Chicago Community Gardeners Association

Mother Earth Garden Spring Kick-off Event
2014-04-12 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Mother Earth Garden, 3059 W. 5th Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
EEE and Exelon have partnered for Mother Earth Garden’s first official work day of the season. Join us in planting seeds and seedlings and building garden beds.
This is a family-friendly activity. All ages and abilities are welcome. You will get dirty, and you will have fun!
3059 W. 5TH AVE
Chicago, IL 60624
April 12th
10am-2pm

Lunch and beverages will be served
Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mother-earth-garden-spring-kick-off-day-tickets-11111728479
info@eeeyouth.org / 773.473.4650

Corner Farm Chicago Season Kick-Off
2014-04-10 19:00 - 23:00 | Whirlaway Lounge, 3224 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, United States
Spring is finally here! Join us to grow some green for CFC at one of our favorite neighborhood watering holes, the Whirlaway Lounge. Money raised goes directly into the farm for seeds, materials, soil and more! Maria is, as always, our kind and generous host.
Your suggested donation of $10 (cash, please!) comes with a raffle ticket for one of our fabulous prizes. Extra raffle prizes are 6 for $5. Once you see all the amazing Logan Square and gardening swag we’ve got, you’re gonna want extra tickets. See you there!

2014 Bucktown Garden & Tree Walk - Volunteer Kickoff Meeting
2014-04-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Jane’s Restaurant, 1653-1655 W. Cortland St.,, Chicago, IL, 60622, United States
The 2014 Bucktown Tree and Garden Walk will be taking place Saturday, July 12th and Sunday, July 13th from 11am – 5pm. We are in need of volunteers for a variety of tasks leading up to and the weekend of the walk.
We will be holding our kickoff volunteer meeting tonight at 7pm at Jane’s Restaurant. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your neighbors and support our community. Come out and bring a friend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Olive's Neighborhood Garden for the Hungry: Fundraiser
2014-04-05 15:00 - 17:00 | Rabbit’s Bar & Grill, 4945 West Foster Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Fundraiser for Olive’s Neighborhood Garden for the Hungry
Come out on Saturday to Rabbit’s Bar and Grill (4945 West Foster Avenue, at the corner of Foster and Elston) to help Olive’s Neighborhood Garden for the Hungry grow fresh food for neighbors who have fallen on hard times. Come early, stay late!
Admission is free. There will be raffles for items donated by local companies and a cash prize raffle. Contact Andy at 773-502-4651 or AndyBS3963@hotmail.com for more info.

Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop
2014-03-30 13:00 - 16:00 | Regenstein Center, Linneaus Room, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL, United States
Find out what grafting fruit tress is all about. Learn the the whys and hows with experienced grafters. We will also have an impressive amount of scion wood available for grafting. The purpose of the grafting workshop is to learn how to graft. Nonmember beginners will learn how to graft selected apple varieties on apple rootstock. If you’d like more information about grafting see MidFEx’s Grafting Page.
Parking is free for Chicago Botanic Garden members and members of gardens with reciprocal privileges. If you are not a member of the Botanic Gardens you will have to pay the parking fee. Visit Chicago Botanic Garden’s web pages for details on parking and membership. Chicago Botanic Garden
THE EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, but only the individuals actually grafting fruit trees will be allowed in the grafting classroom. Friends, spouses, and children are welcome to explore the grounds during the sessions.
Our workshop and guidance are free. However you will need to buy rootstock if you want to take home a tree. We will have dwarfing apple, pear and plum rootstock available. Cost is $4 each with free scion wood for MidFEx members. Non-members pricing is $5 which includes two pieces of scion wood of their choice. Unless rootstocks were preordered, each attendee will be limited to three (3) rootstocks each. Grafting requires a very sharp knife with a 2-3 inch blade. Bring your own medium-size pocket knife–we can sharpen it for you if needed, or purchase one at the workshop. Other supplies are available for purchase if you would like to continue honing your grafting skills after the workshop is over.

High Bionutrient Crop Production Workshop - Scholarships Available
2014-03-29 09:30 - 2014-03-30 16:30
Interested in Growing Nutrient Dense, Higher Yielding Crops? How About Crops with Improved Pest & Disease Resistance and Better Tolerance of Extreme Weather Conditions?
Learn from a life long Farmer of his 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.
Cost: $150.00, with Scholarship funds available for Farmers.
Potluck event. Please bring a dish to share on both days.
For Event Information: please contact the North Lawndale Greening Committee – Dr. Shemuel Israel, President NLGC – cell: 773-332-7887; or Annamaria Leon, Director, Education & Community Outreach cell: 414-339-55537, or email at nlgreeningcommittee@gmail.com.
For Scholarship information, please contact Gary Neves, Course Administrator, Cell: 774-573-6804, gary@bionutrient.org
REGISTER ONLINE AT THE BFA WEBSITE
Toward the bottom of the workshops page is the button to sign up online.

The Newberry Library Colloquium -- City in a Garden: Uncovering the History of Urban Agriculture in Chicago
2014-03-26 16:00 - 17:00 | The Newberry Library, 60 West Walton Street, Chicago, IL, 60610, United States
Courtney Wiersema, Graduate Scholar in Residence & PhD Candidate, University of Notre Dame
Though nineteenth-century Chicago is often remembered for its stockyards and grain elevators, these industrial food systems represented just some of the many ways that the city’s residents put food on the table. A diverse group of Chicagoans also practiced urban agriculture, using backyards and side streets to raise pigs, chickens, fruits, and vegetables. This talk will use source materials available at the Newberry to explore the practice and meaning of agriculture in Chicago.
In the Towner Fellows’ Lounge.

