Chicago Community Gardeners Association

CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2016-01-16 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60649, United States

Weekly Soup & Bread Fundraiser through March 30th at Hideout
2016-01-20 17:30 - 20:00 | The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, Chicago, IL, 60642, United States

AUA Movie & Mingle Night at Lagunitas
2016-02-02 17:30 - 20:30 | Lagunitas Chicago TapRoom, 2607 W. 17th St., Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
The Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) will be screening Can You Dig This, winner of the Los Angeles Film Festival. This film, from producer John Legend, “follows the inspirational journeys of four unlikely gardeners, discovering what happens when they put their hands in the soil. This is not a story of science and economics. This is a story of the human spirit, inspiring people everywhere to pick up their shovels and ‘plant some shit.'”
Tuesday, Feburary 2 at 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Lagunitas Chicago TapRoom
2607 W. 17th St., Chicago, IL 60608
$7 suggested donation at the door. All admission and bar sales will benefit AUA and El Paseo Garden.
Open to the public 21+. Please bring ID.

Hermosa: New Community Garden Meeting
2016-02-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Senior Suites of Kelvyn Park, 2715 N Cicero Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
New green space in Hermosa! 11,000 square feet of space (3.5 lots) has been dedicated for a new community garden in Hermosa at Kilpatrick and Parker. Join us to see multiple schemes for the site and learn how you can get involved and make this space work for your community.

CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2016-02-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
10am Saturday February 13th 2016 at NeighborSpace Offices – 445 N Sacramento Blvd.
This will be the final planning meeting before the 2016 Spring Conference so the agenda will be focused on final preparation and assignments. The meeting starts at 10am at the offices of NeighborSpace in the Green Technology Center. Parking is behind the building.

4th Annual Southside Seed Swap
2016-02-20 10:00 - 23:30 | U of I Extension Chicago office, 8753 S Greenwood #100, Chicago, IL, 60619, United States
Interested in growing something new? Have a whole lot of one type of seed? Want more variety in your garden this growing season?
Come to this year’s Southside Seed Swap hosted by the U of I extension office at 9415 S Western. Meet other gardeners and share in the seeds of bounty!
Free event – register online here

Mozart Community Garden Winter Fundraiser
2016-02-20 18:00 - 21:00 | Richmond’s Sports Bar, 2944 W Grand Ave, Chicago, United States
Sat Feb 20th at Richmond’s Sports Bar, 6-9 pm in the fireplace room.

Silent Auction (cash and check)
Cash Bar
50/50 Raffle (winner must be on site)
Soups and Breads

All proceeds from Raffle & Auction go to Mozart Community Garden.

Volunteering with Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse
2016-02-27 10:00 - 23:00 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
KILBOURN PARK ORGANIC GREEN HOUSE 2016 PLANT SALE WORK HOURS AND ORIENTATIONS

THE ANNUAL KILBOURN PARK ORGANIC GREEN HOUSE PLANT SALE WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, MAY 14TH, AND SUNDAY, MAY 15TH. MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR!!

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION DATES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 3-4 PM
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 10-11 AM
ADDITIONAL DATES MAY BE ADDED LATER

IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE, WE SUGGEST YOU ATTEND ONE OF THESE SESSIONS!!

IF THESE DATES DO NOT WORK FOR YOU, CONTACT THE KPOGH VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR, AND WE WILL TRY TO WORK SOMETHING OUT.

THE ORIENTATIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE KILBOURN PARK ORGANIC GREEN HOUSE.

WORK DAY SCHEDULES

A REGULAR WORK DAY SCHEDULE WILL START AT THE GREENHOUSE THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 22ND. IT FOLLOWS:
TUESDAY 10 AM – 3PM
THURSDAY 10 AM – 3PM
SATURDAY 9 AM – 2 PM

THCUS ON COLE CROUPS. THIS WILL INCLUDE LEEKS, CHIVES, CABBAGE AND EARLY GREENS

EACH WEEK WILL HAVE A PARTICULAR FOCUS. THE WEEK OF THE 22ND WILL FOCUS ON COLE/COLD CROPS. THESE WILL INCLUDE LEEKS, CHIVES, CABBAGE, EARLY GREENS, AND CANAS.

PLEASE CONTACT GEORGIA CHILTON, KPOGH WITH THE DATES YOU WITH TO PARTICIPATE AT ghchilton@gmail.com. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.

