Upcoming Events
FarmHop
FarmHop is an immersive, one-day event that invites participants to experience the power of local food systems in action across Northwest Indiana. Designed to spotlight the intersection of farming, community health, and institutional partnerships, FarmHop offers two curated tour tracks that bring local food stories to life.
Friday, June 26, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Hosted by the NWI Food Council
🌿 Tour Option 1: Local Food is Medicine: Friday, June 26, 2026, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. CDT - Tickets on sale now!
This tour highlights a growing “food is medicine” movement through the lens of maternal and child health.
Tour two women-led farms that are part of a 14-member FarmHer cooperative, providing fresh produce, meat, and eggs to WIC-eligible new mothers
(Hulitt Homestead and Hickory Hills Flower Farm)The tour includes a visit with Nurse-Family Partnership, whose nurses support new moms with tailored support
Enjoy a thoughtfully prepared, locally sourced lunch at the Food Bank of NWI in Merrillville, IN. (limited lunch-only tickets available)
🍽 What’s Included
A thoughtfully prepared, locally sourced lunch
Guided tours and behind-the-scenes access
Opportunities to connect with farmers, healthcare professionals, educators, and community leaders
A compelling look at how local food is advancing community health, education, and regional resilience
📌 Important Details
Lunch will be served at 12:30 PM
Lunch-only guests should plan to arrive by 12:30 PM (location details provided in advance)
Tours begin and end at Grounded Earth Farm in Crown Point. Please plan to arrive at Grounded Earth Farm, located at 11105 Fathke Road in Crown Point, Indiana, between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. From there, you’ll board a bus that will take you to the participating farms and our lunch location. We’ll return to Grounded Earth Farm by 3:30 p.m. to conclude the day.
🎟 Ticket Policy
Tickets are non-refundable but may be transferred to another attendee. If unused, tickets will be considered a donation supporting the ongoing work of the Northwest Indiana Food Council.
⭐ Become a Sponsor or Donor
Can’t make it to FarmHop? You can still make a difference. By becoming an event sponsor or making a donation, you’ll help expand farm-to-school initiatives and food-as-medicine programming that connect local farms to our community. Check out our 2026 sponsorship opportunities or contact Cheryl Dornberg, Board President and Sponsorship Manager at cheryl@mrsdornbergs.com to discuss your options.
https://nwifoodcouncil.networkforgood.com/events/101322-2026-farm-hop
RR Farmer & Food Producer Quarterly Meeting
RR Farmers & Food Producers,
please register below for the meeting links!
We encourage you to attend as many as possible to stay up to date on hub happenings.
🚜 Wednesday, May 22, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
🚜 Wednesday, August 28, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
RR Farmer & Food Producer Quarterly Meeting
RR Farmers & Food Producers,
please register below for the meeting links!
We encourage you to attend as many as possible to stay up to date on hub happenings.
🚜 Wednesday, May 22, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
🚜 Wednesday, August 28, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
RR New Producer Meet & Greet
Are you interested in learning more about Region Roots Local Farm and Food Hub? Are you a farmer or food producer wanting to access and streamline your wholesale sales? Join us for a casual virtual meeting to hear more about Region Roots, our programs and opportunities. We’d love to meet you and for your to meet our team!
Register for either dates!
RR Farmer & Food Producer Quarterly Meeting
RR Farmers & Food Producers,
please register below for the meeting links!
We encourage you to attend as many as possible to stay up to date on hub happenings.
🚜 Wednesday, May 22, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
🚜 Wednesday, August 28, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
RR New Producer Meet & Greet
Are you interested in learning more about Region Roots Local Farm and Food Hub? Are you a farmer or food producer wanting to access and streamline your wholesale sales? Join us for a casual virtual meeting to hear more about Region Roots, our programs and opportunities. We’d love to meet you and for your to meet our team!
Register for either dates!
RR Farmer & Food Producer Quarterly Meeting
RR Farmers & Food Producers,
please register below for the meeting links!
This event is for existing RR member producers. We encourage you to attend as many as possible to stay up to date on hub happenings.
🚜 Wednesday, May 22, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
🚜 Wednesday, August 28, 2024 — 12pm-1pm
Region Roots Farm Fest
You're invited to County Line Orchard for an evening of everything local food! Gather with farmers, chefs, school food service directors, food entrepreneurs and wholesale buyers to network and celebrate all the talent and farm fresh goodness of our region. This in-person event is a perfect opportunity to connect with local farmers, learn about what each farm has to offer for the 2024 season, and indulge in delicious farm-fresh goodies with live demos and music.
Farmer Appreciation Day Mixer
Join us to raise a glass to each other on National Farmer Appreciation Day at Blockhead Beerworks in Valparaiso. This event is organized by farmers for farmers and is an opportunity to talk shop, commiserate and dream of future seasons.
The NWI Food Council and Region Roots would all like to show our appreciation for your hard work so come hang out, have a round on us and enjoy chef-prepared local food. Mocktails will also be available. And children are welcome.
Region Roots is NWI's first wholesale local farm and food hub and is a project of the NWI Food Council, a 501c3 non profit organization. The Council serves all of Northwest Indiana: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, & Pulaski counties, and cultivates a just, thriving and regenerative food system for all in NW Indiana.
This event is free for farmers to attend.
Farmer-to-Chef Storytelling Workshop & Mixer
Practice your storytelling skills in a fun, interactive workshop exclusively for farmers and chefs in Northwest Indiana! We will talk about what makes a good story for various audiences before sharing stories about our farms, our restaurants, and our connections to each other and to a larger food system. *Registration is $20 for chefs and wholesale buyers, but participants will received $30 credit to Region Roots upon attendance.
After the formal workshop, we’ll keep the conversation going with a networking reception.
Workshop Skill-Building Goals (2-4pm)
Practice shaping stories for various audiences and potential customers
Learn about what makes a story memorable
Learn about other members of Northwest Indiana’s food system
Mixer & Networking (4pm-6pm)
Mix and mingle with fellow farmers and chefs for a casual and open networking. We encourage farmers and chefs to connect, dream and plan for the 2023 season and beyond.
About Bold Bison
Bold Bison Communications and Consulting provides forward-thinking communications solutions, engaging strategy and facilitation services, and inspiring workshops and trainings for nonprofits, particularly in the conservation, climate, and local food movements, as well as the arts and cultural institutions. Current or recent food system-related clients include the Chicago Region Food System Fund, Community Food Navigator, Food:Land:Opportunity, Fresh Taste, and Gardeneers. BoldBison.com
Founder and Principal Brandon Hayes has earned a reputation for creative, hands-on, grounded communications and strategy solutions during more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector. Before founding Bold Bison in 2019, he was Director of Communications at Openlands, Manager of Communications at youth arts organization Marwen, and a publicist for Goodman Theatre.
Director of Creative Services Patrick Williams is a versatile communications professional. Prior to joining Bold Bison, he served as Marketing Manager at Chicago’s Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and Manager of Communications at Openlands. He has also worked with the Chicago Wilderness Alliance and the Sierra Club.