A few months back, I wrote about how the students at the Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) were planning their garden. We had grandiose vision of transforming “boxes of dirt” to living soil that nurture organic vegetables.
As our students celebrated their last day of school on June 28th the AGC garden was huge. The edible corn was 5 feet tall! The 25 varieties of tomato plants had hundreds of flowers! The kitchen herb garden looked like a cloud of cilantro, parsley and basil! And then there was the squash. Oh the squash! Like a mangled nest of spikey stems and prickly leaves nearly a foot wide the squash was everywhere! The mess of plant was flowing out of the box onto the ground, onto the corn, over the top of the fence and peaking through some 5 year old ferns that line the playground. The squash was everywhere. Continue reading 'Oh the Squash!'»
We are pleased to provide a Revised Save the Date for the July 20 Healthy Places meeting. Please note the time change and additional information below:
Planning for Healthy Places
Pre-Planning Workshop for a FoodSpace Plan
July 20, 2011, 8:30am- 12:00pm
James R. Thompson Center Assembly Hall
100 W. Randolph Street
Chicago IL, 60601
This workshop will bring together city agencies, community and civic groups with an interest in food systems at the neighborhood and city level.
- Heather Wooten, senior planning and policy associate with Public Health Law and Policy, will provide an overview on how other cities across the country are measuring food access, providing planning tools for neighborhood groups and developing citywide plans and policies for food systems.
- The City will provide an update on current efforts and tools to measure food access.
- Possible topic areas to be addressed in a FoodSpace Plan will be discussed with attendees to determine if any issues are missing and how to structure a process of stakeholder engagement.
Agenda:
8:30 – 9:00 Registration and networking
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome and introductions
9:30 – 10:15 Overview of planning for healthy food environments across the nation
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 11:00 Measuring food access
11:00 – 11:45 Break out discussions of proposed working areas for a Food Space Plan*
11:45 – 12:00 Moving forward this fall
Please confirm your attendance via email at healthyplaces@clocc.net by July 15, 2011. *Please also indicate which of the following potential topics for break out discussions you are interested in attending: Measuring (data, mapping, measuring); Growing and Distributing (gardens, farms, farmers markets); Food Enterprises (produce carts, corner stores, incubators); Community Linkages and Public Awareness (schools, CLOCC, other CBOs).
Good Food for All, a blog dedicated to local food and agriculture resources in the Chicago region, posts a weekly digest of relevant information for the Chicago region at ChicagoREgen.com.
- The Chicago Department of Environment announced the 2011 Chicago Sustainable Backyard Program to promote the many ways Chicago residents can create more environmentally-friendly landscapes in their yards. For more info about meetings and rebates on backyard purchases click HERE.
- National Food Day is October 24. If you’re interested in planning a local event, go to www.foodday.org
- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel met with grocery chains to resolve food deserts and plans to report progress to the White House. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8192924
- FamilyFarmed.org is accepting applications for two internship positions to enhance its work supporting and growing local food systems. Applications will be reviewed as they’re received, so apply soon to employment@familyfarmed.org
- According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the number of Chicagoans living in food deserts, has decreased by 39 percent in the last five years. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-food-deserts-0624-20110624,0,5396881.story
Good Food for All is a blog of Fresh Taste, a collaboration of funders dedicated to encouraging diverse local agriculture and access to food that is healthy, green, fair and affordable in the Chicago region. To subscribe and to learn more, click here.
By: Fresh Taste
SKOKIE, IL. June 22, 2011—The Talking Farm—“the farm with something to say”—now also has something to grow and someplace special to grow it.
At its June 2011 board meeting, the Skokie Park District voted to enter into a Use Agreement with The Talking Farm, a local 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to urban agriculture. This arrangement gives The Talking Farm access to a two-acre site near the Evanston-Skokie border on Chicago’s North Shore in order to establish an urban farm. The Talking Farm plans to use the land to grow produce using sustainable methods; to offer classes in growing, preserving, and enjoying local foods; and to conduct research relevant to urban agriculture.
“We’re incredibly excited by this opportunity,” said Linda Kruhmin, Farm Operations Manager for The Talking Farm. “The Use Agreement is a win-win for The Talking Farm and the Skokie Park District because Continue reading 'THE TALKING FARM AND SKOKIE PARK DISTRICT SIGN LAND USE AGREEMENT'»
our roof top hive buzzing once again
After the devastating loss of our first colony in March, we vowed to begin again. And our mentor, Bob Kress from Kress Apiary in Burns Harbor, Indiana agreed to help us again if were willing to be patient. Bob had a rough winter too, losing nearly eighty percent of his hives. He spent the spring raising new queens and promised one of them would be ours by the end of May. Patience isn’t on my list of strengths, but we were so happy with the first colony we bought from Bob that we agreed to wait. We briefly considered mail ordering our new colony as many of our friends have done. Unfortunately, they’ve recounted too many stories about cranky bees. We decided that a late start with a gentle colony was better than rushing it with a potentially angry lot.
We delivered our empty hive Continue reading 'Our Bees Are Back In Town'»
Community Class: Urban Chicken Farming
Whole Foods Market – 7245 W. Lake Street, River Forest, IL
708.366.1045
Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 p.m.
FREE
The word is out. Urbanites can get fresh eggs from their own back yard! Chat with the expert on Chicken Care – Jennifer Murtoff and meet one of her favorite feathered friends. This class will also address favorite cage free egg brands and offer egg-based recipes and snacks. Kids are welcome!
To sign-up, e-mail: julia.evans@wholefoods.com
Good Food for All, a blog dedicated to local food and agriculture resources in the Chicago region, posts a weekly digest of relevant information for the Chicago region at ChicagoREgen.com.
Good Food for All is a blog of Fresh Taste, a collaboration of funders dedicated to encouraging diverse local agriculture and access to food that is healthy, green, fair and affordable in the Chicago region. To subscribe and to learn more, click here.
By: Fresh Taste
Inspired by Jennifer Murtoff’s excellent post on Egg Labels, and having read a bit about some of the recent rules issued by the USDA regarding meat nutrition labeling issued by the USDA, I thought I’d dig a bit into Meat Labeling, and look into some local choices for meat producers and retailers.
Though we’re all better off reducing meat consumption and getting more of our calories from plant-based sources, it helps to make informed decisions. The USDA sets out some relevant definitions, but what do they really mean? Continue reading 'Meat Labeling and Local Resources'»
Comments (1) 
As our students celebrated their last day of school on June 28th the AGC garden was huge. The edible corn was 5 feet tall! The 25 varieties of tomato plants had hundreds of flowers! The kitchen herb garden looked like a cloud of cilantro, parsley and basil! And then there was the squash. Oh the squash! Like a mangled nest of spikey stems and prickly leaves nearly a foot wide the squash was everywhere! The mess of plant was flowing out of the box onto the ground, onto the corn, over the top of the fence and peaking through some 5 year old ferns that line the playground. The squash was everywhere. Continue reading 'Oh the Squash!'»
Themocracy