CCGA Logo Design Contest: Submission Deadline
2015-03-01
EXTENDED — New Submission Deadline: March 1, 2015
Exhibition & Voting: March 5-10, 2015
Attention all local artists and designers! Lend your skills to develop a stellar logo for the newest resource for Chicago’s community gardeners: the CCGA! Submit your design to be displayed at the CCGA’s 2015 Annual Conference. CCGA members will vote on the designs at the meeting and via social media. The design with the most votes on March 10 will become our new logo. The artist of the winning logo will be awarded with a Lifetime CCGA Membership. Join us!
Your application must include the three following elements:

Logo Design
Artist Statement
Copyright Agreement

Send these three files to Amy at logo@chicagocommunitygardens.org no later than February 16th. Guidelines for these files are described below.
Questions? Email Amy at logo@chicagocommunitygardens.org or call her at 312-925-2148.

Logo
Logo Requirements – printable version
Requirements:

Include the acronym CCGA and the full name “Chicago Community Gardeners Association”. These elements should work together and also function independently.
Reflect the idea that CCGA members live and garden in all areas of the city. We celebrate the diversity of Chicago’s gardening projects.
Provide your design as vector artwork (.AI or .EPS format)

Artist Statement
Artist Statement Requirements – printable version
Requirements:

Formatted for a single sheet of 8.5″x11″ paper, with 1” margins on the top and sides and a 1.5” margin on the bottom
Title – 24 pt font
Artist’s Name – 12 pt font
If desired, include contact information: web site and email (please do not include personal address or phone number) – 12 pt font
Statement should be 375 words maximum – 12 pt font
Save in PDF format
Use natural language – write as you would talk!

Suggestions for content:

Your philosophy and approach to working
Your technique
Meaning of your design
Symbols, metaphors, analogies
Themes and underlying messages
Life experiences and influences on your work

Copyright Agreement
Sign, scan, and return this form.

THIS IS CCGA - 3rd Annual Gathering
2015-03-07 08:30 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | Greater West Town Training Partnership, 500 N. Sacramento Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
When and where is the Gathering?
March 7th, from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm (Doors open at 8:30 am, Welcome kicks off at 9:30 am)
West Town Academy
534 N Sacramento Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612
(Across the street from the Center for Green Technology)

The 3rd Annual Spring Gathering of the Chicago Community Gardeners Association will highlight the most powerful resource available to Chicago’s gardeners: each other. You are formally invited both to bask in the benefits gathered by your fellow gardeners and to become part of this important team.
REGISTER HERE

What will happen at the Gathering?
There will be lots of action to pack into the 4-hour conference, all centered on sharing and eliciting creative approaches to common community gardening challenges and opportunities. Based on gardener feedback, we’ll continue the tradition of holding an array of expert-facilitated workshops. We’ll also have a garden gear raffle, and get a tour of the CCGA website. All that plus a light lunch.
Exactly what gardener-led workshops are you offering this year?
Here are the topics:

Creative Community Building in Community Gardens
A healthy vibrant community garden is one where people feel involved, engaged, and joyful, whether they are gardeners or not. Community gardens are ideal places for communities to gather for fun, for social justice, for fellowship. To think outside the flower box, come to this session where community gardeners will share creative ways they have activated community gardening space beyond gardening.
Community Gardens as Message Sites for Soil and Water Security
The United Nations General Assembly designated 2015 for yearlong soil celebrations, as a way to increase understanding of the importance of soil for food security and essential ecosystem functions. Join this session to discuss how community gardens are urgent and essential social places for understanding the importance of soil and water in everyday life. Community gardeners can leverage community gardens as important dissemination stations for messaging the crucial role that soil and water play in global health.
Building Garden Structures
This session walks participants through building trellises and compost bins in a unique, hands-on way. Participants will build these structures and learn about their usefulness in the garden.
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist
Fruit trees, berry bushes, brambles and more. Learn how to apply the basic principles of permaculture to create an edible perennial landscape in your community garden. Often referred to as “forest gardening” or “food forests”, panel presenters will discuss how these principles are being applied to private, small backyards, to community gardens in Chicago vacant lots, and to large school campuses to create lush, bountiful, and low maintenance gardens
Digging in – Transforming Garden Conflict into Constructive Growth
Conflict in a community garden can be disheartening, especially when the words “community garden” strike up images of everyone working together in harmony. However, conflict is a natural part of relationships and can be quite transformative. This interactive session will explore creative approaches to transforming conflict in which we view conflict as a valuable opportunity to grow and increase our understanding of ourselves and others. The session will offer resources that can hopefully strengthen and build not only your garden team, but other teams in your life, as well. Narrative mediation is a resource that helps us think of conflicts as a story and opens possibilities to growing new stories of relationships we prefer. Appreciative Inquiry provides a shift from traditional problem solving to envisioning possibilities for the future based upon appreciating and valuing what we are doing well. These approaches do not ignore conflict or problems, but rather recognize conflict as a desire for something else. This workshop will be facilitated by Kristin Bodiford, who teaches in both the Masters of Conflict Resolution and Graduate School of Social Work programs at Dominican University
Spring Preparation and Planting Tips
Spring is an exciting time- seeds are started, soil warms up, garden teams come together. This session explores the ways in which gardeners can kick off spring, whether by seed starting, garden clean up, or knowing how to get a volunteer crew lined up for a big work day.

Conference Agenda (tentative)
8:30 am- Doors Open, Check In, and Last Minute Registration Begins

Receive name tag and raffle number for Garden Gear Raffle
Sign up for two workshops [LINK]. Each workshop will be included in both sessions.
Sign up to be on one of CCGA’s action committees (next formal CCGA meeting set for April 11, 2015 @ the Center for Green Technology)
Surf the Chicago Community Gardening Association Website in the Computer Classrooms

9:30 am- Welcome from Interim CCGA Steering Committee
10:00 am to 10:50 am – Networking Workshops Session One
11:00 am to 11:50 am- Networking Workshops Session Two
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Lunch, Exhibits, Raffle (raffle tickets pulled at 12:30 — must be present to win), Neighborhood Networking/ Alliancing
What has CCGA done since last year’s Gathering?
Tons! In addition to the Gathering, we held seasonal workshops, distributed thousands of free perennials and bulbs, and more, helping hundreds of gardeners make their dreams grow. Check out the full list of our 2014 accomplishments.
This sounds great! Sign me up! How do I register, and how much does it cost?
Please register online (insert link to google form) for this conference by March 1, 2015 to reserve your space. Entrance fee to this conference is on a sliding scale — please pay what you can (recommended donation is $10, to cover lunch cost).
Is there any other way I can contribute?
Sure! We’re a volunteer-run organization, and we need you. The Steering Committee invites you to volunteer to give CCGA a hand during the entire year — to help with the workshops, plant giveaways, and event organizing, and to suggest sites and activities. We’ll be organizing volunteers at the March 7th gathering and will also soon accept volunteers at the website.
The 3nd Annual Conference of Chicago’s Community Gardeners will be a day for connecting, learning, sharing ideas, and working together to grow strong roots for the future of community gardening in Chicago. Space is limited, so please register early. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
The CCGA Interim Steering Committee

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

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!

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

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.

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

Chicago, We Can Change the Food System - Food Tank Summit
2016-11-16 | Gleacher Center, 450 N Cityfront Plaza Dr, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
40+ Top Local, National, and Global Food and Agriculture Experts Coming to Chicago for Major 1-Day Summit
The 2016 Chicago Food Tank Summit will be coming to the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business on November 16th.
Food Tank (foodtank.com), in partnership with The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and University of Chicago Booth School of Business, will be holding an upcoming food and agriculture focused one day conferenced entitled, “Chicago, We Can Change the Food System – the 2016 Food Tank Summit” on November 16th from 9:00AM-5PM CST at the Gleacher Center (450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive).
The event features more than 40 speakers including (in alphabetical order): Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary; Rick Bayless, Frontera; Alesha Black, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Alexander Borschow, Semillero Ventures, LLC; Ben Burkett, National Family Farm Coalition; Kevin Cleary, Clif Bar & Company; Mel Coleman, Niman Ranch; Bill Daley, Chicago Tribune; Monica Eng, WBEZ; Bruce Friedrich, The Good Food Institute; Shayna Harris, Farmer’s Fridge; Pamela Hess, Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture; Greg Kearns, Heifer International; Fred Kirschenmann, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University; Stacey Kole, University of Chicago Booth School of Business; Corby Kummer, Atlantic Monthly; Karen Lehman, Fresh Taste; Fred Lutzi, The Land Institute; Cassandra Ly, Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) Alumni Association; Juliette Majot, IATP; Angela Mason, Windy City Harvest; David MacLennan, Cargill; Anuradha Mittal, Oakland Institute; Lisa Moon, The Global FoodBanking Network; Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank; Jonathan Pereira, Plant Chicago; Harry Rhodes, Growing Home; Jim Slama, FamilyFarmed; Elanor Starmer, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Roger Thurow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs; Sarah Vared, ReFED; William Warshauer, TechnoServe; and Emily Zack, LUREC.
The entire event will be livestream free at FoodTank.com with backstage interviews on Facebook Live. More than 15,000 people from around the world streamed the last Food Tank Summit in Sacramento a few weeks ago.
Following the event attendees are invited to a special reception held at Eataly (43 E Ohio St, Chicago) along with a four-course dinner combined with wine-pairings specially curated by the executive chef.
For more information or to purchase tickets please click here: http://bit.ly/2eDlpyL.
WHO: The Food Tank Chicago Summit features an unprecedented collection of more than 40 different speakers, journalists, and experts from the food and agriculture field. For the complete agenda, along with purchase opportunities, please click here: http://bit.ly/2eDlpyL
WHAT: Special 1-Day Conference: Chicago, We Can Change the Food System – the 2016 Food Tank Summit followed by a special reception and dinner at Eataly.
WHEN/WHERE: The Food Tank Summit is being held at the Gleacher Center (450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive) on November 16th from 9:00AM-5:00PM and reception/dinner at Eataly (43 E Ohio St, Chicago) from 6:00PM-9:00PM.
About Food Tank
Food Tank, a global non-profit founded in Chicago, is focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. We spotlight environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty and create networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change.

Putting Small Acres to Work Conference
2016-12-03 09:00 - 17:00 | NIU Rockford Conference Center, 8500 E State Street, Rockford, IL, United States
December 3, 2016 9 am – 5 pm
NIU Conference Center, 8500 E State Street, Rockford, IL.
There will be general sessions on permaculture and farm-scale energy production, as well as breakout sessions on both plant and animal topics, including tomatoes and peppers, microgreens, shiitake mushrooms, raising livestock for fiber, meat goat production, and controlling weeds in pastures. See attached Flyer for more information.
Cost $40 includes all materials and lunch
Pre-registration required by 12/1 at https://web.extension.illinois.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=15486

Illiana Vegetable Growers Symposium
2017-01-05
Illiana Vegetable Growers Symposium
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Teibel’s Family Restaurant, US 30 and US 41, Schererville, Indiana
Sessions Include:
Pollinators: Where are We After 2016?
Management of Powdery Mildew & Other Important Diseases of Cucurbits
Mineral Nutrition for Vegetable Crops
Updated Worker Protection Standards
Food Safety Regulation Update & Washing Systems for Small Operations
How Can Farm Profiles Help You Plan?
Modern Transplant Production in the Greenhouse
Successful Pest Management in Organic Vegetable Production
Bio-Char: Does it Work?
Student & Mentoring Programs on VegetableFarms
Is Hydroponics Really That Easy?
Starting a Hydroponic Enterprise & Identifying Markets
Advance registration is $30 per person.
Participants may register online at (www.edustore.purdue.edu) before Dec. 22.
To register by mail, send a completed registration form (https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/Documents/2017IVGSRegBrochureFinalFillable.pdf) with payment postmarked by Dec. 16.
On-site registrations will be accepted at $35 per person, but the famous Teibel’s fried chicken luncheon cannot be guaranteed.
For more information, contact Nikky Witkowski at Purdue Extension-Lake County: (219) 755-3240 or nikky@purdue.eduor Liz Maynard at Purdue University: (219) 548-3674 or emaynard@purdue.edu.

