Chicago Community Gardeners Association

CCGA Members Meeting
2015-10-28 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave. , Chicago, IL, United States
Save the date for the next CCGA meeting where you can network with other gardeners as you share gardening ideas, information and even resources. The Spring Conference will be discussed and plans made. Come Talk Garden!

Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse - Putting Gardens to Bed
2015-10-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
FRIENDS OF KILBOURN PARK ORGANIC GREENHOUSE EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2015
SAVE THESE DATES FOR THREE EDUCATIONAL EVENTS SPONSORED BY FRIENDS OF KPOGH IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2015

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24THAT 1 PM

NANCY BENJAMIN, MASTER GARDENER WILL GIVE A TALK ON RESTORING FERTILITY TO YOUR GARDEN AND PUTTING IT TO BED FOR THE SEASON.
THERE WILL BE A FIVE DOLLAR CHARGE FOR THIS EVENT. PLEASE LET Georgia Chilton, (ghchilton@gmail.com) know by Wednesday, October 21st, if you plan to come.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31STFROM 1-3 PM

PAM ROCK AND ROSEANNE SKONIECKE WILL DEMONSTRATE CANNING TECHNIQUES. THEY WILL SHOW HOW TO MAKE CHAMPAGNE BLUSH JELLY AND APPLE CARMEL JAM.
THERE WILL BE TASTES OF THESE!! YUM! YUM!
THERE WILL BE A $7.00 CASH CHARGE FOR THIS. PLEASE LET Georgia Chilton, (ghchilton@gmail.com know by Wednesday, October 29th, if you can come.

SAVE THE DATE OF SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH!!

DAVID SNYDER, WILL GIVE A LECTURE ON FRUIT TREES.
MORE INFORMATION ON THIS WILL FOLLOW!!

CAMPFIRE STORYTIME, NOVEMBER 11th FROM 4:30-6pm

Bring out the whole family to enjoy a night in the garden beside a campfire and enjoy the telling of stories from across the world. There will also be singing and crafting. Dress warmly, event will be outside.
Feel free to contact Renee Costanzo (renee.costanzo@chicagoparkdistrict.com) if you have questions.

Children's Harvest Festival / Festival Anual de la Cosecha para los Niños
2015-10-24 12:00 - 15:00 | El Paseo Community Garden, 966 W. 21st St, Chicago, IL, United States
FREE event this Saturday for our Annual Fall Children’s Harvest Festival from 12pm to 3pm! El Paseo Community Garden at 966 W. 21st St.
Join us for Pumpkin painting, games, pinata, prizes, potluck and much more! Please wear your costumes and bring a dish to share!
________________________________________
Un evento GRATIS este sábado para nuestro Festival anual de la Cosecha para los niños 12 p.m.-3 p.m.! El Paseo Jardín Comunitario en 966 W. 21st St.
Vengan para pintar calabazas, juegos, piñata, premios, convivo/potluck y mucho más! Por favor, ponganse sus disfraces y traigan un platillo para compartir!

Bountiful Bench Unveiling Ceremony
2015-10-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Bucktown Green, 1716 N Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Bucktown Community Organization (BCO)
presents
THE INTALLATION OF AN ORIGINAL BRONZE SCULPTURE BY
ChrisTina Murphy
join us for the
UNVEILING CEREMONY
Installation Sponsored by Bucktown Community Organization
For inquiries please contact Rock Art Studio:
(773) 216-7614 / rockartstudio@yahoo.com

Community Gardens Take Action Against Hunger
2015-10-16 09:30 - 13:00 | Broadway Armory Park, 5713 N. Broadway , Chicago, IL, 60660, United States
Symposium on World Food Day
What can community gardens do to address fresh produce access in their neighborhoods? Join us to share best practices and resources among community gardens, food pantries and soup kitchens for donating and distributing food.
Who should attend? Anyone interested in connecting community gardens to food pantries. Join us if you are interested in: becoming part of a community garden, organizing a donation program from your current community garden, improving your garden’s current donation program, or if you are a pantry interested in accessing fresh produce grown in your neighborhood.
Schedule:
9:30-10:00am Registration
10:00-10:45am Panel Discussion
10:45-11:00am Break
11:00am-Noon Breakout Sessions and Resource Sharing
Noon-1pm Communal lunch sponsored by Chipotle Mexican Grill

