FarmFED Co-op was born from a 2019 EPA Local Food, Local Places Grant awarded to Mt. Pulaski, Illinois — one of only 15 communities nationwide selected for the program. The resulting planning process identified three goals: establishing a community garden, opening a cooperative grocery store (both launched in 2020), and developing a food hub.

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Through that process, a critical need emerged: local farmers were too small to access corporate processing services. After years of planning, research, and experimentation, FarmFED found its focus — a fee-for-processing model that helps small growers preserve their harvest and extend their selling season.

 

By 2024, significant milestones had been reached. FarmFED received a $148,000 Local Food Infrastructure Program grant, purchased and renovated a facility on Mt. Pulaski’s town square — now owned debt-free — and installed a licensed commercial kitchen. With continued support from the Mt. Pulaski Economic Development and Planning Board and long-time corporate partner Enel Group, the pieces were in place.

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In 2026, FarmFED began turning those years of groundwork into action. Our goal is straightforward: build a sustainable local food supply chain that preserves the harvest at peak freshness and makes locally grown food available year-round — connecting Central Illinois farmers and consumers for their mutual benefit.