Growing Visibility, Trust, and Connection
Our outreach and education program is about building collective power by expanding who knows about our work, who gets involved, where we show up, and how people take action together. Through outreach, education, partnerships, and storytelling, we bring more farmers, eaters, and allies into the movement for a just and sustainable food system. We grow our base by showing up—at farmers markets, conferences, film screenings, and community events—and inviting people to learn more, get involved, and join. Through coalition work and partnerships, we build strong relationships with allies who share our values and are ready to act together.
We keep people informed through legislative updates, webinars like Cooking at the Capitol and Dishing on the Farm Bill, hosting the annual Illinois Soil Health Week, blog posts, and social media. We lift up new policy wins, member stories, and the impact of our collective work. With op-eds to earned media, we connect the dots between everyday people and the policies that shape our food and farm system.
This program also powers the fundraising and communication strategies that sustain our movement from appeals and events to messaging about why our work matters and how supporters can make a difference. At its core, this program is about growing visibility, trust, and connection—so that more people can see themselves in the work and join us in building lasting change.
The Alliance builds collective power in three key ways:
1. Outreach to Grow Our Base
We grow our movement by connecting directly with farmers and eaters—our core constituency. Through events like Soil Health Week, farmers market outreach, community presentations, and tabling at conferences, we meet people where they are, share our mission, and invite them into the work. These efforts build awareness, trust, and a stronger base ready to take action.
2. Coalition Participation & Allyship
Change is stronger when it’s shared. By participating in coalitions and building relationships with aligned organizations, we amplify our impact, find common ground, and move together toward policy and cultural change. These partnerships help us show up for broader justice movements and bring food and farm issues to the table.
3. New Annual Farm & Food Leadership Conference
To grow the next generation of food and farm leaders, we launched a statewide annual conference focused on education, organizing, and relationship-building. The event brings together farmers, advocates, and system leaders to develop skills, share strategies, and build a stronger, more connected movement for the long haul.
Learn more about some of the coalitions and partnerships the Alliance participates in:
