Seed Swap - River Forest
2025-11-08 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Thatcher Woods Pavillion, 8030 Chicago Ave, River Forest, IL, 60305, United States
Seed Swap at Thatcher Woods
Saturday, November 8, 2025 | 9:00am-11:00am
Thatcher Woods Pavilion, Chicago Ave
west of Thatcher Ave, River Forest
Conservation@Home: Seed Swap – Forest Preserves of Cook County

November CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2025-11-18 18:00 - 19:00 | IL
Please join us for our monthly coordinating meeting. Representatives from all the working groups come together to coordinate our actions. All community gardeners and supporters are invited to attend.
CCGA coordinating meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, except for July & August. Click on the link next to the bullet to download the document(s) listed below.
NOTE: Most CCGA Coordinating meetings are being held via Zoom. In-person meeting locations may switch between The Hatchery Chicago & the Chicago Center for Green Technology.
If you want to attend the coordinating meeting and are not already a member of one of the CCGA working groups, please send an email to: communications@chicagocommunitygardens.org and request to join the monthly meetings.
NOTE: All CCGA coordinating meeting minutes are available for you to review on the website. Look under the menu tree at ‘Who We Are’ and then ‘CCGA Organization’ and you will see links here for the coordinating committee documents by year.

Seed and Plant Exchange - Dan Ryan Woods
2025-11-22 10:00 - 14:00 | dan ryan woods Pavillion, 8700 S Western Ave, Chicago
Seed Swap and Plant Exchange
Sat Nov 22, 10 am – 2 pm
Dan Ryan Woods Pavilion 87/western, Chicago
Native Seed Presentation at 1030am and 1230pm
Seed Keepers and Soil Steward Presentation at 1045am and 1245pm
Bring a mug; warm beverages provided

Webinar - Nonprofit Business Structure Basics
2025-12-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
Tuesday December 9, 2025 @ 6 pm
Nonprofit Business Structure Basics
Farmers don’t just grow food because they enjoy it; they farm to provide their community with good food and good jobs while stewarding the earth’s resources. Does that mean the nonprofit business structure is a good choice for a farm? This webinar session tackles that question, while also addressing other business structures that incorporate social benefits, including benefit companies and social purpose entities. From wealth-building limitations to IRS criteria and the influence of a board of directors, the session breaks down the decision-making factors that farmers need to consider.
Presenter: Rachel Armstrong, Farm Commons
Registration Required at https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/legal-training-for-illinois-small-farms-webinar-series
University of Illinois • U.S. Department of Agriculture • Local Extension Councils Cooperating. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Sarah Batka sbatka@illinois.edu or 217-300-8636

December CCGA Coordinating Meeting
2025-12-16 18:00 - 19:00 | IL

Fruit Tree Pruning Webinar
2025-12-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Fruit Tree Pruning Fundamentals Virtual Workshop
Wednesday, December 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom
Cost $5
Join our comprehensive apple pruning workshop and discover the essential skills that separate thriving orchards from struggling trees. This class will teach you the science and artistry behind proper pruning, empowering you to maximize your harvest while maintaining healthy, beautiful trees for years to come. The skills you learn in this course will prepare you to prune your fruit trees in the dormant season of mid-December to late February when pruning should be done.

Since 2017, Grant McCarty, Local Foods and Small Farms Educator, has taught fruit tree pruning classes for Northern Illinois growers, both commercial and noncommercial. His approach uses a color coding systems to help you visualize the cuts you need to make this season, the shape your tree currently is or is heading, and the confidence to take his suggestions and put into action. This unique approach combines education with consulting and coaching without stepping foot on your orchard.

