farm, or are considering the switch to organic, you’ll find the latest information, the best resources, and the right connections to help you succeed.
Join us February 23-25 in La Crosse, Wisconsin!
Indiana Horticulture Conference & Expo
The Indiana Horticultural Conference & Expo is a two-day meeting designed to inform vegetable and fruit producers on production practices, pest management, food processing and safety, marketing, and new regulatory requirements.
Farm Bill Policy and Advocacy Communications Training
With the Farm Bill right around the corner, creating effective messaging that clarifies your unique policy platforms is critical to building champions amongst your legislators and ensuring a Farm Bill that centers equity and supports regional food systems. In this multi-part training, communications firm Spitfire Strategies and partner organizations will bring you the tools you need to develop and deploy compelling messaging to shift perspective and build allies. More info and registration here.
Session 1 (Feb. 22): Engaging Policymakers and Messaging 101
Session 2 (Mar. 1): Messaging in Action
Session 3 (Mar. 15): Office Hours, separate registration coming soon
Ag Women Engage Conference
We invite you to register for the Ag Women Engage Conference (formally known as the Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference) set to take place February 21st - 23rd, 2023 at the new Terre Haute Convention Center!
We will be engaging Midwestern women in agriculture to address personal, family, and farm issues that affect their lives, their families, and their farm business.
It will be an exciting, in-person event full of speakers, networking, education, and fun!
More details can be found below.
Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training
The Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice is hosting a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training with the Safe Produce Indiana Team. This training is for Indiana fruit and vegetable growers, specifically farmers market vendors and market managers interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The training is on February 10th from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm at the Purdue Extension – Dearborn County Office in Aurora, IN. Lunch will be provided.
The cost of this training is covered by the Indiana Farmers Market Community of Practice. Registration closes on February 5, 2023. Participants will receive their training manual day of training. Participants will receive a certificate.
For questions about registration, contact Christina Ferroli. For questions about the training, contact Amanda Deering or 765-494-0512.
18TH Annual Chicago Food Justice Summit
The Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC) and its summit planning team celebrate 18 years of leveraging collective power to policy. The Annual Summit have been shared ground for attendees to exchange meaningful knowledge, build deep relationships, and make powerful conversations on how to envision our food future together. Our Summits have highlighted ways to ground policy in community action and engage participants in reimagining Chicago’s foodscape. Past sessions have included themes crucial to food policy: climate change, labor equity, food access and urban farming. Through partnership with local leaders and beyond, attendees have engaged with passionate speakers and a marketplace of resources from all over Chicago, Cook County, and across the state of Illinois.
MASTER GARDENER STATEWIDE VIRTUAL BASIC TRAINING
This program is a great way to give back to the community by acting as an educator and volunteer in a diverse outreach program.
Indiana Farmers Market Forum NFMF
Join the INFMCP for our annual farmers market conference on February 7th & 8th. Expect engaging topics, favorite presenters, guest speakers, and more! The Farmers Market Forum is virtual again this year. For a list of session topics and speakers go to Indiana Farmers Market Forum.
Confirmation email and Zoom link will be sent to all who have registered on Friday, February 3rd. Registration closes Monday, February 6th at 5:00 pm (ET).
Finding Your Leverage Point for Making Change
Given the scale and immediacy of the challenges facing food systems leaders, it is easy to jump to quick fixes or look for silver bullets, but there is no "one size fits all" approach to food systems change. So, the question for each of us is, how do we slow down and decide on the right intervention? In this 90-minute workshop, hosted by Joseph McIntyre with 10 Circles Collaboration Consultants, we will ground ourselves in the work of systems thinkers like adrienne maree brown and Donella Meadows, and then dig into the concept of “leverage points,” or places in complex systems where we can focus our efforts to make change. You will leave the workshop with a framework for categorizing existing strategies and interventions, a deeper understanding of how to see, influence, and shift the systems you are operating in, and new ideas for identifying impactful leverage points.
Region Roots Farmer-to-Chef Mixer & Storytelling Workshop
Practice your storytelling skills in a fun, interactive workshop exclusively for farmers and chefs in Northwest Indiana! We will talk about what makes a good story for various audiences before sharing stories about our farms, our restaurants, and our connections to each other and to a larger food system. *Registration is $20 for chefs and wholesale buyers, but participants will received $30 credit to Region Roots upon attendance.
