Riverside Community Garden (Left) may be one of the most robust gardens we have visited, with amazing food production and unique compost systems. It is a space that is well received by community members. The food and herbs harvested are available to community members and is used in the adjacent church’s meals in need program; it also supports a local refugee family program. This garden is home to many adult and youth educational and volunteerism programming! Garden Coordinator, Elaine, has her teen daughters volunteer in the rotation as they love to harvest, work with the fairy gardens, pollinator spaces, and of course, watering.
Respond Now Community Garden (Right) is a much-needed green space nestled in the center of a blighted cross street in Chicago Heights. This food production garden supports the attached organization’s Food Pantry, serving many local families with fresh produce including collard greens, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, squash, and more. Garden Coordinator, Susan McCarthy, along with volunteers, tends and cares for the garden while serving on the Respond Now Board of Directors.
3 Brothers Community Garden (Left) coordinator and volunteers Liz, Rebecca, Ruth (coord) and (college students) Sara, Melanie and Joyce met our volunteers Rick and Cathy Johnson to tour the garden, who were “very impressed with the scope, condition, the team's enthusiasm, and their participation in the local food pantry.” This garden was an excellent choice for the CCFB Garden Grant, which is located on a 1/2 city lot small, compact and very well organized. The garden incorporated raised garden beds, compost bins, a garden shed and pergola on a small deck and all structures were built by Boy Scouts doing their Eagle projects. Volunteers meet on Tuesdays to tend the garden and harvesting 47 pounds for the local community food bank, so far this year.
Oriole Park Teaching Farm Garden (Right), knowledgeable and enthusiastic hosts, Desi and Maria of the garden provided an impressive tour to CCFB volunteer, Rick Johnson! The teaching farm’s primary emphasis is to educate students and community with a focus on planting, growing, and harvesting. The farm coordinators created events in coordination with classroom teachers and the art teacher, including a scavenger hunt, "Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar", hands-on planting, picking, plant identification, farmstand sharing and more. The garden is supported by the CCFB grant, local resources, family contributions, business donations and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
