Community Tomato Tasting and Seed Saving Demonstration
2015-09-19 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Global Garden, 2974 W. Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Taste heirloom and open-pollinated tomatoes and collect the seeds from your favorites!
Choosing tomatoes from pictures in seed catalogs just isn’t the same as choosing one tomato based on taste at a tomato tasting/seed swap!

Bring your best homegrown or farmers’ market heirloom or open-pollinated tomatoes to share for a tasting and discover new favorites! We’ll show you how to collect and ferment seeds from tomatoes at the tasting for planting next year, and get deep into discussion on tomato reproduction for high-quality seed.

Don’t have tomatoes? No problem! We’ll have different varieties on hand to share.

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!
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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!

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

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.

“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)

Community Roots Demonstration & Community Garden Formal Opening - June 11th
2016-06-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Skinner Park, 1331 W Adams St., Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
The Community Roots Demonstration & Community Garden will formally open to the public on June 11 of this year with a full day of festivities to kick off the beginning of the programming season.
Located in Skinner Park on the Near West Side of Chicago, the garden will soon become home to a wide offering of classes and workshops, as well as opportunities for more passive and informal garden learning. Because this new space is being envisioned as a place for all of Chicago’s gardeners to gather, you’ll see many familiar faces from our green-thumbed community—Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, Chicago Honey Co-op, Social Ecologies, and more. Don’t forget to bring the kids; there will be tons of fun activities for them too. —plus, there will be a LOT of kid-friendly activities. We envision this space as a home for all of Chicago’s Gardeners. Join in the festivities June 11, 10am-2pm.

First Annual Uptown Garden Walk - Saturday, July 16, 2016
2016-07-16 | The Institute of Cultural Affairs in the U.S.A, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
The walk features 24 gardens across 3 themes. There will be 3 formal tours during the day, and residents can also pick up a map at any start location for a self-guided tour. The Sidewalk Tour starting at 10AM at Chase Park, 4701 N. Ashland, will showcase reimagined neighborhood spaces, such as Sunnyside Mall, as nontraditional gardens. The Coastal Tour starting at 1PM at Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine, will tour Uptown’s original coastline gardens and native habitats, such as the Marovitz Savanna. The Heritage Tour starting at 7PM at Winthrop Family Historical Garden, 4630 N. Winthrop, will tour gardens associated with Uptown history.
The garden walk is part of an effort to bring awareness to Uptown’s natural assets and original coastal zone. There is currently a lot of energy around revitalizing Uptown, and the natural resources are critical as a representation of the diverse community and organizations in Uptown.
The walking component also aims to highlight Uptown as a walkable neighborhood with many community resources within its borders, including local businesses, historic architecture, and nature along the routes.
The featured gardens are primarily publicly accessible gardens, such as parks, community, and school gardens. We hope that the garden walk will continue to expand and showcase the uniqueness of Uptown’s gardens and residents for years to come. All are welcome to attend the Garden Walk and are encouraged to RSVP.
The map & all the garden details are accessible on the ICA website. We also have a facebook page for easy social media sharing.

Jacklyn and the Beanstalk
2016-08-11 08:00 - 2016-08-12 17:00 | Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden, 4919 North Winthrop, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
When 13-year-old Jacklyn, who has a fear of heights, climbs a giant beanstalk, she encounters Giant Baby Ju Ju, whose fear of eating anything fresh causes her to gobble only sugary Smarties and Dum Dum lollipops as a steady diet! “Fee-fi-fo-fum. Will I get a Smartie or will I get a Dum Dum?” With the help of the audience, these two conquer their phobias in this interactive play for children. The show is staged in an outdoor community garden and the scenery is grown from pole beans. Audience members will get to pick and sample fresh beans as they learn about protein and good nutrition. If you think Millennium Park has the only BEAN – you need to check out this show!

Director, Martie Sanders, is a Chicago actress and teaching artist, best known for her work in performing comedic autobiographical stories with Sweat Girls (www.sweatgirls.org). Sanders now takes her love of theater and storytelling, mixes it with her green thumb, and mentors teenagers in growing food and crafting free summer theater for Uptown audiences in the garden. Sanders was awarded grants to pay six young people (ages 14-18) a minimum wage to learn gardening while devising the play. The teen writer/performer/gardeners began growing the scenery in May.
This project is partially supported by funding from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events with an Individual Artist’s Grant, Whole Kids Foundation and The Puffin Foundation.

