Sustainable food systems balance economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and public health while moving agricultural products from farmer to consumer.  As agricultural and consumer trends and desires change, food systems must adapt as well. Adapting this system in Lake County can help to foster support and capacity for small-scale, local, and/or organic agriculture that boosts the county's overall production and drives economic development in the agricultural sector.

A group of agricultural stakeholders in Lake County is currently working together to understand the potential for a more sustainable food system. With the help of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and its Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, nonprofit, private, and public partners from Lake County are conducting research to identify the barriers to a sustainable food system, which will inform a strategy for overcoming these challenges.

An important part of this research is a survey of stakeholders who are involved with agriculture in Lake County, such as the members of the Lake County Farm Bureau.  Learning the perspective of current or former farmers - whether you consider your operation to be conventional, traditional, or sustainable - is critical to understanding of the conditions needed to foster a more sustainable food system.

Your input is valuable to this effort. Please take 10 minutes to complete this online survey, which is intended to gather information about your agricultural experience or knowledge and help guide the next steps of our research. Your responses can be anonymous, or you may provide your name and contact information, it's up to you. Thank you for taking the time to participate in our survey.  

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LakeCoSustainableFoodSystems

If you do not have access or prefer not to use a computer to submit your input, please call Jessica Simoncelli at CMAP at (312) 386-8631 to receive a paper copy of the survey