ADDRESS OF THE GREEN HOUSE

THE GREEN HOUSE IS LOCATED SOUTH OF THE FIELD HOUSE IN KILBOURN PARK.

THE PARK ADDRESS IS LOCATED AT:

3501 NORTH KILBOURN AVENUE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

IT IS JUST WEST OF MILWAUKEE AND METRA ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ADDISON.

THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE GREEN HOUSE IS 773-685-3359

Making Pullman a Sustainable Community
2016-02-28 15:00 - 17:00 | Historic Pullman Visitor Center, 614 East 113th Street, Chicago, IL, 60628, United States
Sunday, February 28th 3pm-5pm in the Historic Pullman Center, 614 E, 113th St.
The Historic Pullman Garden Club is sponsoring this presentation by Tom Shepherd of the South East Environmental Task Force. Gardens…and especially Community Gardens are a very important part of a safe, healthy community – providing fresh food, exercise…and fun! Come and see what Pullman residents (including gardeners!) are doing to make this happen.

2016 CCGA Spring Conference
2016-03-05 09:00 - 15:00 | South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60649, United States

Project 2746: Grow With Us!
2016-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Dill Pickle Co-op, 2746 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Project 2746 is a weekly Thursday evening event series building cooperative community in the Dill Pickle’s future home. Come check out the space and stay to soak up some sustainable gardening practices with a few of our favorites:

‘Soil Truthing’
with Nance Klehm of Social Ecologies & Ground Rules
Bring a soil sample from your garden!
Bee Informed!
with Michael Thompson of Chicago Honey Co-op
Seed Starting
with Lora Lode of Monticello Garden & NeighborSpace

HELP US GROW!
Contribute to the expansion: www.dillpickle.coop/owner-loans
GET INVOLVED IN 2746!
Contribute your time & talents!
Email Cara at TheBrine@DillPickle.coop.

“Food Safety, Post-Harvest Handling, and Scheduling Plantings for Community Food Systems”
2016-03-12 09:30 - 13:30 | First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn – 100th & Central Ave., Oak Lawn Webinar viewing location: 826 S Ada Street, Chicago. 60607, Chicago, IL, United States
The University of Illinois Extension is partnering with Grace Seeds Ministry to offer a free Food Safety Training for all participants of Chicagoland community food systems.

March 12, 2016 (9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
Safe and Smart! “Food Safety, Post-Harvest Handling, and Scheduling Plantings for Community Food Systems”
@ two locations

First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn – 100th & Central Ave., Oak Lawn
Webinar viewing location: 826 S Ada Street, Chicago. 60607

Free Training. Morning snack and light lunch included.

University of IL Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms educator Zack Grant will cover steps urban scale community food production sites can implement before and after the actual food production is happening. Zack Grant will cover

food safety planning for small food producing sites
how to handle produce once it has been harvested
pre-season planning to prevent harvest waste and increase logistical ease for the end user.

This training will be tailored to the unique work Grace Seeds Ministry is conducting through its Share the Harvest Project in Chicago; but is open and applicable to all Chicagoland community garden participants. If you participate in a community or school garden, share produce at a farmers market or food pantry, or just want to be sure you’re feeding your family safely from your home garden – this training is for you!
Please RSVP to graceseesministry@gmail.com or 773-495-7865.

Download (PDF, 5.22MB)

Food Safety Training for Community Food Systems
2016-03-12 09:30 - 13:30 | • First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn, 100th & Central Ave., Oak Lawn , Oak Lawn, IL, United States
The University of Illinois Extension is partnering with 2015 INUAg winner Grace Seeds Ministry to offer a free Food Safety Training for all participants of Chicagoland community food systems.
March 12, 2016 (9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
Safe and Smart! “Food Safety, Post-Harvest Handling, and Scheduling Plantings for Community Food Systems”
@ two locations
• First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn – 100th & Central Ave., Oak Lawn
• Webinar viewing location: 826 S Ada Street, Chicago. 60607
Free Training. Morning snack and light lunch included.
University of IL Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms educator Zack Grant will cover steps urban scale community food production sites can implement before and after the actual food production is happening. Zack Grant will cover
• food safety planning for small food producing sites
• how to handle produce once it has been harvested
• pre-season planning to prevent harvest waste and increase logistical ease for the end user.
This training will be tailored to the unique work Grace Seeds Ministry is conducting through its Share the Harvest Project in Chicago; but is open and applicable to all Chicagoland community garden participants. If you participate in a community or school garden, share produce at a farmers market or food pantry, or just want to be sure you’re feeding your family safely from your home garden – this training is for you!
Please RSVP to graceseesministry@gmail.com or 773-495-7865.
Rev. Linda Wygant
Grace Seeds Ministry
graceseedsministry@gmail.com
773-495-7865