The Naturally Beautiful Garden Conference
2017-02-11 12:00 - 17:30 | Triton College, 2000 5th Avenue, River Grove, IL, 60171, United States
The Naturally Beautiful Garden Conference
12:00-5:30 p.m. on February 11, 2017
Triton College, River Grove, IL
Get practical advice on creating stunning home gardens using layers found in native ecosystems. These layers support life: soil organisms, insects, birds and more.
Landscape architect Rick Darke, co-author with Douglas Tallamy of The Living Landscape, and Heather Holm, author of Pollinators of Native Plants, will lead a half-day conference on how to design home landscapes that not only look beautiful but also support the surrounding regional ecosystem. The conference is hosted by the West Cook chapter of Wild Ones, a national native plant organization.
First, Darke will lead the audience in an entertaining discussion of a wild landscape’s layers (ground, forbs, grasses, shrubs, small trees, large trees), and how we can use them in eye-catching, beautiful ways. Next, he will give advice on easy ways to maintain a native home landscape. Then, Holm will describe the habitat and food needs of birds, bees and pollinators, and recommend specific native trees and shrubs that support their life cycles.
Learn more: https://westcookwildonesconference.eventbrite.com. This conference is made possible by West Cook Wild Ones members, our plant sale, and PlanItGreen, Oak Park and River Forest’s Sustainability Plan. Triton College Sustainability Center will host the conference.

Download (PDF, 6.75MB)

CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Saturday February 18, 10am at CCGT
2017-02-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting is Saturday February 18th at 10am at the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. and will be focused on continued planning for the 2017 Annual Conference.
We’ll meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building. Bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.
Hope to see you there!

CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Saturday March 18, 10am at CCGT
2017-03-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting is Saturday March 18th at 10am at the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. and will be our final planning meeting before the 2017 Annual Conference.
We’ll meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building. Bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.
Hope to see you there!

5th CCGA Conference - Saturday March 25th
2017-03-25 09:00 - 14:00 | Breakthrough FamilyPlex, 3219 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
When:
Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 9am-2pm
Location:
Breakthough FamilyPlex, 3219 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL 60624
Workshops • Panel Discussion • Exhibitors • Seed Distribution
Idea Sharing • Continental Breakfast • Delicious Lunch
Door Prizes • Community Building
Workshops, including:
Season Extension for Community Gardens • Tips for Growing Natural, Vibrant Gardens
• Community Gardens as Organizing Hubs • Basic Vegetable Gardening
The Growing Classroom • Compost Magic • How to Plan Your Raised Vegetable Bed
Space is limited! Please register HERE
Registration fee:
$20 per person payable online or on-site.
We’re building a slideshow of community gardens to be displayed at the event and on our
Facebook page and we’d love to include your photos. Help us by sending your favorite garden photos, maybe a brief description, and the garden name to: photos@chicagocommunitygardens.org.

Downloadable flier below. Help spread the news!

Download (PDF, 428KB)

Next CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Tuesday April 25th, 6:30pm at CCGT
2017-04-25 18:30 - 20:00 | Center for Green Technology, 445 North Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting is Tuesday April 25th at 6:30pm at the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. and will be our final planning meeting before our Membership retreat and we will review the recent annual conference.
We’ll meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building. Bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.
Hope to see you there!

