The Good Food Festival Chicago
At the heart of The Good Food Festival and Conference are the exhibitors who come from miles around. 
From Chicken Enthusiasts to Chocolate Inspirations we’re excited to be heading for this three day event at UIC Forum in Chicago.
Like any great venture you just have to scratch the surface to uncover the movement that lies beneath. The annual Good Food Festival and Conference belongs to Family Farmed, a Chicago non profit, and is the jewel in its crown ” — America’s longest-running sustainable and local food trade show — brings together key stakeholders to be inspired and do business.”
We were accepted to exhibit at their Good Food Financing Fair to engage with funders and seek partnerships. In preparation we attended an investor workshop with presenter Jim Jaffe run by The Good Food Business Accelerator.
As the zen of slow cooking approaches its 5 year anniversary I’m reflecting on just how much work is involved in attending a single show, from the application process through to getting boots on the ground to man our booth, I realize how many opportunities engagement like this can create. On Wednesday evening Meg and Lucy attended a last minute social media and blogging event hosted by Momma Cuisine and set up by Family Farmed, to promote The Good Food Festival. As Meg and Lucy shared samples of curried lentils made with our Indian Dal Slow Cooker Spice Blend, occasionally a blogger would pop up with their smart phone as a way to live stream on facebook and capture whatever they happened to be doing at that moment and share with their followers.
Early in February Meg sat down with Rick Bayless and Steve Dolinsky in the Frontera Test Kitchen to record a section for The Feed Podcast highlighting community health and our social impact through the zen of slow cooking and to preview The Good Food Festival. It was truly an honor to have time to chat with an industry stalwart Rick afterwards, on the merits of slow cooking, something which he too loves to do.
Listen to the podcast here and if you are in Chicago next weekend you can register for general admission tickets to The Good Food Festival which includes micro-workshops, chef demonstrations and vendor sampling. Come and join us!
This month we will be highlighting meat and produce vendors from the show and sharing recipes using Middle Eastern and North African spice blends including an easy Moroccan Pot Roast and Herby Za’atar Chicken.
Zen Moment
