Wecome to the Eat Local Southern Illinois campaign!!!

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery began our local food awareness campaign this August, and it  will culminate at our Local Harvest Picnic/Fine Craft Auction on Saturday, Sept. 25. The picnic will celebrate our local producers and 25 years of promoting natural, organic, healthy and local food in Southern Illinois.

The campaign will roll out with a variety of ways to help those interested in local food learn more about the growers in the region and the wonderful food they produce. For those who sign up, we will send out weekly e-newsletter filled with news and information about local food issues, profiles of our many local growers and producers, great seasonal recipes and more.

Another key component of the campaign will be Chef Bill Connors, whom you will discover is a local foods champion in Southern Illinois. Chef Bill will share some of his favorite seasonal recipes as well as host a cooking class along with some Friday cooking demos at the store.

Mary Black will return once more for a seasonally-centered cooking class. Mary is a connoisseur of Mediterranean cuisine, which is all about fresh and healthy food that can be simply and deliciously prepared. 

On top of supporting and promoting our local growers, the Co-op will also offer an opportunity for people to help youngsters who are learning how to grow good food. For many years now, Jackson County 4-H has worked in a community garden where the produce they grow is donated to the Murphysboro Food Pantry. To this end, the Co-op will sell our Eat Local stickers for $2 each - one dollar of which will be donated to the Jackson County 4-H Community Garden. Also, for the third year in a row, the Co-op and Jackson County 4-H will host a Sundae Social on Saturday, August 21 during Customer Appreciation Day. Proceeds from the stickers, sundaes, floats and splits will help purchase much-needed seeds and gardening equipment for the program.

Please sign up at the store or simply click here. 

Thanks so much for your interest in local foods!!!! Feel free to email us with any questions, concerns, comments or suggestions at info(at)neighborhood(dot)coop.