Master Urban Farmer Training Program Spring/Summer Session 2017
2017-05-10 17:30 - 20:30 | the Children’s Farm at The Center, 12700 S. Southwest Highway, Palos Park, IL, 60464, United States
The University of Illinois Extension has just announced an Urban Ag training program being held on 12 consecutive Wednesdays from May 10th through July 26th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
Location: the Children’s Farm at The Center, 12700 S. Southwest Highway, Palos Park, IL.
Intended for Entrepreneurs who want to start an urban produce farm operation, Community members in underserved/food insecure communities who want to increase food security and/or establish a community food system project in their neighborhood, Educators who want to bring food production knowledge back to their organization; and new growers interested in more intensive training programs.
Class size is limited to 25 participants in an effort to engage individual participants at greater level. There will be “eyes on” and “hands on” opportunities to incorporate concepts learned during the modules:

Site Selection Issues
Intro to Soils, Testing, Analysis, and Corrections
Composting
Vegetable Production Systems, Planning, and Scheduling
Transplant Production
Season Extension
Insects, Diseases, Weed Management
Integrated Pest Management
Tools, Equipment, and Irrigation
How to Choose a Farm Enterprise
Business Planning, Financial Statements, and Marketing for your Urban Agriculture Project
Bees & Native Pollinators
Food Safety , GAP’s, and Post-Harvest Handling
Keeping it Legal
Fruit Production
Grant Programs and other farm programs/resources

For more information visit: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cook/muft/
UIC Extension Logo
For questions please contact Sarah Batka, Extension Program Coordinator at University of Illinois Extension at sbatka@illinois.edu.

Next CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Tuesday May 23, 6pm
2017-05-23 18:00 - 20:00 | Center for Green Technology, 445 North Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting will be Tuesday, May 23 at 6pm at the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. and our focus will be preparation for our retreat and wrap-up reporting on the CCGA 5th Annual Conference in March.
We will meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building. Bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.
Hope to see you there!

Next CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Tuesday June 27th, 6:30pm
2017-06-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting will be Tuesday, June 27th 2017 at 6:30pm at the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. and our focus will be reporting from our June 3rd membership retreat, the venue for the 2018 conference and normal committee business.
We will meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building. Bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.
Hope to see you there!

AUA's 6th Annual Urban Livestock Expo
2018-02-03 11:00 - 14:00 | Southside Occupational Academy High School, 7342 S Hoyne Ave., Chicago, IL, 60636, United States
On February 3rd, 2018, 11am-2pm, AUA and Southside Occupational Academy warmly invite you to the 6th Annual Urban Livestock Expo: FREE, fun, family-friendly workshops on raising bees, goats, chickens, ducks and more in your yard!
All levels of expertise and interest welcome, from the experienced to the curious! Workshops will cover daily care, ideal breeds, how to troubleshoot common problems, and professionals’ tips for being a good neighbor with animals in the city. Also get a chance to explore the amazing urban agriculture program at our host site, Southside Occupational Academy!
Additionally, area urban livestock groups and businesses will staff resource tables with information on further learning opportunities, support networks, sources of supplies, equipment, and more.
Don’t miss this fun opportunity to expand your knowledge, connect with other practitioners, and bond with a goat! Further details here: bit.ly/UrbanLivestockExpo2018, and detailed workshop topics to follow. Reach out to AUA with questions at info@auachicago.org or 773-850-0428. We hope you’ll join us!

CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Tuesday February 6, 6:30pm
2018-02-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting is Tuesday February 6th at 6:30pm at the Chicago Center for Green Technology CCGT at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. The main item agenda is final planning for the 2018 conference.
We will meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building and as always try and bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.
Hope to see you there!

6th Annual CCGA Gardeners Conference - Saturday March 3rd 2018
2018-03-03 09:00 - 14:30 | Kennedy-King College, 6301 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60621, United States

Good Food EXPO
2018-03-23 10:00 - 2018-03-24 17:00

2019 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference and Trade Show
2019-01-09 - 2019-01-11 | Crowne Plaza, 160 E Huron, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
The 2019 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference and Trade Show is scheduled for Jan. 9-11, 2019, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, Springfield, Illinois.The Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference (ISCAOC) will be held January 9-11, 2019. The conference, which features nearly 100 speakers and 60 trade show exhibitors, will again host four concurrent preconference workshops, general sessions, and breakout sessions aimed at helping Illinois specialty growers cultivate their operations. Find details in the flyer posted here.
The 30th annual Apple Cider Contest and 17th annual Hard Cider Contest will again be held in conjunction with the conference, with winners being announced during Thursday evening’s banquet.
To receive registration materials or to obtain exhibitor information, please contact Charlene Blary at 309-557-2107 or cblary@ilfb.org. Conference registration will be offered online. A detailed conference agenda, registration, and cider contest information can be viewed at specialtygrowers.org.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at a rate of $101 per night. Please call the hotel directly at 217-529-7777.

