The movement to localize our food system has been going on at various rates for decades. There are a number of reasons for doing so: supply chain disruptions, climate change, local economic development, resiliency in the face of disasters, and higher quality and better tasting food. With 2024 being another record setting hot year, and seeing wave after wave of weather-related disasters, the time has come to take this localization seriously or face losing access to a variety of foods as global supply chains become less dependable.
As part of our local food system here on the Northside of Madison, FEED Kitchens plays a vital role in ensuring that food that is grown near, or in (thank you Troy Farm!), our city is processed and preserved in a variety of forms for us to be able to consume at a time when fresh local produce is not available. FEED lies at a critical midpoint in our food system between farmers and consumers. In the summer, consumers can buy directly from the farmer and enjoy wonderful fresh foods, but in the winter, these same foods are only available if someone has made it their business to take the time to process raw agricultural products and make them into a packaged good available to us at a later date. FEED Kitchens is the place where someone can make it their business and be supported in doing so.
If you understand this role of FEED Kitchens, then, hopefully, it is not a leap to understand why it needs your support now more than ever. FEED Kitchens just turned 11 years old, and much of the equipment is original from when we opened in 2013. It has been used heavily during that time. At 11 years, FEED is facing the end of useful life for much of our production equipment, and we are now having to prioritize fixing and replacing items. The reality is once something stops working we have no choice but to replace it as someone’s business and livelihood may depend on that item working and being available to them.
While food carts bring a fantastic variety of cuisine to our city, FEED Kitchens is much more than the “food cart place.” Everyday folks from a wide variety of backgrounds are producing high quality and tasty foods, from meals to packaged goods that are available to you on the streets, at farmers markets, and on grocery shelves. If you appreciate this access and would like to see more of it, please consider FEED Kitchens in your year-end giving.