What You’ll Learn
In this workshop, you’ll master both the theory and practice of apple tree pruning through detailed classroom instruction and personalized tree analysis:

Pruning Timing and Strategy – Learn when to prune for optimal growth and fruit production throughout the seasons, understanding how timing affects tree health and harvest quality.
Tree Anatomy and Assessment – Identify different types of wood and buds, understanding how each contributes to your tree’s overall health and productivity.
Proper Cutting Techniques – Master the fundamental cuts and tool selection methods that professional orchardists use to maintain healthy, productive trees.
Tool Maintenance and Care – Develop essential skills for keeping your pruning tools sharp and properly sanitized to prevent disease transmission between trees.
Tree Training Methods – Discover techniques for shaping young orchards and establishing strong branch structures that can support heavy fruit loads.
Disease Prevention and Management – Learn how strategic pruning improves air circulation and light penetration to reduce disease pressure naturally.
Fruit Thinning Strategies – Understand when and how to thin fruit for larger, higher-quality apples and reduced stress on tree branches.
Personalized Tree Analysis – The highlight of our class is examining photos of your actual trees to develop specific, actionable pruning plans you can implement immediately.

Why Attend This Class
Proper pruning is the difference between a productive orchard and a disappointing harvest. Many apple growers struggle with overgrown, diseased, or poorly shaped trees that produce small, low-quality fruit. You may also be encountering heavy crop loads every other year. This class will save you years of trial and error, helping you avoid common mistakes that can permanently damage your trees. You’ll learn techniques that commercial orchardists use to maximize both fruit quality and quantity, while developing the confidence to make decisions that will benefit your trees for decades.

What to Expect
This comprehensive classroom workshop combines expert instruction with personalized guidance for your specific trees. Before class, you’ll have the opportunity to submit photos of your fruit trees, which we’ll analyze together to create customized pruning plans tailored to your orchard’s unique needs.

Who Should Attend
This class is perfect for backyard fruit tree growers looking to improve their harvest, homesteaders wanting to establish productive orchards, and anyone who has inherited apple trees and wants to care for them properly. Further, this class is designed for new commercial orchardists, whether adding to their farm or just getting started.

Balance Sheets Workshop - Chatham
2025-12-19 12:00 - 16:00 | U of I Extension Chicago office, 8753 S Greenwood #100, Chicago, IL, 60619, United States
Farm Balance Sheets
Friday December 19, 2025
in person at 8753 S. Greenwood, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60619from 12 noon – 1 pm
Bring your lunch to our office and enjoy a 60-minute lunchtime presentation covering the what, why and how of farm balance sheets. Participants will receive a spreadsheet template & have the opportunity to contribute to a group learning activity.
1 – 4 pm
An optional guided work session follows the noon presentation. You will have the opportunity to input your own data into an Excel template, share results, and/or discuss solutions to problems that may be revealed after completing the balance sheet. Instructors and students will collectively brainstorm solutions. Light snacks & coffee/tea provided. Bring your laptop, a brown bag lunch, and farm data for this afternoon work session.

Cost: There is no cost to attend, we just ask that you pre-register: https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/farm-balance-sheets

Instructor: Kathryn Pereira, Extension Educators, Local Food Systems and Small Farms.
If you have any questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Sarah 217-300-8636 or sbatka@illinois.edu

AGA Avondale Almanac Premiere Event
2025-12-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Revolution Brewing – Brewery & Taproom, 3340 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618, United States
Come celebrate our 3rd annual AGA Avondale Almanac + Wall Calendar release! Yule is the perfect time to pick up your 2026 Almanac and start dreaming of 2026 garden plans. Friday 12/19 @ 6-8p at Revolution Brewing.
Our fully local made by neighbors Alma is 80 color pages including comprehensive planting calendar, weekly suggestions to keep up with your garden chores, local photos + nature facts, and so much more! This is our 4th edition and every year gets better thru hard work of of neighbors! Last year the theme was SOIL, this year ROOTS, next… STEMS!

Everything Local Conference - Springfield
2026-01-28, 2026-01-29, 2026-01-30 | IL
Registration Now Open for Everything Local Conference
Jan 28 – 30, 2026
Springfield, IL $100 members / $225 non-members
Registration link
