ELIZABETH, Ill. — Jo Daviess Local Foods, an online farmers market serving the Jo Daviess County area, has received a $10,000 grant and plans to open an incubator kitchen.

The farmers market recently announced that it received one of 18 grants from Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s 2022 Resilience Fund.

The fund “helps local food producers invest in critical on-farm infrastructure for increasing capacity and resilience in the Illinois local food system,” according to the alliance’s website.

Jo Daviess Local Foods officials intend to use their grant to purchase cold storage equipment for an incubator kitchen they plan to open in Elizabeth, Ill.

The kitchen is located in the Jo Daviess Carroll Career Technical Education Academy and will be available for food entrepreneurs and small businesses to rent, according to an online announcement.

The group also plans to host cooking classes in the kitchen this summer.

Jo Daviess Local Foods officials hope to open the incubator kitchen by mid-May.

More information is available by contacting Erin Keyser at erin@jdlf.org.