Hay Bales available
2015-10-01 08:00 - 11:55 | Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden, Chicago, IL, United States
We have some hay bales available for pick up tomorrow Thursday October 1st Until around 12:00 noon. Please call Angie T. 773-851-3162

Pilsen Urban Agriculture Field Day
2015-09-27 11:00 - 15:00
Join us as we tour Pilsen urban agriculture sites. Community members will be on hand to discuss practices that can be applied to your growing site!
11:00AM: Meet at Xochiquetzal Peace Garden – 1901 W. 23rd St. – Learn more about school gardening at this site connected to Whittier School. Prepare to get dirty while we help with a volunteer project.
1:00PM: El Paseo Community Garden – 966 W. 21st St. – Fall is approaching! Learn about season extension during a workshop offered by El Paseo’s leadership team.
Free and open to all!
Please bring a sack lunch.

Southside Perennial Distribution - Saturday, September 26, 2015
2015-09-26 10:00 - 14:00 | Embassy Church, 5848 S. Princeton, Chicago, IL, 60621, United States
The CCGA Fall Perennial Distribution is Coming!
In September, the CCGA Resources Committee will be distributing more perennials thanks to the efforts of Scott Byron Landscape Company. Here are the details:
On Friday, September 25, Scott Byron will DELIVER PLANTS to three locations:
New Horizons Community Garden
401 S. Central Park, Chicago – West
North Park VILLAGE Nature Center
5801 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago – North
Embassy Church
5848 S. Princeton Avenue, Chicago – South
On Friday, September25, we need volunteers to SORT PLANTS at each of the three locations, and to DISTRIBUTE PLANTS on Friday morning, 09/25/15, at the West location, and Saturday morning, 09/26/15, at the North and South locations.
To volunteer, please contact:
Ellen Newcomer (ecnewcomer334@gmail.com) – West
Julie Samuels (jsamuels1966@gmail.com) – North
Pat Jackson (patjackson56@gmail.com) – South
(Note: Volunteers who are representing a community garden will have the opportunity to load their allotment of perennials before the general distribution begins.)
Perennial Plant DISTRIBUTION Information
West Perennial Distribution (New Horizons): Friday, September 25 (ONLY)
North Perennial Distribution (North Park Village): Saturday, September 26 (ONLY)
South Perennial Distribution (Embassy Church): Saturday, September 26 (ONLY)
Each Chicago Community Garden may register for ONE of the above three locations by emailing the following information to mamie@uic.edu:
• Name and Address of community garden
• Name of person who will pick up plants
There is a $5.00 registration fee per garden.
Questions? Contact Mamie Gray, mamie@uic.edu.

Northside Perennial Distribution - Saturday, September 26, 2015
2015-09-26 10:00 - 14:00 | North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, 60646, United States

Westside Perennial Distribution - Friday, September 25, 2015
2015-09-25 10:00 - 14:00 | New Horizons Community Garden, 401 S. Central Park, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States

CCGA Membership Meeting - Wednesday, September 23rd - 5:30pm
2015-09-23 17:30 - 19:30 | Chicago Public Library Bee Branch, 3647 South State Street, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States

2015 Growing Food and Justice for All Gathering
2015-09-23 - 2015-09-25
We are getting excited for our annual Growing Food and Justice Annual Gathering, where we hope to see new faces as well as old friends! We hope to use the conference as an opportunity to strengthen relationships with community partners, and to share food and knowledge with partners from across the country.
Event Details
Buy Tickets Here – Limited Scholarships Available

Community Tomato Tasting and Seed Saving Demonstration
2015-09-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Global Garden, 2974 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Taste heirloom and open-pollinated tomatoes and collect the seeds from your favorites!
Choosing tomatoes from pictures in seed catalogs just isn’t the same as choosing one tomato based on taste at a tomato tasting/seed swap!