JACKLYN AND THE BEANSTALK
Conceived and Directed by: Martie Sanders
Adapted and performed by Green Scene Chicago’s Summer Stock Teen Ensemble:
Abubakar Ayuba, Chisom Chima, Catherine Kannah, Devene Parker, Liliane Tran and Aida Zeleke.

WHERE
Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden
4919 North Winthrop, Chicago, Illinois 60640
Audience will sit picnic style in outdoor garden.

SHOW TIMES
August 11 at 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm
August 12 at 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 6 pm

TICKETS
Free performances
Groups of 6 or more please make a reservation at martie@greenscenechicago.org

WINTHROP HARMONY ARTS GARDEN – PROJECT HISTORY
In 2012, Sanders met with 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman asking for public space to create a theater garden. Osterman arranged to give her an abandoned lot to transform into the community garden and performing arts venue that she envisioned. Sanders rallied the neighborhood, teenagers, and all her theater pals to create the The Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden from the ground up. Seven neighborhood families tend the garden and share food collectively. Additionally, four community-based organizations, (Uptown Ministries, Chinese Mutual Aid, Vietnamese Association and Green Scene Chicago), have their own garden beds to tend while mentoring teams of children in grades K-12. NeighborSpace, an urban land trust in Chicago that preserves and sustains gardens on behalf of dedicated community groups, protects the garden. It has summer veggies, perennial flowers, and fruits: Asian pear trees, raspberry, elderberry, strawberry and Concord grape. Going into its fourth summer, Green Scene Chicago has hosted more than 12 public free performances including theater, dance, wind ensembles, spoken word, and an Asian tradition of a “Welcoming the Moon” harvest festival.

GREEN SCENE CHICAGO
Sanders founded Green Scene Chicago in 2012 with the mission to link community members across generations and cultures by using organic gardening lessons to inspire story performances and by using garden sites as theater venues. Sanders teaches her Green Scene Chicago curriculums in Chicago Public Schools during the school year, while The Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden is Green Scene Chicago’s summertime artistic home. Other projects and past teen ensembles from 2013-2016 are documented in photos on www.greenscenechicago.org

PRESS CONTACT
Martie Sanders, martie@greenscenechicag.org. (773) 769-6488

Stars, Stories, and S’More
2016-10-01 17:30 - 20:30 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Kilbourn Park’s Organic Greenhouse is hosting a great event on Oct. 1st from 5:30-8:30pm. Come on out and partake in celebrating the start of Autumn and loving the outdoors. This is the program for the evening.
5:30-7:30pm – Campfire Fun!
Join us around the campfire. There will be story telling, and plenty of S’Mores (bring your own chocolate and graham crackers) We will provide the marshmallows.
7:30-8:30pm – Scopes in the City
Adler astronomers and educators are bringing the museum and the Universe a little closer to you!
With ‘Scopes in the City, Adler astronomers and staff lead free telescope observing programs in Chicago neighborhoods. Depending on the dates, times and locations of the ‘Scopes in the City events, attendees may be able to observe the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and more!
For more information check out the events page on the Chicago Park District’s website.
https://apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/Activity_Search/186683

Advocates for Urban Agriculture Fall Gathering!
2016-11-15 18:00 - 21:00 | DePaul University, 1110 W. Belden Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
You’re invited to our Autumn Gathering! Join old and new friends and colleagues for:

6-6:45PM: Potluck and urban agriculture community networking: please bring a dish!
6:45-6:50PM: Welcome and AUA overview
6:50-7:10PM: Community slideshow — gardeners and farmers are invited to send 1-4 photos to info@auachicago.org by noon on 11/14 to showcase your work, as well as opportunities to get involved
7:10-8:05PM: Presentations on two current urban agriculture-related policy initiatives:

Good Food Purchasing Policy: Proposed city ordinance directing city departments and agencies to purchase food in accordance with environmental, nutritional, local, fair trade, and animal welfare standards.
Urban farm business licensing: Campaign to establish a clear and reasonable business licensing process for new urban farming businesses.

