Want to join the Rhizome Network Google Group? ↓

Click here to request admission. Through this google group, you can get information on how to join working group calls, access previous call notes, and share resources with the group.

COVID-19 Impact Survey↓

Please take our survey to inform food justice advocates working on COVID-19 rapid response efforts in the Chicago region! Your input is critical. You can take the survey multiple times as the crisis evolves. Survey languages: English, Español, العربية.

Matchmaking Tool↓

Click here to access the matchmaking tool. This spreadsheet is designed to match up needs and surplus in the Illinois institutional food system. Anyone is welcome to add, view or contact others on the list directly.

Updated Food Access Maps↓

Click here to view an updated map of open grocery stores in Chicago, created by the City of Chicago. This map will be expanded upon as more information becomes available.

Personal Protective Equipment Survey↓

Your responses will help to inform what the Personal Protective Equipment Needs (PPE) are of farmers/producers, foodservice workers, processors, and Farmer's Market in the Greater Chicagoland Foodshed. The results of this questionnaire will be used to determine if bulk purchasing is recommended for food system professionals working on the front lines. Click here to take the survey in English or Español,

Emergency Response Food Delivery Survey↓

The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) and partners in the Alliance for Health Equity are gathering information about food delivery programs that have taken place in Chicago and Cook County throughout 2020. Please respond to this survey to share information about your Emergency Response Food Delivery program(s). Click here for the survey in English.

URGENT: Call to Mayor Lightfoot↓

Click here for the organizational sign on form. The signatories of this Call to Action - comprising Chicago's food, agriculture, public health, and environmental communities - call on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to commit to long-term funding that prioritizes basic human needs in response to this moment of justified outrage.

Guidelines for Farmers↓

Click here for a comprehensive guide from the IL Farm Bureau including federal stimulus information, local governance, market considerations, food and speciality crop guidelines, and more.

Click here for step by step guides and recommendations from other farmers about how to successfully navigate COVID-19.

Click here for a guide put together by Windy City Harvest about how they've adapted their operations due to COVID-19.

Click here for a guide written by the Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) includes additional information on PPP, EIDL, unemployment insurance, foreclosure moratoriums, and much more.

Click here for a check list for agricultural employeers from by the CDC. This check list includes many resources from initial assessments, how to navigate sick employees, and special considerations.

Guidelines for CSAs↓

Click here the University of Connecticut's guide to farmstands and CSAs. While this resource isn't Midwest specific, it follows the USDA guidelines and is applicable to the Midwest region.

Food Safety Resources↓

Click here for information on how food sales are affected by COVID-19. These guides go over concerns from both the farm’s and shopper’s perspective in English and Spanish.

Funding Opportunities↓

Click here to see up to date funding opportunities for growers impacted by COVID-19.

Guidelines for Community Gardens↓

Click here for a list from IL Extension of best practices, safety guidelines, and recommendations for how to communicate the effects of COVID-19 to local community members.

Click here for a helpful infographic from CCGA about how to keep yourself and your community garden safe. Haga clic aquí para esta guía en español

Click here to join the CCGA Community Gardening Forum.This is a space to ask questions about how to start seeds, where to find a plot in a garden or a brilliant idea to share, etc.

Farmer’s Guide To Direct Sales Software Platforms↓

Click here for a guide written by the National Young Farmers Coalition that compares 19 different Direct Sales Software Platforms.

Create a Health and Safety Plan↓

Click here to view a document written by the Agricultural Justice Project walks farms through how to create and implement guidelines to keep your staff members and customers safe throughout the crisis.

COVID-19 Impact Survey↓

Please take our survey to inform food justice advocates working on COVID-19 rapid response efforts in the Chicago region! Your input is critical. You can take the survey multiple times as the crisis evolves. Survey languages: English, Español, العربية.

Include Farmers Markets in Stimulus Relief Package↓

Click here to contact your members of Congress about why farmers markets and other small businesses should be included in the stimulus relief package.

Donate to Support Food Access↓

Click here to support I Grow Chicago. They are providing care packages for Englewood residents. In the City of Chicago, 70% of the COVID-19 deaths were Black residents, even though Black people make up only 29% of Chicago’s population. The crisis has only underscored the deeply-rooted and systemic inequities that have persisted for generations for the families we serve: 98% are Black, 100% are low income, and many don’t have access to basic needs.

Click here to support Urban Growers Collective. They have moved their fresh produce market online. For every bag you buy, one is donated to our partner sites on the South and West sides of Chicago. to purchase produce and/or donate to support their efforts.