Bring your best homegrown or farmers’ market heirloom or open-pollinated tomatoes to share for a tasting and discover new favorites! We’ll show you how to collect and ferment seeds from tomatoes at the tasting for planting next year, and get deep into discussion on tomato reproduction for high-quality seed.

Don’t have tomatoes? No problem! We’ll have different varieties on hand to share.

Windy City Harvest: Home-Scale Aquaponics
2015-09-19 09:00 - 13:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
Arturo Velasquez Institute Greenhouse
Andy McGhee, Windy City Harvest aquaponics coordinator

Yoga in the Garden at Vedgewater
2015-09-13 09:00 - 10:00 | Vedgewater, 6300 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL, United States
What’s more peaceful than sun salutations in the garden? Come join us for a free yoga class at Vedgewater, taught by an experienced professional instructor, Mary Beth Johnson. The class will be geared toward gardeners and the ailments that can come with gardening (knees, wrists, low back, etc). This class is open to students of all levels, no previous yoga experience required!

Tomato Fest
2015-09-12 12:00 - 16:00 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Join local food and gardening advocates as we highlight the many ways you can enjoy your bountiful tomato harvest all year long.
The Chicago Park District, Slow Food Midwest Ark of Taste Committee, Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance will be on hand to highlight the many ways we can prepare and preserve a taste of summer throughout the year.
Join us for a day full of Tomato Love, including a special guest lecture by Jennifer Jordan, author of Edible Memory: The Lure of Heirloom Tomatoes and Other Forgotten Foods, as well as tours, tastings, a cookbook swap, workshops, demos, a salsa dance class and a homemade salsa contest!
This event is free and open to the public!

What's Happening in the Garden? - Peterson Garden Project
2015-09-12 11:00 - 12:00 | Global Garden, 2974 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Join us for our free class, What’s Happening in the Garden?, taught in a different Peterson Garden Project community garden every month. For the month of September, we’ll talk about:
-adjusting the garden to cooler temperatures
-fall pests and diseases and what to do about them
-pulling spent plants and tidying
-what to plant now for a fall harvest

September Bike Ride: We Ride Juntos
2015-09-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Green tomato cafe – meeting place, 3750 W. Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL, United States
Community partners from North and South Lawndale will be hosting a neighborhood bike ride as part of the Sustainable September Ride Series organized by Slow Roll Chicago and Chicago Sustainable Leaders Network!
Everyone will be able to ride along a route that will highlight assets and sustainable initiatives in both communities.
This ride is open to everyone regardless of biking skills or age.

Windy City Harvest: Excel for Small Farm Crop Planning
2015-08-29 08:00 - 17:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
Arturo Velasquez Institute Greenhouse
Erin Matson, Windy City Harvest apprenticeship instructor
$39
This workshop will cover how to utilize Excel to plan out a season of continuous annual vegetable crop production on your small farm or community garden plot. A crop plan excel template typically used for a ¼-1-acre farm site will be provided. Students will learn how to calculate: planting dates, spacing, row feet, seeds needed and also how to project harvest dates with yield estimates. Small Farm Crop Planning is recommended as a prerequisite to this course.

