‘Good Food For All’ Initiative Proposes Local Agricultural Asset Mapping for Will County

Will County Board Public Health & Safety Committee Meeting | January 7, 2026

Article Summary: Bob Heuer of HNA Networks presented a “Good Food For All” initiative to the Public Health and Safety Committee on January 7, 2026, proposing a project to map food production assets in Will County. The initiative aims to strengthen regional food security by connecting local producers with local markets.

Local Food System Key Points:

• Asset Mapping: The project proposes creating a map of the tri-county area to identify who is producing, processing, and distributing food locally.

• Local Focus: Discussions highlighted local agricultural assets, including farms in Monee and farmers markets in Frankfort.

• Policy Goals: The initiative seeks to lessen reliance on federal funding and global supply chains by empowering communities to feed themselves during emergencies.

• Supply Chain Gaps: The presentation addressed the disconnect between commercial farming and community-centered agriculture.

JOLIET, Ill. — A new initiative aims to secure the local food supply chain by connecting Will County’s agricultural producers directly with local consumers. On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Bob Heuer of HNA Networks presented the “Bringing Good Food For All to Will County and Beyond” project to the Will County Board Public Health and Safety Committee.

The project, which builds on a policy adopted by the National Association of Counties (NACo), seeks to create an “asset map” of a tri-county area centered on Will County. This map would identify local food production, processing, distribution, and marketing resources to better understand funding needs and strategic opportunities over the next decade.

“Empty grocery shelves during the pandemic underlined the need for well-resourced, regional-scale food supply networks,” Heuer told the committee.

The discussion turned to specific local assets within Will County. Chair Daniel Butler noted the presence of local farms that grow food rather than just row crops, specifically mentioning the Gorman farm in Monee and producers who sell at the Frankfort Farmers Market.

“We have the richest soil in the world, [but] we don’t grow food,” Butler said, highlighting the prevalence of commodity crops like soy and corn over edible produce. “If we could get federal grants to help these farmers to have money to grow this for [local pantries], I think that would be great.”

Heuer explained that the project also involves a communications component to highlight innovators at the grassroots level, such as the Riverwalk Food Pantry, which is developing a community kitchen. He noted that even within the county, different groups are often unaware of each other’s efforts.

“There needs to be a much better dialogue,” Heuer said. “How can municipalities be more engaged in allowing people to be growing more food?”

The committee took no formal action but encouraged further collaboration between the initiative and the Will County Center for Economic Development.