This past Thursday Whole Foods sponsored a screening of Food Inc. at Showplace Icon. Afterwards a panel of local food activists discussed the movie with the crowd. Sloopin was invited and a loyal reader and emailer went to the showing...here were his thoughts:The video and subsequent forum following was enlightening to say the least. This was our first time at Showplace Icon on a weeknight. Not much has changed since it opened. No additional developments in the Roosevelt Collection store fronts were noted. The entire place was deserted for the most part. There were around 20 to 30 people that attended this event so it was a pretty empty theater. The movie itself was very interesting and talked a lot about how a few large corporations control the food we eat and how they are the ones finding ways to grow animals, vegetables and fruits in a fraction of the time and an exponentially higher yield. All with the help of chemicals and altered genes.
The movie (Food Inc.) does a good job of showing the opposite side of the corporate food movement which more of a grass roots approach to farming and food. No chemicals, no fertilizers and no cages. This is where the forum came in and talked about what they are doing in the area to promote healthier lifestyles and pure foods. This is the whole idea behind Whole Foods and the 61st street farmers market down in the Woodlawn neighborhood.
A big interest to me was the idea of the farmers market and made me wonder if this is something that the Sloop would be capable of supporting, or do readers think Whole Foods meets all of their needs in the "healthy food" department? I personally think it would be a great weekend event for the sloop and wouldn't be intended to compete with Whole Foods (not that it could even come close), but to supplement it. It is also a great way to support local farmers and businesses.
Another thing the forum members mentioned were buying clubs, where a group of people put in a larger order, someone from the neighborhood goes to the market, picks it up and brings it back to the members of the community. Regardless, I may start picking up my meat and vegetables down at the 61st street farmers market and would most certainly consider a buying club of some sort, as I realize not everyone has transportation. It was a great event in the Sloop and was most certainly eye opening. Food Inc. is definitely worth a watch and Whole Foods may find its way into my weekly grocery schedule. What do you think about this subject?
10 comments:
I love Whole Foods, but I sure wish we could get a Trader Joe's around here!
I would love to have a bigger farmers market in the sloop. There is a small one in Printers Row, but not a big selection. I would like to buy more locally grown produce. While whole foods does an OK job of providing locally produced foods in the summer/fall, a majority of it still comes from around the world. I think this would be a GREAT idea!
I would love to see a Farmer's Market on the weekend in the South Loop, and nothing like the doopey little one at Printer's Row. I don't have a chance to shop the weekday markets in the Loop, but would definitely support a weekend market in the South Loop like the ones they get on the Northside. Close down a road, get some farmers to bring their goods in, and buy some fresh fruits and veggies. Sounds good to me! No idea if enough people would support it though, but I think it would be worth trying.
"Doopey little one at Printer's Row" - seriously?
Why criticize something that is a start to what you say you want? Go there, buy stuff! Encourage your friends and neighbors to buy stuff! If enough people buy, word will get out that the demand is in our neighborhood and more farmers will come. That is how it works.
Yeah, my first thtought was the "doopey little one" in Pritners Row, but Charles is right on.... It is opposite of Field of Dreams... "if you come, they will build it".
I normally stock up at Daley and Federal Plaza markets on Tues and Thurs but I am going to commit to helping grow the printers row market this year every Saturday!
Does the printers row market have meats? What about the Daley plaza market?
there is also the Pilsen farmers market on 18th St, thats pretty good. For anyone interested, I'm trying to get Panozzos to start being a pickup spot for produce boxes(weekly grouping of local fruits and veggies). If you have any interest go over there and let them know!
Patrick, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an outdoor market in Chicago vending raw meat.
I know 61st market has it, as does the one in Lincoln park.
Actually Heartland Meats sells at the Green City Market ... they used to sell at the one in Federal Plaza, but they're not on the sked for that this year. The beef is frozen.
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