Surrounded by a buzz of activity at the CME in Chicago, FARM (Food and Agriculture Road Map) Illinois gathered this week and voted to officially form an association and launch their strategic plan.

“Today is the meeting to organize to move forward,” said Robert Easter, president emeritus, University of Illinois and chair, FARM Illinois Council. “The group voted to form an association and to work jointly in this effort outlined in the broader strategic plan.”

OFFICIAL: FARM Illinois was officially organized this week, with the goal of building connections and coalitions between Chicago and downstate food and agriculture interests.

FARM Illinois includes 50 leaders from organizations and companies such as the University of Illinois, Eli’s Cheesecake Company, the Illinois Farm Bureau, CME Group, Archer Daniels Midland Company, World Business Chicago, and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Their goal is to connect and strengthen the bonds between Chicago and statewide food and agriculture interests, including producers and consumers, businesses and entrepreneurs, and educators and the work force.

Easter said FARM Illinois is focusing on next steps and developing a financial base. “The organization views itself as a convener, a champion, bringing people together to have conversations and to stimulate discussions,” Easter said. “The discussion this afternoon will involve several possible projects that will be undertaken to move forward.”

The group hopes their coordinated effort will create jobs, spark solutions, improve transportation and alleviate hunger, and take advantage of the state’s central location, diverse specialty farms, manufacturing, bioscience, technology, water, transportation and educated job pool.

FORWARD: “We’re at a time of change,” said Robert Easter, president emeritus, University of Illinois and chair, FARM Illinois Council.

Opportunities for financing infrastructure and new cropping systems are two of the potential projects on the immediate agenda. Easter noted as some areas of the world struggle with diminishing resources, such as rainfall and irrigation, there may be potential for new crops in Illinois. Easter explained their work is not just discussing a new crop, but how to “bring people together and create momentum.”

“For example, if we were going to talk about a new crop for Illinois, or a new process, or a new area of activity, how do you build not just investor interest, but public and community support to move in that direction?” Easter said the role of FARM Illinois will be to create those discussions.

With the official organization into an association, Easter said the structure is in place to move forward on these types of projects.

“The key element today was to agree to formation,” Easter said. “We’ve been operating as a loose group of people working together. We’ve formalized that relationship today and put in place the structure of the organization; the committees that run the council itself, how it will be formed, how decisions will be made. That’s the key element to the process that’s been accomplished today.”