CCGA Coordinating Meeting - Thursday January 24, 2019 at 6:30pm
2019-01-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Center for Green Technology, 445 North Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Thursday January 24, 2019
At 6:30pm at CCGT.

AUA's Urban Livestock Expo
2019-02-09 11:00 - 15:00 | Southside Occupational Academy High School, 7342 S Hoyne Ave., Chicago, IL, 60636, United States
Redefining what a ‘live’ event is, the Urban Livestock Expo returns with
FREE, fun, family-friendly workshops on raising bees, goats, chickens,
ducks, quail and more in your yard!
Workshops will cover daily care, ideal breeds, how to troubleshoot common
problems, and professionals’ tips for being a good neighbor with animals in
the city. Also get a chance to explore the amazing urban agriculture
programs at our host site, Southside Occupational Academy!
Spanish interpretation provided and all skill and experience levels
welcome, from the experienced to the curious. Additionally, area urban
livestock groups and businesses will staff resource tables with information
on further learning opportunities, support networks, sources of supplies,
equipment, and more.
Further details on our Facebook event at bit.ly/UrbanLivestockExpo2019 and
to follow.

CCGA Conference Planning/Coordinating Meeting
2019-02-13 18:30 - 20:00 | The Hatchery, 135 N. Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
The next CCGA Coordinating Meeting is Wednesday February 13th at 6:30pm at The Hatchery, 135 N. Kedzie Ave Chicago, IL 60612. There is on-site parking and the CTA Green Line stops right outside the building.
The main item agenda is continued planning for our 2019 conference.
As always try and bring a snack or drink to share if you can.
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.

The Naturally Beautiful Garden Conference
2019-02-16 12:00 - 17:00 | Triton College, 2000 5th Avenue, River Grove, IL, 60171, United States
The Naturally Beautiful Garden Conference
Featuring Visionary Landscape Architect Claudia West and Award-Winning Garden Designer Ben Vogt
February 16, 2019, Noon-5pm
Presented by: West Cook Wild Ones
Hosted by:
Triton College Sustainability Center
at the Performing Arts Center • R Building
2000 Fifth Ave • River Grove, IL

Download (PDF, 1.76MB)

NeighborSpace Annual Information Session
2019-03-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
NeighborSpace Annual Information Session – Helpful Tips For New Community Garden Leaders
When: March 16th, 10 am – 12:00 noon (FREE LUNCH AT NOON)
Where: 445 N Sacramento Blvd. (Center for Green Technology)
Description: Each year, NeighborSpace hosts an important information session for NeighborSpace garden leaders and members. As new gardens join our land trust each year, this is a great opportunity for new garden leaders to get a big picture view of the network you are now a part of. There will be free seeds, free signs, free locks, free lunch, and more. Enjoy fun insights and fruitful conversation about being a NeighborSpace garden, including:
*** the history of NeighborSpace
*** shared rules and responsibilities in the garden
*** setting up fiscal accounts for your garden
*** new tools in the Tool Lending Library
*** information on free delivery days for soil refreshment
*** tips on how to run a better meeting

Good Food Expo
2019-03-22 - 2019-03-23 | University of Illinois Chicago, Jane Addams Hull House 800 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
This expo brings together a collection of expert speakers, chefs, farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, buyers, sellers, DIY enthusiasts and consumers who are accelerating the rise of a better food system.

CCGA 7th Spring Conference
2019-03-30 09:00 - 16:00 | Breakthrough FamilyPlex, 3219 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
