Local Chef Says Restaurants, Farms Need to Connect Dots

Chef Niall Campbell knows the quality of the food he serves at his Firefly Grill restaurant in Effingham because he grows 60 percent of the produce. Campbell shared his story from Maine dairy farm worker to dishwasher to chef/restaurant owner during this week's Local and Regional Food Summit in Marion.

Campbell urged small farmers and chefs to understand each other's needs and learn what makes it easier for each other. He explained he rented additional freezer space recently to work with a local farmer who needed to sell eight pigs. The chef realized the farmer had no place to store processed pork and Campbell hoped to buy more from the farmer in the future.

"We do this because it makes sense," Campbell said of sourcing locally produced food. "We want it to make sense to everyone."

Illinois Farm Bureau and several county Farm Bureaus in southern Illinois collaborated with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and University of Illinois Extension to present the Summit. About 110 farmers, community leaders and others attended.