Chicago Grows Local
People across the nation are steadily becoming more interested in finding ways to buy local and organic produce. This week Chicago’s first permanent, year-round urban farm could make supporting local farmers a little easier.
Who: Growing Home, Alderman Toni Foulkes and Teamwork Englewood
What: Groundbreaking for Chicago’s First Permanent, Year-Round Urban Farm
When: Wednesday, November 14, 9:00 am
Where: Wood Street Urban Farm, 5814 S. Wood St., Chicago
Growing Home is a six-year old certified organic agricultural business with a social mission of providing transitional employment for homeless and low-income adults. Program participants are difficult-to-employ people, most of whom have criminal backgrounds.
The Wood Street Urban Farm is the third site for Growing Home, which also operates a 10-acre farm 75 miles southwest of Chicago at Marseilles, Illinois and a half-acre urban farm on the south side.
The new farm is a part of the larger Quality of Life Plan for the Englewood community, which calls for developing an Urban Agriculture District in Englewood that will lead to healthy and sustainable living among neighborhood residents.
According to the Growing Home website, the U.S. organic sector is expected to grow from $13 billion in 2003 to over $25 billion in 2007. However, less than 3 percent of organic produce available in Chicago is grown locally.
November 13 2007 10:25 pm | Green Trends and Green Lifestyle and Green Food and Green Farming and Green Events
