Chicago Community Gardeners Association

Deadline - Sow it Forward Grant
2015-01-09 17:00 (America/Chicago) | IL
The application deadline for our 2015 grant cycle is 5pm Eastern Time, Friday January 9, 2015.
Sow It Forward is the grants and partnership program of Kitchen Gardeners International. The grant is for nonprofit causes or organizations (schools, 501c3s, food banks, community gardens, colleges, libraries, prisons, senior programs, etc.) interested in starting or expanding food garden projects that are of general benefit to their community. Past grantees include school gardens, community gardens, food bank gardens, library gardens, senior gardens, prison gardens and homeless shelter gardens among others.
For our 2015 round of giving, we expect to offer 100 full grants and roughly 60 partial grants. A full grant has a value $500 and normally consists of a cash grant of $300-400 with the remaining $100-$200 taking the form of seeds and gift certificates for garden supplies and KGI’s online garden planner. The partial grant normally has a value of $325 and consists of a $300 cash grant and $25 one-year subscription to KGI’sonline garden planner. There are no geographic limitations on what types of food garden projects will be considered. Past grantees included projects from Portland, Oregon to Pakistan and many places in between. Because of trade restrictions and international shipping fees, garden projects from outside the US will only be eligible for partial grants.
The application deadline for our 2015 grant cycle 5pm Eastern Time, Friday January 9, 2015. Only funding requests submitted through KGI’s online grant application will be considered for funding. We recommend that prospective applicants download and complete the Sow It Forward Application Prep Form (Word, PDF) offline before starting their application online. This way you will have a version saved on your computer in case you have any trouble submitting the application online.
Any questions about the application process can be directed to Roger Doiron via email (roger@kgi.org) or phone (207.956.0606). For general issues related to using the KGI website, please see our help pages.

Due date for NEEF Every Day Events grants
2014-12-18 | IL
Read more here.

Envisioning a Green World Transformed
2014-11-16 11:00 - 15:30 | Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Presentations, demonstrations, and interactive exhibits will help you gain a well-rounded understanding of the many ways you can carry out an eco-friendly lifestyle in Chicago. Learn about local ventures in urban farming, sustainable fashion, DIY products, zero waste initiatives, responsible travel, health & well being, and community advocacy. Discover how these initiatives are possible and collect inside tips from industry leaders. Walk away with the resources to transform your lifestyle, and opportunities to take action in Chicago.
Buy tickets here.
Organic, vegan, and vegetarian lunch options are included. Student discounts available.

Urban Chicken Health Care
2014-11-13 18:00 - 20:30 | Irving Park United Methodist Church, 3801 N Keeler Ave, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Developed and taught by Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consultant Jen Murtoff, the workshop will cover prevention, basic troubleshooting, and care for common chicken health issues and injuries.
Please note that this is an advanced workshop for chicken keepers who are already experienced in basic care, and who want to advance their knowledge and skills.
Registration

AUA Fall Gathering: Cultivating Knowledge:
2014-11-11 18:00 - 21:00 | Loyola Chicago Institute for Environmental Sustainability, 6349 Kenmore Ave., Chicago , IL, 60660, United States
Sharing Current Urban Ag Research Relevant to Your Garden or Farm
Loyola Chicago Institute for Environmental Sustainability, Seminar Room 123/124
The night will include:

Presentations on urban agriculture research being done in Chicago and how it applies to those growing food in the city, including:

Chris Peterson on IES and higher education in urban agriculture
David Lowenstein on pollinators and biocontrol
John Taylor on urban plant varieties
Kellen Marshall on farmer knowledge and education survey

Tours and presentation on Loyola’s new sustainable agriculture program
Community Slideshow-Show off your garden or farm! Send 1-4 photos and a brief description to info@auachicago.org by noon on Monday 11/10
Community Potluck-Please bring a dish to share, or if you don’t feel like cooking, purchase food at IES’ Engrained Cafe, who will be donating 10% of proceeds to AUA

Chicken Butchery
2014-11-09 13:00 - 16:00 | IL
Learn the basics of butchering chickens at home. We’ll walk you through all the steps, from slaughter to dressing out. Participants will also have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the butchering process. Class also includes an overview of chicken care, housing and feeding. Course fee includes a frozen soup chicken (from a USDA-inspected facility) to take home.
Registration

