CHICAGO, Ill. — Sheila Simon is an uncommon state-level officeholder because she hails from outside Chicago – but she’s also an equal-opportunity gardener and would dig into soil from any part of the state. Earlier this month, she did just that.

Simon, Illinois’ lieutenant governor, doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty no matter the geographic location, especially if it’s in the name of promoting local foods. She put on her gardening gloves lately and helped culinary students from Kendall College plant their new urban garden.

Kendall has won high marks for its green approach to urban gardening, fighting for the right to use vacant land for produce and vegetable production. Simon gives Kendall high marks for incorporating locally grown food in its classrooms and college restaurant for the past five years.

“The seeds we plant today are a small part of a larger public health movement to end food deserts and grow a local food economy in Chicago and across the state,” said Simon, who also serves as chair of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council. “The connections Kendall College students make from farm to classroom to table are critical components of sustainable living.”

Simon noted residents in Illinois last year spent about $48 billion on food, yet just $2 billion of that was spent on food grown within the state.

Kendall began its garden in 2007 as an educational initiative to teach students about the importance of locally grown food, and uses its harvest in dishes served at its fine-dining restaurant, The Dining Room at Kendall College. The garden produces about 2,000-3,000 pounds of produce, including blackberries, rhubarb, kale and red beets, each year.

“At Kendall College, sustainability is an integral part of our curriculum and operations,” said college President Emily Williams Knight. “We are committed to teaching today’s students, who are tomorrow’s foodservice professionals, the importance of local and sustainable food, and are proud that this will continue to have a positive impact on our local community.”

Simon, as a local city council member in Carbondale, long has been an advocate of local foods promotion. She is supporting legislation to increase the number of farmers’ markets that accept food stamp benefits and favors creating regional food hubs that will help local producers store, process and market items in-state.

Kendall’s urban farm is managed by City Farm, the school’s urban agriculture program. The college has received national recognition for its sustainability initiatives, including being named an official educational partner of the National Restaurant Assoc. Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative; instituting a comprehensive composting and recycling program throughout all kitchens; and being named the first institution with an accredited culinary-arts program to operate Green Certified Restaurants.