Click here to support Experimental Station. They are working with Star Farm Chicago to provide boxes of locally sourced produce, eggs, and bread to their neighbors on the South Side.

Support Equitable Water Access for Chicago Farmers↓

Chicago’s growers continue to face a series of financial and legal barriers preventing them from accessing the water needed to grow food for their families and their communities. Most growing operations do not have the land security or capital to install a permanent water line, which can cost as much as $40,000. Below are some action items residents can complete to support equitable water access for growers in Chicago.
Click here to sign a petition.
Click here to email your alderperson and the mayor.
Click here for a script to call your alderperson directly.

Chicago’s Online Farmers Markets↓

Click here to visit 12 Chicago farmers markets from the comfort and safety of your own home! This resource offers various pick up, delivery, and CSA options for customers to support local farmers and producers.

Guidelines for Small Businesses↓

Click here for a resource guide compiled by RWCF with information and links that will help restaurants and workers deal most effectively with the COVID-19 Emergency.

Click here for a series of webinars, virtual events and online discussion forums designed by Chicagoland Food & Bev Network to tackle pressing industry conversations amidst the COVID-19 restrictions & shutdowns.

Click here to join a group, organized by Network for Incubator & Commissary Kitchens (NICK), of food industry workers sharing data, best practices, and technical assistance to support the success of kitchen businesses.

Legal and Financial Resources for Small Businesses↓

Click here for a compilation of financial, HR, and legal resources and precautions for running a business during COVID-19, written by CommonWealth Kitchen.

Food Safety Guidelines↓

Click here for this comprehensive list by the FDA of resources including managing employee health, managing operations in a foodservice establishment or retail food store, managing food pick-up and delivery, etc.

Source Personal Protective Equipment Locally↓

Click here to register for the City of Chicago's Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Market, powered by Rheaply. This resource provides small businesses, community-based organizations, and not-for-profits a streamlined way to secure affordable supplies from verified sources.

COVID-19 Small Business and Non Profit Survey Results↓

Click here to see the report. As part of the COVID-19 Rapid Response effort, the Local Food Business Working Group surveyed small food businesses and nonprofits on what their emerging needs were as they dealt with the initial shock of COVID-19. This infographic illustrates response data from this survey which was shared through the Chicago Food Policy Action Council's network across Illinois.

Funding Opportunities↓

Click here to see up to date funding opportunities for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

COVID-19 Impact Survey↓

Please take our survey to inform food justice advocates working on COVID-19 rapid response efforts in the Chicago region! Your input is critical. You can take the survey multiple times as the crisis evolves. Survey languages: English, Español, العربية.

Chicago’s Online Farmers Markets↓

Click here to visit 12 Chicago farmers markets from the comfort and safety of your own home! This resource offers various pick up, delivery, and CSA options for customers to support local farmers and producers.

Shop In Place Chicago↓

Click here to support Chicago’s local businesses! Use this site to find old favorites and discover new gems that are still delivering the essentials for staying whole and healthy at home. Businesses can fill out profiles to be added to the list, if they’re small, local, and still operating to sell essentials for all of us staying at home.

Takeout COVID↓

Click here for a list of Chicago businesses open for take out! By ordering takeout and delivery, you can help support your favorite businesses and their hardworking teams during this challenging time. Order food, cocktails, wine, and beer to-go and keep your local favorites in business!

Dining at a Distance Chicago↓

Click here to learn more about and support the Chicago restaurants that are open for take-out and support local businesses during the crisis.

Buy a Gift Card for Later↓

Click here to access a spreadsheet of Chicago businesses and restaurants you can buy a gift card from to spend later! (See Column D)

Donate to James Beard Foundation's Investment Fund for BIPOC Restaurant Owners↓

Click here to learn more and make a contribution. The James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans to provide financial resources for food or beverage businesses that are majority-owned by Black or Indigenous individuals. These grants are part of our Open for Good campaign, launched in April to rebuild an independent restaurant industry that is stronger, more equitable, more sustainable, and more resilient when it re-opens post-COVID-19.

Guidelines for "Essential Workers"↓

Click here for a guide created by UIC and partners for 'essential' workers. This guide provides information about benefits available to those employed in Illinois to ensure the safety and health of Illinois workers and their families. This resource is in Spanish and English.

Click here for interim guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor for agricultural workers and employeers. This resource is available in Spanish and English.

Free Training COVID-19 for Returning Workers"↓

Click here to recieve more information about this health, safety, and awareness training for returning workers. Participants will learn what to expect when returning to work, understand risks of exposure in the work place, measures of prevention, and facts about COVID-19.