Chicago Flower and Garden Show
2016-03-12 10:00 - 2016-03-20 18:00 | Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
The roots and inspiration of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show can be traced back as far as 1847 when an exposition was presented by the Chicago Horticulture Society. The show has since evolved. From decade to decade it has moved venues, grown in size and expanded its list of attractions. Today the show welcomes more than 40,000 attendees to Navy Pier, where they can experience every facet of horticulture. While visiting, attendees can walk through life-size gardens, participate in DIY workshops, learn from educational seminars, enjoy garden-to-table cooking presentations and more. The Chicago Flower & Garden Show is encouraging new generations to get involved and be inspired by gardening.

Forest Park Seed Swap
2016-03-13 14:00 - 16:00 | St. John Lutheran Church, 305 Circle Ave, Forest Park, IL, 60130, United States
The 6th Annual Forest Park Seed Swap on March 13th from 2-4pm. Come swap seeds with other gardeners. If you don’t have seeds available we will have seeds for sale that you can use as your entrance to the swap. The seed swap is free if you register ahead of time.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forest-park-community-garden-annual-seed-swap-tickets-21777625464
You can reach the seed swap via the Green and Purple CTA lines.

Small Farm Season Extension @ Windy City Harvest
2016-03-19 09:00 - 12:00 | Arturo Velasquez Institute Greenhouse, 2800 S Western Ave , Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
Learn how to extend your spring or fall growing season to 9-months or even year round production. Explore what crops and varieties perform best in Chicago. Specific techniques will be covered, such as using row cover, building simple low tunnels and cold frames, and creating protected cultivation in a hoophouse. This workshop includes a hands-on basic low tunnel build out activity.
To register for this workshop go to http://www.chicagobotanic.org/education/windy_city_harvest

Seed Starting Workshop
2016-03-19 11:00 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Seed Starting Educational Talk
This presentation will be given by Vicki Westerhoff, who owns Genesis Growers near ST. Anne, Illinois and has a CSA. This class will be hands on and the cost will go towards materials.

Designing Your Garden Using Permaculture Principles
2016-03-26 09:00 - 17:00 | Christy Webber Landscapes Headquarters, 2900 W Ferdinand Street, Chicago, IL, 60623, United States
DESIGNING YOUR GARDEN USING PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLES
This 8- hour project workshop will be held at:

Christy Webber Landscapes – Rancho Verde Site
2900 W. Ferdinand Street (Behind former Center for Green Technology at 445 N Sacramento Blvd, 60612)
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Workshop begins promptly at 9am and runs until 5pm.
Tea and coffee included. Potluck for breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Fee: $175.00 – payable by cash, credit card, or money order.
Prepayment required to reserve a seat. Strict limit of 10 participants.
RSVP to Christy Webber Farm & Garden Center – 312-829-8200.
Participants will bring their proposed garden design (if available) or current garden information and will leave workshop with a working design. Please bring a memory stick to workshop. Course workbook will be provided.

Topics to be covered:

Morning Session:

Recognize the problems associated with current garden practices
Discuss the need for Permaculture in garden design
Study Permaculture Design Strategies such as:

Zone and Sector Mapping: plant what, where, why

Earthworks: berms, keyholes and herb spirals

Sheet mulching: also known as lasagna gardening

Forest Gardening: stacking plantings in space and time to increase yield

How to protect the soil from sun, wind and rain

Understand soil and its functions

Soil texture/structure

Soil testing: pH, contaminants, permeability

The Soil food web

Organic matter and Humus in soil

Nutrient cycling

Protecting soil and soil organisms

Include wildlife habitat in your garden design to attract birds, pollinators, predatory insects and beneficial bugs

Afternoon session:

Review individual garden designs as a group
Plant Guilds: how to choose plants based on their ability to support each other’s functional needs
Identify appropriate plants for our hardiness zone
Identify economical, readily available building material options: bricks, cardboard, urbanite, containers
Understand the problems and solutions regarding raised bed boxes
Combining The New Perennials Movement with edibles

About the Instructor:
AnnaMaria León received her Permaculture Design Course Certification in Fall of 2011 from the Bloomington, IN Permaculture Activist team. In October 2013, she graduated from City of Chicago’s Arturo Velasquez Institute and Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest Program with a certificate in Sustainable Urban Agriculture. Annamaria is also a Traditional Chinese Feng Shui Consultant and currently manages the Edible Landscaping Division at Christy Webber Landscapes.

