I received some great information from a Willy Wash member last night:
There is a proposed City-State partnership for food-related jobs and capital investment in the North Side corridor around and including the Oscar Mayer site is captured in this phrase: Craft with a C.
Craft with a C is shorthand for an
industrial cluster that includes production and offerings in niche food groups
and lines that include such categories as meat, cheese, bakery, pasta, beverages,
preserves, sauces and salsas. The
Chicago Merchandise Mart (organized around another sector) offers a replicable
business model with trade shows, wholesale and retail transactions, testing and
hands-on experiences. Craft with a C is
to national markets what the FEED Kitchen is to food carts with locally secured
products. It can begin as a food idea
factory and grow into a regional and national showroom, classroom and meeting
place of original food experiences from and for America – the Stylemax of craft
food.
This seems to make sense to me. Converting the Kraft facility, notorious for cranking out processed food with ingredients sourced form who knows where, into a locally, sustainable, artisan food facility. A place for where locally sourced ingredients are turned into locally produced "craft" food.
Real food.
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| The circle of life for the Oscar Mayer site: From left to right, the current process for making processed food; the proposed process for making good food; feeding the proposed Madison Public Market; and finally making people in the community happy and healthy. |
Imagine that facility producing high quality, delicious food, locally sourced and manufactured. Then delivered just down the street to the Madison Public Market (and other fine vendors throughout the area). Why not? Everything is lined up, ready for us to seize the opportunity! Kraft will be motivated to sell. Madison will be motivated to keep people employed. We are all motivated to eat better and support the local economy. Slam dunk, right?
What I have written here, along with this awesome graphic, is purely my own view. My Willy Wash contact pointed out to me -
"We need to be aware that there are many ideas out there about the future – Craft with a C is one of them. We have shared the concept with the North Side Planning Council because it fits with their food innovation corridor concept. As you explain Craft with a C in your post, please simply observe that the material is out there for public consideration and discussion as submitted by citizens of Willy Wash. It is not a state or city policy."
If there is any opposition to what I have written here, take it up with me and no one else! I am responsible for these views, and due to my love of great food and great booze (and other beverages), I may be zealous in my approach to discussing this topic.
The reality is there is inevitably going to be red tape. Our task is to cut through it, collectively, and make this happen. And it starts Wednesday night.
Alders Larry Palm (Dist. 12) and Rebecca Kemble (Dist. 18) are hosing a listening session for Northside residents and others interested in voicing their thoughts and opinions on the future of the Oscar Meyer site. The listening session is scheduled 2/24, 6:30 pm at the Warner Park Recreation Center.
"This is a unique opportunity for neighborhood residents to offer their hopes and dreams for the Oscar Meyer site," says Palm. "We will use community feedback to work with prospective buyers and work towards making what happens here a positive contribution to the Northside and all of Madison."
So there you have it. Don't miss your opportunity to learn and discuss. The closing of Oscar Meyer has been hard on a lot of families, but we have the opportunity to potentially make a greater opportunity for all stake holders!