Click here for a list of demands written by Food Chain Workers Alliance. This resource can be used to inform everyone on how to best support workers in our food system.

Childcare for “Essential Workers”↓

Click here for the application. During the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, the children of prioritized essential workers are eligible to receive child care through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

Emergency Funding↓

Click here to apply. Modest Needs offers grants designed to promote the self-sufficiency of individuals and families who, because they are working and live just above the poverty level, are ineligible for most types of conventional social assistance but who, all the same, are living one or two lost paychecks away from the kind of financial catastrophe that eventually leads to homelessness.

Click here to apply. The Emergency Relief Program provides emergency funding to those employed by or own restaurants or bars or are employed by a restaurant or bar supplier that are faced unforeseen expenses that cannot or will not be covered by insurance.

FLAP (Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project) has one-time $500 cash assistance for those financially affected by COVID-19. To apply you must be employed in the following industries: Landscaping, snow plowing, packinghouse, cannery, farms, nursery, greenhouse, meat and poultry, affected by COVID-19, and not eligible for stimulus checks or unemployement benefits. To apply, send you phone number, valid ID with current address and paystub explaining what you do at work to info@flapillinois.org.

Resources for Workers Affected by COVID-19 ↓

Click here for a resource guide compiled by RWCF with information and links that will help restaurants and workers deal most effectively with the COVID-19 Emergency.

Meals for Restaurant Workers Affected by COVID↓

This resource is available to any restaurant worker who has been laid off or has had a significant reduction in hours and/or pay. They are offering help for those in need of food and supplies through a carry out service.

Crisis Relief Funding↓

Click here to apply. The Emergency Relief Program provides emergency funding to those employed by or own restaurants or bars or are employed by a restaurant or bar supplier that are faced unforeseen expenses that cannot or will not be covered by insurance.

Click here for a grant opportunity for restaurant workers diagnosed with COVID-19, organized by Children of Restaurant Workers (CORE). Documentation of diagnosis required to apply.

Donate to Chicago Restaurant Workers↓

Click here for a list of restaurant employee relief fundraisers, organized by name and neighborhood. There are also some options to purchase gift cards for a later date or t-shirts.

Brace Space Alliance Mutual Aid Volunteer Sign Up↓

Click here to sign up to volunteer with Brave Space Alliance. Brave Space Alliance will be operating a crisis food pantry for Black and Brown queer and trans folks in Chicago during the COVID-19 Pandemic. If you have a vehicle and are comfortable navigating throughout Chicago to make deliveries to folks in need during this time please use this form.

Donate to UNITE HERE Local 1↓

Click here to make a contribution. The COVID–19 pandemic is hitting hospitality workers especially hard. As business pauses in sports and event venues, airports, hotels, and convention centers, working families are facing layoffs and uncertainty. You can help by making a donation today.

Call to Action: Actions for Worker Safety↓

Click here for the calls to action. Nearly 25,000 food workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Workers nationwide are calling for an emergency OSHA standard that gives them workplace protections. This resource includes a petition, tweets to post, and templates to send messages to your representatives and senators.

Places to Pick Up Free Food↓

Click here for a map of all the CPS schools that are distributing food throughout the crisis. Food is first come first serve. If you cannot pick up food, use this form to request delivery (allow 4 days for processing time).

Click here for the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s interactive map that shows where you can pick up food. You can also filter results to show options to suit specific needs.

Click here for Feeding America’s interactive map that shows where you can pick up food by zip code.

Click here for places to pick up food on the North Side of Chicago, food resources literature, the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s search tool and the IL Hunger Hotline. This guide is in Spanish and English.

Get Free Food Delivered↓

Click here request food delivery. Due to many south side grocery stores being closed, OnTheGroundChi is looking to pair families on the Northside who have access to these stores to pair up with families on the South and West sides and can deliver groceries to these areas. OnTheGround Chicago will be covering the full cost of these groceries using donated funds. Form temporarily closed, will reopen soon

Click here to request a senior vital response package from My Block My Hood My City

Click here to request a box a Market Box from Experimental Station and Star Farm Chicago.

Click here for a search tool to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you.

The Love Fridge↓

Click here to find a fridge. The food found in these fridges are free to anyone who needs food. They have a goal of making fridges accessible 24/7 and adding more in the future.

Applying for SNAP Benefits↓

Click here for information on how to apply for SNAP/Link benefits over the phone and online. This resource is available in Spanish and English.

Click here for information on how to apply for emergency SNAP/Link benefits, including how to file an appeal if your application is denied.

