By Laurie Casey
Much has been written about the lack of access to fresh and healthy foods in the West and South Sides of Chicago. Many of us read about it. Many of us live it. Some brilliant people are actively working to revise that story. And one of those people is Liz Abunaw, owner and operator of Forty Acres Fresh Market, which serves the city of Chicago and western suburbs along Interstate 290 up to Westchester, Ill.
Liz Abunaw, Forty Acres Fresh Market owner and operator.
“[West Side] residents have always wanted fresh food, but were not satisfied with the access available within the neighborhood,” she says. Abunaw is working hard to build awareness of Forty Acres’ offerings. “My biggest challenge is making residents aware that there are more fresh food options available and building trust that these options are of good quality,” she says. Forty Acres sells its produce at farmers markets, and runs a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that offers boxes of beautiful, healthful produce. Right now, Forty Acres is running a get-one, give-one campaign on its website to address community hunger. If you order a box of produce for yourself, Forty Acres will give a box to a family in need.
Abunaw is not alone in her efforts to enrich the local food supply. She and Forty Acres belong to the Austin Eats Initiative, a collaboration of organizations that promotes grocery access, culinary entrepreneurship, food education, community gardens, and urban farms in the Austin community, which is Chicago’s second-largest neighborhood by population and size. The group also includes Austin Coming Together, One Earth Collective, Austin Garden Collective, Austin Community Food Coop, PCC Community Wellness, BUILD Chicago, Austin Renaissance Council, and about a dozen other groups. On Thursday, Oct. 21, the group is staging a screening and discussion of the acclaimed documentary film, “Can You Dig This.” You have two ways of seeing the film and participating in the discussion: in person for those living, working, and attending school in Chicago's Austin community—or virtually from anywhere.
Fresh produce from Forty Acres Fresh Market.
Produced by famed singer John Legend, “Can You Dig This” is a One Earth Film Fest favorite. Suitable for teens and general audiences (age 13+ at parents' discretion), the film explores urban gardening in the nation’s second-largest city, Los Angeles, and follows the inspirational journeys of four gardeners.
The film may surprise you. If you think South L.A. is only home to gangs, drugs and vacant lots, you have another thing coming. But if you have been keeping up on the green transformations that many cities, including Detroit and Chicago, have been undergoing, this film is another hopeful paragraph in the story of the greening and cleaning of the urban food supply.
After the film, Austin food activist Briana Shields, founder of the Austin Community Food Co-op, will facilitate audience and panel discussions. You’ll be invited to respond to the film’s themes and interact with expert panelists from the community: Cortez Dean, BUILD Chicago Iris Farm; Kenyana Walker, PCC Community Wellness Austin Farm Apprentice; and Angela Taylor, Garfield Park Neighborhood Market Manager + Wellness Coordinator/Board Member for Garfield Park Community Council.
In Person Viewing
If you live, work, or go to school in Austin, you are invited to the in-person event, designed just for you. Here is the link to register:
Settle in for the film in Kehrein Center for the Arts’ beautiful, comfortable theater. Kehrein Center is large; it seats about 900 people. To follow COVID safety protocols, event organizers require that you wear a mask to keep everyone safe. In addition, they have limited seating to 25% of the venue's normal capacity. That means you’ll have plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the show.
We will open the doors at 5:15 p.m. for a mini farmers market, where you can peruse freshly picked produce and chat with Liz Abunaw of Forty Acres Fresh Market, and Angela Taylor and Sam Taylor, from the Garfield Park Neighborhood Market. Chef Jermaine Richardson of Spirit & Soul Catering will offer tasty, healthy bites and recipes. Two Austin community gardens, Mayfield Community Garden and PCC Wellness Garden, are donating produce to the chef for his creations. You can try his samples, pick up the recipes and buy ingredients at the mini farmers’ market to make the dishes at home.
Virtual Viewing
The other way to see the film and participate in the chat is through live, concurrent streaming during the in-person event. Here is the link to register:
Either way, we hope you will join us at the event, and help to broaden the movement to bring fresh, healthy food to people. Can’t join us? Donate to Austin Eats/Austin Coming Together.
Thursday, Oct. 21
6:15-8:30 p.m. CDT (virtual, virtual doors open at 6 p.m.)
5:30-8:30 p.m. CDT (in person, doors open at 5:15 p.m.)
Cost: free