tag: Eat Local

Urbana, IL chef and culinary pop-up proponent Mark Hartstein is fond of pickles, Hello Kitty, and extremely mainstream pop music. He and his wife Leslie also prepare a mean bowl of ramen when the occasion arises, which it did this past January at their "Saru Ramen" pop-up. Not only did they bring together and feed many patient locals on that frigid Tuesday night (with proceeds going to benefit the Eastern Illinois Foodbank), they even let Backyard Industry's Lisa Bralts "help".

Sometimes following your dream doesn't mean you get to quit your day job. In this segment of In My Backyard, Lisa Bralts learns how local farmer Cathe Capel juggles work, marriage, and small farming while advocating for a better, healthier food system.

Turns out that community and neighborhood food and projects of all kinds are being done everywhere in the US. In this segment of In My Backyard, Lisa Bralts talks to artist, documentarian, and writer Daniel Tucker about his experiences researching a book he coauthored called Farm Together Now.

Urbana-Champaign's vibrant local food culture isn't a recent phenomenon -  it's been brewing for over 30 years. This week, Lisa examines the  community's - and her own - ties to an important part of that food culture: the Urbana Park District's organic garden plots at Meadowbrook Park and now, Victory Park.

This week Lisa finds there's more in some urban backyards than fruits or vegetables -- and we're not talking rabbits....