Chicago Community Gardeners Association

CCGA Coordinating Meeting Saturday April 9th 2016 at Green Tech Center
2016-04-09 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | 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.

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 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.

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/

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

“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)

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2015-12-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
So winter is on its way! And that means you are all invited to attend the December CCGA coordinating meeting that is coming up soon – Saturday December the 12th from 10:00 am to Noon at the Green Tech Center. We will start our gathering in our usual casual fashion by sharing how gardening went for you this season…and what you will do the same (or differently!) next season and by snacking on any treats you would like to bring.
But our main goal is to start planning for the 2016 CCGA Spring Gathering and dividing up the usual event planning type tasks between each of the 4 CCGA working groups (Membership, Resources, Communication & Education).

CCGA Fall Gathering and Harvest Potluck Brunch
2015-11-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The CCGA Fall Gathering is just around the corner, this Saturday, November 14th from 10:00 to Noon at the Center For Green Technology, 445 N Sacramento Blvd. We will celebrate the end of the summer growing season together and welcome Fall with a Harvest Potluck Brunch! Please bring a light dish to share. Please bring your own washable dishes, cups, and utensils so we are waste-free.
We will open the morning with a CCGA Coordinating Team discussion that will start with deciding the weekend date and the best of five location options for the CCGA Spring Festival in March 2016. Next our Four Working Groups will each make a brief report.Then we will eat and mix and mingle. If you have some harvested produce you would like to share we will highlight that because, yes, we can grow our own food, and we can cook!

Garden Bonfire at Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse
2015-11-12 16:30
Garden Bonfire at the Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse
November 12th from 4:30-6pm
Come out and bring the whole family. Enjoy a night filled with S’Mores, Nature Crafting, and Campfire Singing.
This is a free event and all ages are welcome. Please join us! Dress warmly, this event will be outside regardless of the temperature.

Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse - Canning Demo
2015-10-31 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.

CCGA Members Meeting
2015-10-28 18:00 - 20:00 | 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

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