Basic Backyard Chicken Care
2014-11-08 13:30 - 16:30 | Irving Park United Methodist Church, 3801 N Keeler Ave, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Offered by Angelic Organics Learning Center and taught by Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consultant Jen Murtoff, who calls it “the Cadillac of backyard chicken workshops.”
Registration

Principles, Protocols, and Practices for Growing High Quality Crops
2014-11-01 09:00 - 2014-11-02 16:00 | IL
Principles, Protocols, and Practices for Growing High Quality Crops
A Two-Day Workshop
For Farmers, Urban Growers, and Community Gardeners
Benefits:

Improved Pest and Disease Resistance
Better Tolerance of Extreme Weather Conditions
Ability to Improve Your Yield by helping Plants at their Critical Points of Influence
Ability to measure the nutrient value of the crops you are growing using a refractometer

Learn from a lifelong farmer’s understanding and first hand experiences utilizing a Biological Approach to crop production. Dan Kittredge, Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA) & the Real Food Campaign, will present a 2-session Workshop on High Bionutrient Crop Production.
November 1 & 2, 2014
9:30am – 4:30 pm
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Avenue – Community Classroom
Chicago, IL 60624
Cost: $150.00, with Scholarship funds available for Farmers.
Register: Two Options – Online or Mail-In Registration found on the Workshops page of the BFA website (http://www.bionutrient.org/workshops)
For Scholarship information, please contact Gary Neves, Course Administrator, Cell: 774-573-6804, gary@bionutrient.org
The High Bionutrient Crop Production workshops are designed to inform and support participants to grasp and apply innovative and reliable principles and practices for producing more nutritious food crops that lead to healthier lives. The learning focus of the series includes soil biology, mineralogy and energy dynamics. At the same time, we intend to establish a relational infrastructure among growers that will provide the basis for increasing collaboration between them, and also with the businesses and organizations that supply their needs and buy their products.
Each session consists of a classroom-style discussion and hands-on demonstration and practice. Those participants who provide their email will also receive periodic e-newsletters to supplement the workshop presentations. Registrants will be expected to procure their own soil tests as desired, and instruction for interpreting those will be covered during the workshop.
For Event Information: please contact Dr. Shemuel Israel, Co-leader of the Chicago Chapter of the Bionutrient Food Association and President of the North Lawndale Greening Committee – cell: 773-332-7887; or Annamaria Leon, Director, Education & Community Outreach cell: 414-339-5537, or email at nlgreeningcommittee@gmail.com.
Hosted by the Chicago Chapter of the Bionutrient Food Association, the North Lawndale Greening Committee, and the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.

CCGA Fall 2014 Workshop & Bulb Distribution
2014-10-25 10:00 - 23:30 | IL
A free workshop held in the Garfield Park Conservatory’s Jensen Room.

Program: What You Can Do This Fall To Prepare Your Garden For 2015 (Michael Webb)
Workshop: Planting Bulbs For Spring Color and Pollination (Kirsten Akre)
Workshop: Bulb Planting Demonstration and Distribution

CCGA welcomes all volunteer gardeners who help “green” up their neighborhood’s public (ie: non-private property) spaces with community gardens.
Please register early; space is limited. Forty of the community gardens who attend the workshop will win free bulbs for their site.
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DIY Rain Barrel
2014-10-05 14:30 - 16:30 | ReBuilding Exchange, 1740 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
In this session, Rob West will discuss water conservation and the how-to’s of making a rain barrel for downspout water collection using recycled materials.
Rob West is a third generation plumber who owns and operates Rob West Plumbing, Inc. His passion and energy formaking a difference in lowering our carbon footprint is innate.
This is an instructional only.
REGISTER HERE

Great Perennial Divide - PREREGISTRATION REQUIRED
2014-09-27 09:00 - 12:00 | IL
The Great Perennial Divide is a multi-site plant give-away open to all Chicago Community Gardens. There’s just one requirement: register your garden for the Divide no later than Tuesday, September 23rd to ensure that you receive a generous selection of plants.