After the formal workshop, we’ll keep the conversation going with a networking reception.
Workshop Skill-Building Goals (2-4pm)
Practice shaping stories for various audiences and potential customers
Learn about what makes a story memorable
Learn about other members of Northwest Indiana’s food system
Mixer & Networking (4pm-6pm)
Mix and mingle with fellow farmers and chefs for a casual and open networking. We encourage farmers and chefs to connect, dream and plan for the 2023 season and beyond.
About Bold Bison
Bold Bison Communications and Consulting provides forward-thinking communications solutions, engaging strategy and facilitation services, and inspiring workshops and trainings for nonprofits, particularly in the conservation, climate, and local food movements, as well as the arts and cultural institutions. Current or recent food system-related clients include the Chicago Region Food System Fund, Community Food Navigator, Food:Land:Opportunity, Fresh Taste, and Gardeneers. BoldBison.com
Founder and Principal Brandon Hayes has earned a reputation for creative, hands-on, grounded communications and strategy solutions during more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector. Before founding Bold Bison in 2019, he was Director of Communications at Openlands, Manager of Communications at youth arts organization Marwen, and a publicist for Goodman Theatre.
Director of Creative Services Patrick Williams is a versatile communications professional. Prior to joining Bold Bison, he served as Marketing Manager at Chicago’s Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and Manager of Communications at Openlands. He has also worked with the Chicago Wilderness Alliance and the Sierra Club.
October Great Lakes Apple Crunch
Join the 2022 Great Apple Crunch to celebrate Indiana's farmers, healthy kids, and strong communities this October. Participating in the Crunch is simple: buy, serve, and Crunch into locally grown apples! Register your Crunch to add to the Crunch count, get free stickers, score the scoop on purchasing and serving local apples, and receive the Crunch Guide. Everyone is invited to help us reach the goal of 1.2 MILLION CRUNCHES in 2022.
Noon on Thursday, October 13, 2022 is the official Crunch date, but we welcome your Crunch any time this October. Click the button below to register and continue down to our form for assistance with finding local apples and connecting with educational resources in our region!
🍎 Are you looking for local apples? We can help! Through our Region Roots Local Farm and Food Hub, we can help your school purchase, secure donations and get local apples delivered.
Thank you!! Our team will be in touch.
A big thanks to our partners and sponsors!
Lake County Eats Local GAPs Training Webinar
Join GAP experts Amanda Deering, Clinical Associate Professor of Fresh Produce Food Safety at Purdue University, Scott Monroe, Food Safety Educator for Purdue Extension and Tari Gary, Food Safety Outreach Coordinator for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to learn, review and discuss best practices to ensure your fruits and vegetables are produced, packaged, handled and stored as safely as possible.
FarmHop 2020
During these uncertain times, support for local food has ever more important. Our 4th annual FarmHop tours will be held virtually for 2020 in order to keep everyone safe, but still allow us to celebrate and get to know the farmers in our community who feed us. While we may not be hopping on a bus with fellow farm enthusiasts this year, we are excited for the unique opportunities video tours will bring to the FarmHop experience. Stay tuned for registration details coming end of June!
FEDtalks: Backyard Chicken Keeping with Melanie Pittman
Join us on Zoom for a virtual FEDtalk, Saturday, August 22, 2020! Learn from the chicken lady, Melanie Pittman, about the essentials of backyard chicken keeping, meet the chickens, and ask your questions about keeping chickens on your homestead! This virtual workshop will also help you navigate your local zoning and ordinances. Melanie mixes the education that she has as a master urban farmer and her hands on experience to bring a fun and interactive presentation to the people.
ReFED’s Better Together: Food System Best Practices for Navigating COVID-19
ReFED’s Better Together: Food System Best Practices for Navigating COVID-19
Join ReFED every Wednesday at 3:00PM Eastern / 12:00PM Pacific starting on April 15th by registering through the link. Not sure you’ll be able to attend? Register anyway to receive updates and recordings of each installment.