8:05-9PM: AUA “Ward Ambassador” Project workshop: develop the skills and knowledge to effectively promote these kinds of policy proposals by becoming an urban agriculture “ambassador” to your alderman. The project seeks to train advocates in each of Chicago’s 50 wards to become knowledgeable representatives supporting sustainable urban agriculture in their community.

Help us spread the word about this free and fun event: share this message with your network, visit our Facebook event page and invite your friends! See you there!

Community Christmas Caroling / Comunidad de Vilancicos de Navidad
2016-12-17 16:30 - 18:00 | Children’s Garden of Hope, Karlov & Potomac, Chicago , IL, United States
Third Annual Community Christmas Caroling / Tercera Comunidad Anual de Vilancicos de Navidad
All are welcome at this event of caroling by the bonfire. Hot chocolate will be provided!
Todos son bienvenidos a este evento de villancios por la hoguera. ¡Chocolate calienta será proporcianado!

AUA New Years Resolutions Party 1/7/17
2017-01-07 15:00 - 18:00 | IL
Join us aJoin AUA as we start the new year right – our resolutions are to grow sustainable urban agriculture and its community in our city! Here’s a great way to kick off a big year – a gathering of Chicago’s Advocates for Urban Agriculture at one of Chicago’s newest (and most delicious!) sustainable businesses, Whiner Beer Company, on Saturday, January 7th, 3pm-6pm.
See the full post here.

AUA's Cultural Heritage Spring Gathering in Little Village - Saturday May 20th
2017-05-20 12:00 - 15:00 | La Villita Community Church, 2300 S. Milllard Ave., Chicago, IL, 60623, United States
Cultural heritage panel! Seed swap! Community slideshow of urban farms and gardens! Potluck! Chicken care workshop! Know Your Rights Resource Table! Come together with us to enjoy all this and more at AUA’s Cultural Heritage Spring Gathering!
We hope you can join us for this free, fun afternoon of culture and community on Chicago’s southwest side on Saturday, May 20th, from 12pm-3pm at La Villita Community Church, 2300 S. Milllard Ave. We’ll start with a community potluck, followed by a chance to swap culturally significant seeds, and then explore Chicago’s urban agriculture community in photos from gardens and farms across the city. Then we’ll celebrate our cultural connections to agriculture, led by an amazing panel of urban agriculture leaders: Elvia Rodriguez-Ochoa of Openlands, Maria Herrera of Enlace and the Little Village Gardeners Coalition, and Annamaria Leon of the North Lawndale Greening Committee and Christy Weber Landscapes. They’ll be discussing topics including:

gardening and agriculture as a means to connect with culture, community and roots;
different cultural heritages, connections and history with farming and gardening;
Building and strengthening community through urban gardens and farms, and connecting to broader communities
food production and gardening as a tool for empowerment;
how urban agriculture and its community can respond to recent hostility towards immigration and multiculturalism.

Please join us for this unique afternoon! Bring a dish and seeds to swap! Send your urban garden and farm photos to info@auachicago.org to be included in the slideshow!
AUA 2017 Spring Heritage Gathering Flyer

Veggie Bingo at the Hideout
2017-06-21 17:30 - 20:00, 2017-08-30 17:30 - 20:00, 2017-09-06 17:30 - 20:00 | The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, Chicago, IL, 60642, United States
The Hideout and NeighborSpace present

VEGGIE BINGO
FAMILY FRIENDLY!
Every Wednesday in Summer:
June 21–September 6, 2017, 5:30-8pm
At the Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia in Chicago
PRIZES INCLUDE FARM-FRESH VEGETABLES— GRAND PRIZE IS A GIANT BAG OF ORGANIC PRODUCE FROM IRV AND SHELLY’S FRESH PICKS! —AND OTHER LOCALLY-SOURCED EDIBLES, PLUS MUCH MORE! PROCEEDS BENEFIT CHICAGO COMMUNITY GARDENS.