WHEN:
Saturday, September 27th.
9:00- 10:30: STRICTLY FOR COMMUNITY GARDENERS THAT PRE-REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 23rd
10:40- 12:00: Community gardens that did not preregister can select from any remaining plants. Ensure you get the best picks by pre-registering.

WHERE:
Choose one of three locations:

North: North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N Pulaski
West: Corner of Kedzie and Lake
South: Embassy Church, 5848 S Princeton

HOW TO HELP (and get more plants!):
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to help unload the trucks and group the plants on Friday, September 26th from 9 to 12 or to load plants into carts and cars on Saturday, September 27th from 8 to 12. To volunteer, you must contact your location leader by September 22nd:

North: Ellen at 224-522-1255
West: Angela at 773-851-3162
South: Pat at 773-829-6111

Special thanks to Scott Byron and Co. for coordination of the generous plant donations.

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CCGA Hay Bale Pickup
2014-09-22 - 2014-09-25 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The time to put the garden to bed is just around the corner. Chicago Community Garden Association has secured bales of hay available to community gardeners. The hay bales are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call first to coordinate pick up with Angela Taylor at 773-851-3162.

Where: Center for Green Technology 445 N Sacramento Blvd
When: Pick up this week Monday 9/22 – Thursday 9/25

Enter the Visitor Parking Lot behind the CCGT building, look for the bench marker holding a parking spot, and follow the short path through the prairie to the hay.
Thanks to Christy Webber Landscapes for donating the hay!

Hyde Park Garden Fair's Fall Garden Fair
2014-09-20 09:00 - 16:00 | Hyde Park Shopping Center, 55th and Lake Park, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
The Fall Garden Fair offers a wide selection of bulbs to plant now for spring bloom, both familiar daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and tulips, and special varieties. We also offer fall-flowering plants to enjoy now. The fair is a fundraiser for the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference and its Garden Fair Committee, which supports gardening projects in Hyde Park-Kenwood and surrounding areas. Expert gardeners will be on hand to advise about planting and maintenance. We’ll be there, rain or shine!

Chicago Bee Basics
2014-09-07 14:30 - 16:30 | ReBuilding Exchange, 1740 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Jana Kinsman is a beekeeper in Chicago who cares for hives all over the city and advocates for pollinator health. In this session we’ll go over the basics of honeybee life, their role in our food world, and what it’s like being a beekeeper. We’ll also talk about native pollinators in the Chicago region and how you can help them. As a take-away, you’ll get to build your own small bee house to take home and put in your yard! (based on available scrapwood).

REGISTRATION HERE

Intro to Canning w. Pear Tree Preserves
2014-09-06 14:30 - 16:30 | ReBuilding Exchange, 1740 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
You will learn the basics of the hot water bath canning method and what tools you need to safely make your own fruit jam at home. Susie from peartreepreserves.com will take you through a canning demo in which you will learn some simple recipes for great jam!

REGISTRATION HERE

Carnival Time at Mother Earth Garden
2014-09-06 12:00 - 16:00 | Mother Earth Garden, 3059 W. 5th Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
Family fun, carnival style playstreet event. Bounce house, sport, carnival games, and Zumba

Tomato Fest
2014-09-06 09:00 - 12:00 | South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60649, United States
This 1st annual event will showcase many different ways to prepare and preserve the abundance of tomatoes in your garden, including:
Salsa Contest– make your best tomato based salsa for judging and prizes!
Tomato Swap– bring your favorite tomatoes from your garden to exchange with other gardeners.
Seed Saving Demonstration– to preserve what you love and help you share your best with others!
Cooking Demos – How to make sun dried tomatoes and more!

Global Garden Farm Market
2014-08-30 09:00 - 13:00, 2014-08-28 15:00 - 18:00 | IL
Buy fresh, just-picked, sustainably grown vegetables at the
Global Garden Farm Market
at Sacramento & Lawrence in Albany Park, Chicago, IL
Saturdays, 9 AM – 1 PM
Thursdays, 3 – 6 PM
June 14 through October
Our market stand is just inside the north farm gate, on Sacramento Avenue.

