The Illinois Department of Agriculture says the state could bring in more than 2.4 billion dollars in added revenue every year if residents bought more products made here.
Jennifer Tirey is with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. She says the “Buy Illinois Challenge” pushes residents to be loyal when making choices.
“We’re trying to encourage every Household in Illinois to dedicate $10 of their grocery budget towards Buy Illinois. And when I say dedicate, I don’t mean spend new money, I mean make a shift.”
Tirey says there are plenty of options from local wine and honey to craft beer and produce. She says if every Illinois household participated weekly, more than 47 million dollars a month would be reinvested back into the state’s economy.
The Department of Agriculture is also working with more than 300 grocery stores across the state to label products that are made in Illinois.