TopBox Food Delivery↓

Click here for information. TopBox is a community non-profit that offers affordable groceries in Chicago's underserved communities and food deserts. They are offering no-fee home deliveries so you can get the food you need to stay safe and healthy delivered right to your door.

Donate to Support Food Access↓

Click here to support I Grow Chicago. They are providing care packages for Englewood residents. In the City of Chicago, 70% of the COVID-19 deaths were Black residents, even though Black people make up only 29% of Chicago’s population. The crisis has only underscored the deeply-rooted and systemic inequities that have persisted for generations for the families we serve: 98% are Black, 100% are low income, and many don’t have access to basic needs.

Click here to support Urban Growers Collective. They have moved their fresh produce market online. For every bag you buy, one is donated to our partner sites on the South and West sides of Chicago. to purchase produce and/or donate to support their efforts.

Click here to support Experimental Station. They are working with Star Farm Chicago to provide boxes of locally sourced produce, eggs, and bread to their neighbors on the South Side.

Click here to support My Block My Hood My City. They will be ensuring seniors have access to hand sanitizer, health supplements, toiletries, and food. support their efforts.

Donate Food to Relief Efforts↓

Click here to donate unwanted food from your small business or restaurant to those who are in need in the Chicago area. Donations are tax deductible!

Benefits of Donating Food↓

Click here for a guide written by the Food Law and Policy Clinic that outlines why businesses should donate food, how to go about it, and will answer any questions about liability and tax deductions.

FACT’s 2021-22 Fund-a-Farmer Grants↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: FACT awards competitive grants of up to $3,000 to working, independent farmers located in the U.S. who raise beef cattle, bison, broiler chickens, dairy cows, ducks, geese, goats, laying hens, pigs, sheep and/or turkeys Amount: $3,000 Deadline: January 20th, 2022

National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grants↓

Click here for more information. The purpose of the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program is to increase the knowledge of agricultural science and improve the nutritional health of children. The program’s goal is to increase the capacity for food, garden, and nutrition education within host organizations or entities, such as school cafeterias and classrooms, while fostering higher levels of community engagement between farms and school systems by bringing together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system. The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only increase access to school meals for low-income children, but also to dramatically improve their quality. Amount: $4,000 Deadline: There are multiple rounds of funding

Walmart Foundation Community Grant Program ↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: “Our local community grants are awarded through an open application process and provide funding directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities to local organizations in the U.S. Don’t know how to determine your local facility? Don’t worry, the application will assist you.” Amount: Up to $225,000 Deadline: January 31st, 2022

Illinois Farmers Resilience Fund ↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: “Projects must be designed to improve the capacity and diversity of the local food supply. Visit website (linked above) for more details on criteria and eligibility. Amount: Up to $10,000 Deadline: February 15th, 2022

Healthy Food Financing Initiative Technical Assistance↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: As part of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), the Reinvestment Fund provides technical assistance for early stage healthy food access projects in underserved areas with a focus on management, financial health, and operations. Amount: Unclear, but includes technical assistance. Deadline: ongoing

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program ↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: BFRDP is a competitive grants program that provides funding for educational, training, and technical assistance programs to assist beginning farmers and ranchers across the United States and U.S. territories. For over a decade, this program has helped aspiring producers to launch careers in agriculture, and beginning producers to maintain and grow successful farm and ranch businesses. Amount: Grant amounts range from $50,000 - $600,000. Deadline: 3/24/2022 (for FY22 projects).

Southern Smoke Emergency Relief Program↓

Click here to apply. The Emergency Relief Program provides emergency funding to those employed by or own restaurants or bars or are employed by a restaurant or bar supplier that are faced unforeseen expenses that cannot or will not be covered by insurance. Deadline: Ongoing

List of Resources Compiled by ROC↓

Through this resource you can find a long list of national and city/state resources available to restaurant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Food and Farm Communications Fund Core Grants program↓

Click here for more information. The Core Grants program is the central offering of the Food and Farm Communications Fund, awarding strategic communications and narrative change support to grassroots organizations and networks working to advance systemic and cultural change across our food and farm systems. Core Grants range from $20,000-$30,000 and typically span a 12-month period.