MidFex Grafting Workshop – Fruit Trees for Your Garden – Sunday April 3rd
2016-04-03 13:00 - 17:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
The single best resource for growing fruit trees in community gardens in the Chicago area – MidFex is a club of fruit tree growers located here in Chicago. The MidFex grafting workshop will be held this year at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Sunday April 3rd, 2016 at 1pm, and will be your chance to graft and take back to your gardens dwarf fruit trees.
For more information see the MidFex website at: http://www.midfex.org/

CCGA Spring Flower Distribution Saturday April 9th at 9am
2016-04-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The CCGA Resources Committee will hold its annual Spring Flower Distribution at 9am April 9, 2016 at the Center for Green Technology, 445 N. Sacramento. Pansies, cerinthe, delphiniums, alyssum, linaria, nemesia: all good early pollen sources for our insect friends, and beautiful colors for us! More details will be posted soon on the CCGA web site.

History of Community Gardens
2016-04-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Join us for this weekend’s event on April 9th from 10-11:30/12. Please come out and listen to an educational talk about the History of Community Gardens by Freyja Conrad. It should be a great talk and will hopefully help gear you up by becoming apart of that social history.

CCGA Coordinating Meeting Saturday April 9th 2016 at Green Tech Center
2016-04-09 11:00 - 13:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
CCGA Coordinating Meeting – 11am Saturday April 9th 2016 at Chicago Center for Green Technology – 445 N Sacramento Blvd.
This coordinating meeting agenda will focus on response and evaluations from the CCGA annual conference. The meeting starts at 11am at the Chicago Center for Green Technology on the 2nd floor after the plant distribution. Parking is behind the building.

Chicago FarmWorks Volunteer Days
2016-04-16 09:00 - 12:00 | Chicago FarmWorks, 407 N Kedzie, Chicago, IL, United States
Chicago FarmWorks fights two issues associated with poverty: unemployment and hunger. Utilizing a two acre farm in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, we distribute local produce of the highest quality to those who need it most, and help people overcoming multiple barriers to employment find full-time, permanent, viable jobs. We invite community members to join us on the farm to volunteer. Get your hands dirty, have fun, and learn more about urban agriculture!
Volunteer days are help the third Saturday or Sunday of the month from 9am to 12pm. Youth 12 and older are welcome when accompanied by a responsible adult, with up to 3 youth per adult.
The farm includes a small shaded area, portable bathroom, and running water at the site, but facilities are limited. Please dress for the weather and bring water, snacks, and sunscreen.

Englewood Veteran’s Garden - 2016 Opening Day
2016-04-16 09:30 - 12:00 | Englewood Veteran’s Garden, 5705 S. Hermitage street,, Chicago, IL, United States
Rain or shine! The OPENING DATE for the 2016 garden growing season will be SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2016, 9:30am.
If you are interested in growing your own organic groceries, interested in workshops about wellness, seed starting, composting, growing herbs and veggies, how to cook the nutritious vegetables you grow and many more activities? Come garden with us!

Garden Project Director Email: englewoodvetgarden@gmail.com

Hermitage Street Community Garden - Opening Day 2016
2016-04-16 09:30 - 12:00 | Hermitage St Community Garden, 5643 S Hermitage Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
If you are interested in growing your own organic groceries this year, interested in workshops about seed starting, composting, growing herbs and veggies, how to cook the nutritious vegetables you grow? And much, much more, come garden with us!
Contact our Garden Director at hermitagestreetcommunitygarden@gmail.com.