The Cooperation Operation: How interdisciplinary approaches have the power to reinvent urban space
2014-03-23 15:00 - 17:00
The Historic Pullman Garden Club and Historic Pullman Foundation present:
The Cooperation Operation: How interdisciplinary approaches have the power to reinvent urban space
This is the third event of the annual Winter Lecture Series, held the 4th Sunday of January, February and March 2014. All events are free, refreshments will be served, and we welcome everyone and anyone interested! Please feel free to pass this information to others.

CCCG 2014 Conference - March 22 @ 10 am to 3 pm
2014-03-22 10:00 - 15:00 | Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR CCCG 2014

Registration is required.
Click here to see a program of CCCG 2014 events.

There are hundreds of community gardens sown across Chicago. Though we all garden in our unique neighborhoods, we are bound by common challenges, opportunities and visions of a greener city. The 2nd Annual CCCG is a day for Chicago’s community gardeners to connect, learn, share ideas, and work together to grow strong roots for the future of community gardening. Register today to hear exciting speakers and learn about new skills and resources in a variety of workshops, participate in the CCCG Seed Swap and Garden Consignment Shop, and meet like-minded gardeners from across the city. We hope you can join us.
Who should attend?
You, and other community gardeners from across Chicago. New community gardeners and seasoned experts alike are welcome.
Where exactly on Navy Pier?
The meeting space will be held at Navy Pier in rooms 301-312. To access these rooms go to Entrance 1 (where Riva Restaurant is located) halfway down Navy Pier, and take the elevator or stairs to the third floor.
How much does it cost to attend?
CCCG is free for Chicago community gardeners to attend. We are however asking for a suggested donation of $15 (when you register or at the door) to cover expenses.

Light breakfast and lunch will be served.
Community Gardeners who attend CCCG will have access to the Chicago Flower and Garden Show.
You will be asked to answer questions regarding your garden, session, and child care needs after ticketing.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR CCCG 2014

Registration is required.

Beekeeping for Community Gardeners and Urban Farmers
2014-03-19 15:00 - 17:00 | CSU Aquaponics Center, 9601 S. Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL, 60619, United States
The March meeting of the Roseland-Pullman Urban Agriculture and Community Garden Network will feature beekeeper Marc Korton discussing “Beekeeping for Community Gardeners and Urban Farmers.”
Marc Korton has been an urban beekeeper for over 30 years. He maintains nearly two dozen hives in his Pullman backyard and in the southern suburbs of Chicago. In a good year, his bee colonies produce over a thousand pounds of honey and pollinate millions of wildflowers and plants in the process.
This presentation will introduce local community gardeners and urban farmers to the fascinating world of “apiculture” (beekeeping) and how it can greatly improve the productivity and health of your gardens/farms. Marc will guide through the process of establishing a bee colony and the types of skills and equipment needed to care for a colony. He will be bringing some of his tools of the trade and some of his recent crop of honey.
All are welcome.

GROW Woodlawn 2014 Kick-Off
2014-03-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Southside Gospel Church, 863 E 64th St, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
GROW (Garden Resources of Woodlawn) is a group of Woodlawn volunteers, mostly gardeners, networking together to share resources, build community, and green and beautify Woodlawn. Come join us. Help us decide on GROW 2014 projects and goals. Meet other gardeners. Hear what’s new about gardening in Woodlawn.
This event is for Woodlawn community gardeners and yard gardeners, experienced gardeners, and also newbie green-thumbers.
Please RSVP if you will be attending this event by sending an email to info@growwoodlawn.org.

Let's Get Growing! Spring Tips for the Community Gardener
2014-03-15 13:00 - 14:30
A program of the CCCG Connecting Chicago Community Gardeners Network taught and organized by gardeners, for gardeners.
Facilitating the event will be Kirsten Akre, Dr. Shemuel Israel (North Lawndale Greening Committee), and Ellen Newcomer (Austin Green Team) in the Garfield Park Conservatory Community Room.
It has been a long cold winter, but spring is around the corner. Even before the soil warms, you can be ready to get your garden growing. Come to this workshop for inspiration and hands on tips for success.
All three instructors have been working in community gardens through out the city for over 15 years or more. We will discuss spring soil tips, easy early crops that can be sown directly in the garden, common spring pests and tips to avoid hungry animals from feasting, a few tips on starting seedlings indoors and starting your own sweet potato slips.
To help everyone start growing, we will have plenty of seeds to share thanks to Neighborspace. In addition, because eating the food is why we grow, we will taste recipes from a few of the spring crops thanks to Dr. Israel.
Update
For your reference, here are some of the handouts and lecture materials that were used at the workshop:

Let’s Get Growing – complete workshop outline
Soil blocking
Sweet potato slips

Urban Livestock Expo
2014-02-22 10:00 - 13:00 | Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 3857 W 111th Street, Chicago, IL, 60655, United States
Angelic Organics Learning Center, Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA), and the Chicagoland Chicken Enthusiasts again present the Urban Livestock Expo on February 22, 2014 from 10AM to 1PM at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 3857 W 111th Street in Chicago.
The Expo offers the chance to network with new and experienced urban livestock keepers and learn about raising chickens/poultry, bees, goats, and rabbits in the city. The Expo’s focus is raising animals responsibly in backyards, with representatives of many urban livestock groups, projects, and businesses on hand to tell visitors about opportunities for learning, visits, apprenticeships, sources of supplies, networking, and more.
Participants include new and experienced livestock keepers, experienced instructors, organized networks like the Chicagoland Chicken Enthusiasts, Windy City Bees, and the Goat Guardians Guild; organizations that support, train and advise on livestock topics; and businesses that provide supplies and services to people keeping livestock in the city.