RePlant Capital's Soil Fund↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: The Soil Fund will focus on building soil health, financial resiliency for farmers, lasting food security, yielding a healthier planet for future generations. This is not a grant, but an allocation of 80% loans and 20% equity investments. Deadline: Unclear from website

Amber Grant↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: WomensNet founded the Amber Grant Foundation in 1998. The Foundation was set up with one goal in mind: to honor the memory of a very special young woman, Amber Wigdahl, who died at just 19 years old — before realizing her business dreams. Deadline: Grants are distributed monthly

SoGal Black Founder Startup Grant↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: SoGal Foundation has teamed up with Winky Lux, bluemercury, twelveNYC, Lively, and other sponsors to make a small step towards progress by providing several $10K and $5K cash grants to Black women or nonbinary entrepreneurs. Awardees will also receive tactical help navigating the fundraising environment at large so that they will have a more equitable opportunity at scaling the next billion dollar idea. Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with grants awarded at the end of each month.

EDA Good Jobs Challenge↓

Click here for more information. Purpose: Aims to get Americans back to work by building and strengthening systems and partnerships that bring together employers who have hiring needs with other key entities to train workers with in-demand skills that lead to good-paying jobs. Amount: $25,000,000 to $1,000,000 Deadline: January 26th, 2022

FairLife Grant Program↓

Click here for more information. The fairlife Grant Program was created in 2017 to nourish the hard work of grassroots organizations who are working passionately to improve food systems in their neighborhoods and cities. The $2500 grants provide support for their missions and leadership in food issues. From urban farms and community gardens to student breakfast programs and apps that help with food access, fairlife is proud to do our part to promote these incredible groups. Deadline: Ongoing

Neighborhood Opportunity Fund↓

Click here for more information. The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund finances commercial and cultural projects in neighborhoods that lack private investment, using revenue generated from downtown development. Click the link above to see if your project is eligible to apply for a Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant. Deadline: Small grant deadline has passed, large grant deadline will be announced in 2021

Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health↓

Click here for more information. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing, and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs, and reliable transportation—affects how long and how well we live. Deadline: Ongoing

National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program↓

Click here for more information. The Afterschool Snack Program is a federally assisted snack program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the snack program receive cash subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each snack they serve. In return, they must serve snacks that meet federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price snacks to eligible children. Amount: USDA provides a cash reimbursement for each snack served to schools in the Afterschool Snack Program. The current basic cash reimbursement rates for the contiguous states are: Free afterschool snacks: $0.96 Reduced-price snacks: $0.48 Paid snacks: $0.08. Deadline: Ongoing

Restaurants Workers Aid Food Bank Operations↓

Click here to learn about a project that is helping 20 local pantries and school districts provide food during the pandemic while giving those laid off from the service industry a unique opportunity for income. This is a great example of how keeping service industry people on staff can aid collective emergency food assistance efforts.

Farmers Markets as Drive Thrus↓

Click here for an example of how farmers markets are adapting to the pandemic. Shifting from a community gathering to a streamlined way to offer direct farm to consumer sales options.

To Combat Widespread Job Loss, Stay Local↓

Click here for more information on how businesses are adapting to keep people employed. At a time when businesses pivot from making booze to hand sanitizer, and from sewing t-shirts to facemasks, this piece looks at the cities that have already successfully re-localized industry.

The Miller Sending Flour to People's Homes↓

Click here to learn about the importance of local food economies. While grocery store shelves are empty, our local farmers and producers are stepping up to meet local demands.

That Fridge on the Sidewalk? It’s Full of Free Food↓

Click here to learn more. At community refrigerators, anyone is welcome to take whatever they want and leave behind food they don’t need, like extra produce. Many volunteers who clean and stock the refrigerators daily ask local restaurants and stores to donate unused or unsold food items instead of throwing them away. The goals are simple: Reduce food waste and feed the community.

Farm to School↓

Click here for more information on communities with strong local foods infrastructure and relationships already in place are able to respond and adapt to this crisis. NFSN Partners and farm to school advocates are speaking up about how they’re supporting farm to school and farm to early care and education (ECE) efforts by working to feed and educate children and youth while supporting local farmers and supply chains.

UGC’s No Contact Pick Up↓

Click here for thorough and comprehensive safety guidelines and practice, Urban Growers Collective has kept their growers on staff and is offering no contact pick up and also donating food to their community members.

How Hospitals Can Address Food Insecurity During COVID↓

Click here to learn more about how Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm are working with Copia to coordinate the donation of food from hospitals to communities facing increased food insecurity from COVID-19.

APHA: How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19↓

Click here for general guidelines on preventing Coronavirus for yourself, your family, and your community. Resources in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese.

Here Are 7 Ways New Yorkers Are Addressing Hunger↓

Click here to read stories of how NYC is addressing hunger. The number of food-insecure New York City residents has doubled to about two million since the onset of the pandemic. But just as quickly as the need escalated, so, too, did new solutions.