El Paseo Community Garden - Opening Day/Apertura de Jardin
2016-04-16 10:00 - 14:00 | El Paseo Community Garden, 966 W. 21st St, Chicago, IL, United States
GARDEN OPENING DAY / APERTURA DE JARDÍN EL PASEO COMMUNITY GARDEN
www.elpaseogarden.org
(773) 234-6168
elpaseo.communitygarden@neighbor-space.org
VENGAN Y AYUDANOS! COME AND HELP US!
GARDEN OPENING DAY
• Pintar/ Paint
• Limpiar/ Clean-up
• Hablar sobre tierra/ Soil Talk
• Convivo de Comida / Pot Luck
Traigan un platillo para compartir! Bring a dish to share!
SABADO, 16 DE ABRIL
SATURDAY, APRIL 16TH
10AM-2PM
944 W. 21st Street Chicago, IL 60608

Peterson Garden Project Plant Sale: Cool Crops
2016-04-22 12:00 - 16:00
Shop the Peterson Garden Project Pop-Up Plant Sale and get your garden growing! This year’s plant sale is going to be our biggest yet! For the April sale, we’ll have a wide selection of edible cool-weather seedlings, seed potatoes and seeds. And since this is Chicago gardening, we’ve curated the selection of plants with small spaces and wacky weather in mind. We’ll also have a range of herbs and a soil salon featuring our favorite fertilizers and composts – everything you need to help you get your 2016 garden in shape. Plus, we’ll have expert gardeners on hand to help with plant selection and offer advice.
SALE HOURS
FRI 4/22: 12PM – 4PM
SAT 4/23: 10AM – 4PM
Find a list of plants that will be available and more details about the plant sales. Don’t forget to attend our second sale in May for warm-weather seedlings.
This is Peterson Garden Project’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the plant sale help fund our community gardens and community cooking school. Buy local and grow local.

Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden - Youth Theater Ensemble
2016-04-30 13:00 - 15:00 | Broadway Armory Park, 5713 N. Broadway , Chicago, IL, 60660, United States
Hiring Young People for a youth theater ensemble (ages 15 and up)
Pay: $8.25 hour
Hours of employment: Saturdays starting May 14 through August 14 ( will be working approximately 4 to 5 hours each Saturday)
Young People will produce:
THE BEAN/ THE BEING — When lazy Jack returns home having traded the milk cow for beans, his mortified mother exclaims: “And as for your precious beans here they go out of the window! Off to bed with you! Not a sup shall you drink and not a bit shall you swallow this very night.” THE BEAN will be a play, loosely based on Jack and the Beanstalk, exploring youth/parent relations, poverty and hunger, a world of giants, and the magic of the good ole sustainable bean that impacts nutrition globally.
HOW THE BEAN IS CREATED and COMMUNITY IMPACT —Martie Sanders, teaching artist with Green Scene Chicago, will mentor 6-person teen theater ensemble in growing pole beans and other flora as the set at Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden and then help them create THE BEAN through writing and improvising. It will be offered free to Uptown audiences who will sample fresh beans dishes from all over the world. The final show will involve nutrition education and reach children in Uptown.
Teens interested in being a part of this innovative ensemble should come to the Summer Youth Jobs Fair at the The Broadway Armory — this weekend on Saturday April 30 — 1-3 pm and find Martie Sanders at GREEN SCENE booth.
Those teens who cannot meet Martie face to face on Saturday should connect by email and show interest: Martie@greenscenechicago.org
www.greenscenechicago.org

Peterson Garden Project Plant & Bake Sale: Hot Crops
2016-05-06 12:00 - 16:00 | 5035 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640, 5035 N Broadway, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Shop the Peterson Garden Project Pop-Up Plant Sale and get your garden growing! This year’s plant sale is going to be our biggest yet! We’ll have a wide selection of plants, seeds and seedlings. And since this is Chicago gardening, we’ve curated the selection of plants with small spaces and wacky weather in mind – including some varieties not available anywhere else in Chicago – such as a dwarf tomato grown exclusively for Peterson Garden Project. We’ll also have a range of edible flowers, herbs and a soil salon – everything you need to help you get your 2016 garden in shape. Plus, we’ll have expert gardeners on hand to help with plant selection and offer advice. The May sale will also include a bake sale and special events for Mom on Mother’s Day.
SALE HOURS
FRI 5/6: 12PM – 4PM
SAT 5/7: 10AM – 4PM
SUN 5/8: 10AM – 4PM
Find a list of plants that will be available and more details about the plant sales here.
This is Peterson Garden Project’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the plant sale help fund our community gardens and community cooking school. Buy local and grow local.

Openlands presents "Organizing Your Community Garden" Training
2016-05-07 09:30 - 12:30 | Breakthrough Ministries Familyplex, 3219 W. Carroll Ave., Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
Join us to learn how to organize all aspects of the garden from recruiting members and gaining supporters to practical ways to self organize including using apps to keep track of projects. We will also show you how to create a design map for your site. Sign up here!
For more info contact us at gardens@openlands.org.