Garden Whimsy: Using nature's materials to decorate your garden and home
2014-08-26 19:00 - 21:00 | IL
Laurie Smith from Fat Blossom Farms
and
Artist Kathy Dickhut
WHEN:
Tuesday, August 26 at 7:00pm
WHERE:
The home of Barbara and Joe Moore
1431 W. Fargo
We all love to decorate our homes with cut flowers and to spice up our gardens with sculptures and fountains. But there is another way to decorate the home and garden….using found objects and natural products from our own yards, plus a little imagination.
Join us for the final member program of the year at the home of Barbara and Joe Moore. Laurie of Fat Blossom Farms will show us how they re-purpose wood, leaves and other natural products into garden “whimsies” that create magical fairy garden vignettes. And artist Kathy Dickhut will tell us about how she gathers herbs, dried flowers and other botanicals to fill custom potpourri sachets and curiosity cabinets.
Both presenters will have samples of their products for sale!
We’ll enjoy a few refreshments afterwards in the lovely back yard at the Moore home on Fargo. As a bonus, our host Barb Moore will tell us more about how she uses produce from her own garden creatively in her cooking — and you’ll get to sample some of the results of that creativity!
In case of rain, bring an umbrella to tour the faerie garden; we will enjoy refreshments and presentations indoors.
Meetings are free for RPGG members; $5 for guests. All are welcome.

CPS - GrowWELL Strategic Planning Forum
2014-08-23 11:00 - 13:00 | DePaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave, Rm 220, Chicago, IL, United States
You told us you wanted a voice in shaping the future of school gardens at CPS – THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY. Please participate in one of the upcoming GrowWELL strategic planning forums to help develop a vision for the future of outdoor, edible education:

Thursday, July 24th – 3:00pm – Garfield Park Conservatory Community Room (300 N Central Park Ave)
Monday, August 4th – 4:30pm – Hammond Elementary (2819 W 21st Pl)
Monday, August 18th – 6:00pm – Wadsworth Elementary (6650 S Ellis Ave)
Saturday, August 23rd – 11:00am – DePaul University Student Center (2250 N.
Sheffield Ave, Rm 220)

Over the next two months, the Chicago Public Schools Office of Student Health and Wellness will conduct a series of forums to engage students, parents, teachers, administrators, external partners, academics and other stakeholders in crafting a district-wide vision for school gardens.
GrowWELL Strategic Planning Forums:
-A strategic plan to strengthen outdoor, edible education for all Chicago Public School students; -An initiative that engages internal and external stakeholders;
-An effort to maximize the proven health, academic and behavioral benefits of school gardens.
Please contact Drew Thomas – dmthomas21@cps.edu – with any questions.

CPS - GrowWELL Strategic Planning Forum
2014-08-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Wadsworth Elementary, 6650 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL, United States

Root Cellars to Refrigeration: Food Preservation 101
2014-08-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Speaker: Tim Heppner, Ecotelligent Design
Audience: General
How can you enjoy the fruits and vegetables from your summer garden all year round? Tim Heppner takes us through homesteading 101: preserving. He will show multiple methods that are used to preserve foods such as canning, dehydration, fermentation and more. He will outline each method’s pros and cons, discuss how long food will last while stored each way, and describe what foods are best for each method. Being ever interested in energy usage, Tim will also take a deeper look into how much energy each method will use and what will be your greenest option!
Space is limited – Register here

McKinley Park Garden Walk
2014-08-09 13:00 - 16:00 | McKinley Park Community Garden, 1900 W Pershing Road, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Tour over 10 public and private gardens in the McKinley Park neighborhood including the McKinley Park Community Garden, learning gardens at local schools, and home gardens throughout the neighborhood.
Maps of the garden sites will be available at the McKinley Park Community Garden (1900 W Pershing Road) or the McKinley Park Library (1915 W 35th Street) on the day of the walk. The tour will be self-guided so you can visit the gardens at your leisure.
In addition, Master Gardeners will be present at the community garden to answer your gardening questions.
The walk is rain or shine.

ACGA 2014 Conference: Gateway to Community in the City of Neighborhoods
2014-08-07 - 2014-08-10 | The Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
Details to come!

