SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gardeners and chefs say there is nothing like the taste of a juicy red tomato fresh from the vine. But there are neighborhoods in Illinois where there are no grocery stores within walking distance that sell fresh produce, and where many people have no space to garden.

Ruth Fairchild lives in that kind of neighborhood in Rockford, near a housing project like the one where she grew up in Chicago. Three years ago she started growing a garden at Buddy House, a resource center for families in the Blackhawk Courts public housing complex, and the garden has grown a lot more than vegetables. Local teens have been getting paid to work in the garden, and Fairchild says they eat healthy at the same time.

"They're pulling onions out and carrots out of the ground and snacking on those because they want to taste whatever it is they're going to be selling."

They sell their produce at farmers' markets around the state and share the proceeds, and in the process, Fairchild says, sometimes they end long-standing rivalries between opposing gang members.

She says she's delighted to watch people discover a new way to interact.

"Old rival gang members and all that are talking to each other in this garden. Sometime they say, 'Pass me a tomato,' and then the person will throw it to him, but it's in fun, not like in anger."

This 170-foot-by-50-foot garden is a dream come true for Fairchild.

"When I lived in Chicago, I said, 'When I grow up, I'm going to help the people in housing. You know, there's got to be a way to make their lives better and to give them hope and this is what this garden does.'"

Fairchild works with a community farm organization called Angelic Organics Learning Center, which trains the youth three days a week on good gardening and cooking methods. On September 22, they'll be taking their produce to sell at the Black Farmer's Market in Chicago, where they sold out last year.

Lindsay Record, executive director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, says on that same day restaurants around the state will be featuring locally-grown food on their dinner menus. It was an idea that started last year in Springfield and took off, she says, just like the local food movement.

"Schools are looking at it, state agencies, this isn't just fringe environmentalists and vegetarians. You know, who can argue against fresh fruits and vegetables for everyone?"

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports a more than 200 percent increase in the number of farmers' markets around the nation since 2000. Hundreds of urban gardens are growing all over the Chicago and downstate areas.

Buddy House Garden information is at tiny.cc/if3ws



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More than three in five Utahns believe the state is on the wrong track and their quality of life is worse today than it was five years ago.

A new report by the Utah Foundation paints a bleak picture about how Utah residents feel about their home state. Data in the report found the cost of living and government dysfunction were the most important issues for Utah voters in 2024.

Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, an economist for Zions Bank, said there is growing political and economic disenfranchisement among Utahns.

"People just don't feel like they have the opportunities that they've had in the past," Spendlove explained. "The rate of inflation has come down in the last year, but the overall price increase remains. So overall prices are up about 20% in the last five years and so people are really struggling to adjust."

Spendlove observed Utahns are struggling to adjust to having to pay approximately 20% more on things such as housing, food, gas and even car insurance. He suspects prices are unlikely to come down and contended Utahns' income needs to go up but added it will take time.

The report's authors said the data is useful for state leaders to understand the needs of Utahns and get the state on the right track and improve quality of life.

Ahead of this year's election in November, the report found other issues relating to political dysfunction included voters feeling ignored by politicians, government overreach and partisan politics were at the top of the list.

Spendlove noted it is why he supports Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's call to "Disagree Better." He pointed out while the initiative aims to improve attitudes and behaviors across the political spectrum by incentivizing consensus building, he is unsure whether policy solutions at the state level are being discussed.

"One of the questions is, 'Do we revisit how people get to the ballot?' 'Do we lower the threshold on signature gathering?' 'Do we have different models of primaries?'" Spendlove outlined. "It is kind of early in that discussion, but I think it is a really important discussion that we need to be having."

The report found voters who participated in the survey expressed frustration in not feeling heard and contend elected officials pay too little attention to voters in favor of corporations, religious organizations or special-interest groups.


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Consumer groups are accusing major grocery retailers - like Amazon, Kroger and Walmart - of price gouging, both during and after the pandemic.

The allegation of corporate greed comes after a new report from the Federal Trade Commission found profits for grocery chains jumped sharply, at rates that could not be justified by supply chain disruptions.

Angela Huffman is president of the nonprofit Farm Action.

"It's one thing to raise your prices to cover higher expenses, but what these companies did is use the pandemic as an excuse to exploit the American people who needed to put food on their tables," said Huffman. "And the FTC report shows that they're still doing it, here in 2024."

The report found that retailer profits rose to 6% over total costs in 2021, and 7% in the first three quarters of 2023 - compared to 5.6% in 2015.

According to a report from Help Advisor, California households pay the highest grocery costs in the country, averaging almost $300 a week - about $27 more than the national average.

The Food Industry Association blames today's high prices on high labor costs and credit card payment fees.

Huffman said she thinks the feds should take anti-trust action to increase competition - and consider forcing the grocery behemoths to break up.

"That would be the ideal outcome is to take away their excessive power," said Huffman. "But other than that, these companies can be fined for this kind of price gouging. And that's another action we would support. There needs to be some kind of consequences."

The FTC staff report recommends "further inquiry by the commission and policymakers," but doesn't propose specific remedies.




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Air travelers could face fewer obstacles in securing a refund if their flight is canceled or changed under new federal rules announced Wednesday.

The moves are being praised by watchdog groups. The Department of Transportation said airlines are now required to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when they are owed one.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said some carriers have not adhered to standards, leaving passengers in a bind.

"They would drag their feet, and they would say, 'Well, you bought your ticket from a ticket agent, so we don't know where your money is. Or, here, have a voucher,'" Murray explained.

Amid higher complaint volumes, companies will be forced to act quickly. The new rules, which are being phased in, provide clearer definitions for travel disruptions, including delays of at least three hours on a domestic flight and six hours on international flights. A key industry group responded to the announcement by touting transparency efforts among carriers.

Murray acknowledged most people are not frequent flyers, and it is hard for them to keep up on all the least practices and policies among airlines.

"The average person only flies once every 18 months," Murray pointed out. "This will just bring transparency to that process and it kind of evens the playing field."

Murray added it could come in handy for Midwestern customers when a winter storm wreaks havoc on air travel. The new rules also require refunds for baggage fees when a piece of luggage is delayed by 12 hours or more for domestic flights. And there must be upfront disclosure on fees for first and second checked bags and carry-on bags.


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