Fresh veggies from Irv and Shelley’s Fresh Picks
Free Coffee for a Year from Book Cellar
2-show passes from Improv Olympic
Upscale American comfort food gift certificates from Cafe Selmarie
Pastry-and-coffee gift cards from Cellar Door Provisions
Distillery tours and flasks of gins from Chicago Distilling Company
Fried chicken gift cards from Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Cheesecake gift certificates from Eli’s Cheesecake

Full prize list at neighbor-space.org/veggiebingo

23rd Annual Pullman Garden Walk - A Garden Walk and Tea, Saturday June 24th
2017-06-24 10:00 - 16:00 | Historic Pullman Visitor Center, 614 East 113th Street, Chicago, IL, 60628, United States
The Historic Pullman Garden Club, with co-sponsors the Historic Pullman Foundation, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and Pullman State Historic Site, invite you back to the Victorian era of the 1880’s during the 23rd Annual Garden Walk – A Garden Walk and Tea, on Saturday June 24, 2017, from 10am to 4pm.
Victorians passed the summer days more leisurely than we do today and so can you, as you step back in time within this picturesque historic neighborhood. The event begins at the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center, 11141 South Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago IL 60628, where you will pick up a ticket brochure/map to begin your tour.
Tickets include a light Summer-themed Tea to be held on the veranda of the Hotel Florence. You can enjoy one of the guided walking tours of the historic district, or use the self-guided tour map and stroll at your own pace. The tour will wind through the row house lined blocks to visit the public gardens, including the Gateway Garden, a part of the NeighborSpace community garden network, select private gardens, plus our community food garden and urban gardens. Tea service will begin at 11 a.m.
Tickets for the event are $12 in advance by emailing historicpullmangardens@gmail.com or calling (773) 568-2441 until June 22nd or $15 on the day of the event.
The Pullman Historic District can be reached by taking the 111th Street exit west off of I-94 or via the Metra Electric Train Line, exiting on the 111th St/Pullman stop.
Please feel free to visit our website at www.hpgc.org or our Facebook page for event details at https://www.facebook.com/events/1785743875074681/.
23rd Annual Pullman Garden Walk Flyer

Soup & Bread @ The Hideout
2018-01-31 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-02-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-02-14 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-02-21 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-02-28 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-03-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-03-14 17:00 - 20:00, 2018-03-21 17:00 - 20:00 and 1 more date | The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, Chicago, IL, 60642, United States

International Compost Awareness Week is May 5th-11th
2019-05-05 - 2019-05-11 | IL
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry. It is celebrated nationwide and in other countries each year during the first full week of May. Started in Canada in 1995, ICAW has continued to grow as more people, businesses, municipalities, schools and organizations are recognizing the importance of composting and the long-term benefits from organics recycling.

Fulton Street flower and Vegetable Garden Iced Tea Social
2019-07-20 13:00 - 19:00 | Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden, 4427 W. Fulton, Chicago, IL, United States
Annual Family & Friend community event in partnership with PlayStreets to bring active play and healthy eating to community residences. Please join us!

Veggie Bingo: Benefiting the Fulton Street Flower & Vegetable Garden
2019-08-14 17:30 - 19:30 | The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, Chicago, IL, 60642, United States

Nourish (comm)Unity: Bikes, Birds, and Butterflies
2019-08-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Wilson Dr, Montrose Ave, and Simonds Dr, Chicago, 60640, United States
Part of the Fourth Annual Uptown Garden Walk, this bike ride explores coastal and native plants in Uptown, including immersive natural areas and plants thriving in urban landscapes. The ride will be at a slow pace and approximately four miles long with breaks to tour and hear brief presentations at a selection of gardens. Loaner bikes may be available. Contact Samantha at ssainsbury@ica-usa.org if you need a loaner bike.
The ride starts at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary and ends at Argyle Night Market.
Bikes, Birds, and Butterflies is part of Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network‘s Nourish (comm)Unity series, and is organized by The Institute of Cultural Affairs USA and Animalia project.
Check out the rest of the series:
September 21st
Nourish (comm)Unity: FRESH Bronzeville
October 19th
Nourish (comm)Unity: Block Share Party