Paper Fashion Party
2014-08-05 13:00 - 17:00 | The Papermaker’s Garden, 8th and Wabash, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
The Papermaker’s Garden at Columbia College Chicago presents a slow fashion experiment that transforms plants into fibers, fibers into paper, and paper into clothing and accessories.
Events include: A recycled fabric paper pulping demonstration by Jillian Bruschera of ‘The Mobile Mill’, large (4ftx10ft!) sheet formation, how to turn sheets of paper into fabric, fabric printing techniques, collaborative paper dress construction, print your own piece of paper ‘fabric’ to take home!

CPS - GrowWELL Strategic Planning Forum
2014-08-04 16:30 - 18:30 | Hammond Elementary, 2819 W 21st Pl, Chicago, IL, United States

Edible Garden Tour
2014-07-26 10:00 - 17:00 | The Sugar Beet Co-op, 812 W. Madison, Oak Park, IL, 60302, United States
Sugar Beet Co-op’s 3rd Annual Edible Garden Tour July 26, 10am-3pm
Vertical Gardens, Orchards, Goats, Chickens and More on This Year’s Tour
The Sugar Beet Food Store Cooperative (“Sugar Beet Co-op”), a community based, member-owned, full service grocery store is hosting its 3rd Annual Edible Garden Tour Saturday, July 26 from 10am – 3pm.
At the peak growing season, participants can get a peek inside the beautiful edible gardens of neighbors in Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest and Austin. Visitors will learn about urban agriculture, organic gardening, raised beds, successive planting and more. Cycling from garden to garden is encouraged.
Highlights of this year’s Edible Garden Tour include:

Back by popular demand: The Ioder Goat Farm housed in a backyard garage in the Austin neighborhood, Chicago

Examples of successful community gardens including Wonderworks Childrens Museum, The Longfellow Family Garden Club Garden, the Forest Park Community Garden and the Dominican Priory Garden

A private home in North Oak Park that completely converted their front and back yard into an orchard and vegetable garden

A private home in South Oak Park with a children’s garden including a cucumber teepee

“This year, we’re really seeing more people trying their hand at growing their own food,” said Jill Niewoehner, chairwoman of the Edible Garden Tour. “The number of families raising chickens has increased too. This event is ideal for those curious about gardening with edibles and for people looking for inspiration to try something new and different in their gardens.”

Tickets are limited and may sell out. Order tickets online in advance at http://sugarbeetegt.brownpapertickets.com. Co-op Members are $10, General Public $12 and Kids are FREE, but everyone must register. Become a new member of The Sugar Beet Co-op the day of the Edible Garden Tour and your tickets to the tour are free! Walk up ticket sales, check in, and map pickup the day of the tour is from 9:30-2pm at future site of The Sugar Beet Co-op 812 Madison, Oak Park.

Also, raffle tickets will be sold at The Sugar Beet Co-op for a chance to win a $250 garden consult and or a signed copy of the book, “From the Ground Up,” by Jeanne Nolan the Organic Gardener responsible for the edible gardens at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
The Sugar Beet Co-op will be open to the public in early 2015. Member-owners of the Sugar Beet Co-op will receive store discounts, voting rights, and patronage dividends. Membership is open to everyone and can be purchased through the Sugar Beet Co-op’s website. www.sugarbeetcoop.com
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Marshall Square Clean and Green Day
2014-07-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Latinos Progresando, 3047 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago, IL, United States
Meeting up at Latinos Progresando (3047 W Cermack Rd)

CCCG Perennial & Flower Giveaway at Sherwood Peace Garden
2014-07-25 11:30 - 14:30 | Sherwood Peace Garden, 61st and Princeton, Chicago, IL, 60621, United States
FREE PERENNIAL FLOWERS AND GRASSES
for your COMMUNITY GARDEN

WHEN

FRIDAY, JULY 25
Sign in starting 11:30 am
Pick up plants from 12:00 – 2:30 pm

WHERE

Sherwood Peace Garden
Princeton and 61st Streets (one block west of Dan Ryan Expressway) in Englewood

Many thanks to Elite Growers for donating perennials
to support our community gardens!

This perennial giveaway is sponsored by CCCG, a coalition of community gardeners.
For more information, contact: 312-479-0110 or bejstst@yahoo.com or get.gardening@yahoo.com.

http://chicagocommunitygardens.org/
