Each year on Food Day, the Center for Good Food Purchasing recognizes the exemplary leadership of Good Food Heroes—individuals or organizations with significant accomplishments in some aspect of their work in the Good Food Purchasing Program in the past year. Good Food Heroes have demonstrated a commitment to one or more of the program values of local economies, environmental sustainability, valued workforce, animal welfare, and nutrition, and/or the core tenets of racial equity, supply chain transparency and accountability, and public leadership in driving demand for Good Food.

This year, we are pleased to honor the following organizations: Boulder Valley School District—led by Chef Ann Cooper—as our Good Food Institutional Hero for its achievement of the first-ever five star rating in the Good Food Purchasing Program, Cook County Board of Commissioners—led by Commissioner Jesús “Chuy” Garcia—as our Good Food Policy Hero for centering racial equity in its Good Food Purchasing Program policy commitment, and Teamsters Local 63 and Joint Council 42—led by Randy Cammack—as our Good Food Local Hero for securing a union contract that has raised wages improved working conditions for 320 food chain workers in Los Angeles Unified School District’s supply chain.

Read on for more about the inspiring achievements in 2018 by each of our Good Food Heroes!