This past summer we wrapped up our Local Food Chains Project, which aimed to strengthen Southwestern Pennsylvania's food system. Specifically we wanted to make it easier to buy local, humanely raised meat, eggs, and dairy. Here’s what we accomplished in the 19 months of the project:
We reached out to eaters to teach them about the food system. We did this through our blog and newsletter, but also by working with Pittsburgh illustrator Eric Mrock to add to our collection of infographics, and with Pittsburgh videographer Steven Althardt to produce many videos about food and the food system.
We increased the transparency of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s foodshed by adding to our catalog of virtual farm tours. If you've been looking for a farm to support, and want to see how they raise their animals, the virtual tours are a great place to start!
We made it easier to eat humanely raised meat when dining out with our profiles of restaurants that source from ethical farms. These profiles tell you about the restaurant, and lists contact info, a link to their menu, hours, and the ethical farms that they source from.
We boosted the web presence of more than 10 farms with our social media consultations and farm websites.
Check out some of the farms we started websites for. (The farmers may have updated the websites since we launched them.)
We matched local restaurants with ethical farms that met their needs, facilitating more than 5 relationships. Chefs are always looking for the best product and farmers are always looking for a reliable customer. We were there to help them find each other.
This is the work we are passionate about and we plan to continue strengthening Western Pennsylvania's network of ethical, sustainable animal farms.