Ravinia in the Garden - Saturday August 22nd, 2015
2015-08-22 17:00 - 21:00 | Kuumba Tre-Ahm Community Garden., 2908 W. Warren Blvd., Chicago, IL 60612, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
“RAVINIA IN THE GARDEN”
Join us as we celebrate a productive 4th Season. Network with friends and learn about new additions to the garden landscape. Enjoy live entertainment and delicious food. Support our first Fundraiser at Kuumba Tre-Ahm Community Garden. Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015 Time: 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm (rain or shine) Place: 2908 W. Warren Blvd., Chicago, IL 60612 Cost: $20 cash per person (No checks please) RSVP: totouchalifeinc@yahoo.com
ENTERTAINMENT BY THE DAVE JORDAN QUARTET & PATRICK MARTIN, SINGER/GUITARIST ~Refreshments ~ great food, including dishes prepared from fresh garden produce
Bring your lawn chair for seating & BYOB Silent Auction All proceeds benefit To Touch A Life, Inc. 501(c)(3)

Third Annual Gardens of Englewood Tour - Saturday August 22nd, 2015
2015-08-22 10:00 - 15:00 | Sherwood Peace Association, 6101 South Princeton Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60621, United States

LVEJO Sustainability Dinner
2015-08-14 18:00 - 22:00 | Chicago Cafe Banquet Hall, 2600 W 35th St, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL, United States
We are celebrating our Environmental Justice victories!
Please join LVEJO on August 14, 2015 to celebrate the opening of La Villita Park, the 3rd anniversary of Chicago Coal Power Plants closure, access to the 31st street bus and many more! We look forward to sharing our future goals and projects in place for a sustainable La Villita.
Fundraiser Dinner To Benefit:

LVEJO’s Youth Leadership Development and Environmental Stewardship Programs
Semillas de Justicia Community Garden
Equitable Community Redevelopment of the former Crawford Coal Power plant, decommissioned 31st BNSF rail line, and the 31st Collateral Channel

Program:

6 pm: Registration & Networking
7 pm: Program & Presentation
8 pm: Nine-course Mexican comfort food buffet dinner
9 pm: Cumbia music and dancing, raffle, silent auction

Suggested Donation: $50 individual*
For more information email events@lvejo.org or call at (312) 857-6626
#LVEJODINNER2015 #SUSTANIABLELV #ITTAKESAVILLAGE #LVEJO2020 #EJ4LV
*Your donation may be tax deductible under law. Please consult your tax advisor

Much Ado About Dirt
2015-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden, 4919 North Winthrop, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Much Ado About Dirt
Brought to you by After School Matters’
Green Scene Summer Stock Teens
August 12, 2015 at 12 pm
Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden
4919 North Winthrop, Chicago, 60640
In case of rain:
Bezazian Library Auditorium
1226 West Ainslie, Chicago 60640
Featuring the talents of:

Banke Andeolu

Ilia Aguirre

Ngozi Amadikwu

Jennifer Atunez

Brain Chung

Esther Kalu

Kevin Lam

Natalia Moreno

Innocent Muragwa

Andrew Neth

Khang Nguyen

Eric Niyonkuru

Sharon Osawe

Devene Parker

Martie Sanders & Caroline Andres, Directors
Special thanks:

Rosalind Morris

Helen Lee

Charlotte Long

Nicole Richwalsky

CCGA Summer Perennial Plant Distribution
2015-08-07 11:00 - 14:00 | New Horizons Community Garden, 401 South Central Park, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
Our friends at Elite Growers have notified the CCGA Resources Committee that they have more perennials to donate to Chicago Community Gardeners, so we will host another Summer Perennial Distribution.
Location & Date –
Friday August 7th, 2015 starting at 11am
New Horizons Community Garden
401 South Central Park
(southeast corner of Van Buren and Central Park)
Note: Parking is available on both Central Park and Van Buren
To Pre-Register –
Please email the following information to Mamie Gray (mamie@uic.edu):
NAME of community garden,
ADDRESS of community garden,
EMAIL contact for community garden.
(Pre-registration is not complete without this information.)
Schedule –
11:00 am On-Site Registration
SIGN-IN at the Picnic Tables & Pay $5 Fee for each garden
VISIT the Plant Information Area
A number will be given to each Community Gardener, whether pre-registered or not, both groups go in numerical order.
12:00 p.m. Plant Distribution – Pre-Registered Community Gardeners
1:00 pm Plant Distribution – All Other (non-registered) Community Gardeners
Want to Volunteer?
Call Ellen Newcomer at 224-522-1255.
There will be two shifts: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Windy City Harvest: Small Farm Season Extension
2015-08-01 09:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, IL, 60022, United States
Arturo Velasquez Institute Greenhouse
Britt Calendo, Windy City Harvest PCC wellness farm coordinator.
$39
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 or even creating protected cultivation in a hoophouse. This workshop includes a hands-on basic low tunnel build out activity. This workshop is instructed by Britt Calendo, WCH PCC Wellness Farm Coordinator.

The Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden Annual Iced Tea Social
2015-07-18 10:00 - 17:00 | Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden, 4427 W. Fulton, Chicago, IL, United States
Come on out again this year and enjoy the gardens of Garfield Park. There will be food, fun and lots of family entertainment

Summer Perennial Plant Giveaway
2015-07-17 12:00 - 14:00 | Sherwood Peace Community Garden, 257 W. 61st Street, Chicago, IL, 60621, United States
Hello Chicago Community Gardeners,
Our thanks to Elite Growers, who are contributing a truck load (or maybe two) of perennials to CCGA for our Summer Distribution!
On Friday July 17, the CCGA Resources Committee will have a Summer Perennial Plant Distribution at the Sherwood Peace Community Garden, 257 W. 61st Street. Please register in advance by emailing your name, the name of your community garden, and the garden’s address to Mamie Gray at mamie@uic.edu. Pre-registration is not complete without all of this information.
When you come to the garden, please check in and pay the $5 registration fee at the gazebo. From 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., we will distribute groups of plants to those community gardeners who are pre-registered. At one p.m., we will begin distribution to community gardeners who did not pre-register.
Questions? Call Ellen Newcomer 224 522 1255 or Pat Jackson 773 829 6111. See you there!

Edgewater Glen Garden Walk
2015-07-12 12:00
See 20 urban gardens in this compact, easily walkable route. Imaginative use of small space, shady conditions, ponds, and many ‘Poison Free’ gardens where no pesticidesherbicides are used are among the special garden features exhibited. Adults are $5 and include a chance to win Gethsemane gift certificates with children free.

Bowmanville Garden Walk
2015-07-11 09:00 - 16:30 | Bowmanville Greenspace, 5384 North Bowmanville Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States
The Bowmanville garden walk features hosted gardens, where the garden owners are there to welcome you into their garden and talk about their efforts. The hospitality overflows.
This garden walk hosts an Ask the Master Gardener table at the Welcome booth, where University of IL Master Gardeners are there to talk gardening look at any cutting or photo you bring and help solve problems and plot your next steps.
The garden walk includes an amateur photography competition. The winning photograph is featured in the next year’s Garden Walk posters, signage and promotional materials.
Welcome table is on Bowmanville Ave at Bell Ave. (near 5384 N Bowmanville Avenue)
The Bowmanville Garden Walk is a Rain or Shine event!

Illinois Farm to School Policy Workshop
2015-06-29 20:00 - 22:00 | University of Illinois Chicago, Jane Addams Hull House 800 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
With farm to school programs kids win, farmers win and communities win!
Join Illinois Stewardship Alliance, in partnership with the Illinois Farm to School Network, for one of two exciting workshops highlighting successful local farm to school projects, the U.S. Farm to School Act of 2015 and what you can do to support more farm to school efforts throughout Illinois!
Do you want to support more farm to school programs but don’t know where to start? Want to grow a garden with students but don’t know where to find the money? Learn from the experts and hear about how you can advocate for and support this important work! You will leave feeling inspired, empowered and ready to help make farm to school a reality in Illinois. These workshops are open to the public and geared to all walks of life not just food system professionals. Come learn, think and take action!
Jane Addams Hull House Museum on the UIC Campus, Monday June 29th at 6pm
For More Information
Email Wes King at wesATilstewards.org
