Growing Home – Chicago – providing job training through urban agriculture

Growing Home is committed to bring fresh food to Chicago’s South Side.

“Englewood, where our Wood Street Urban Farm is located, was once a flourishing Chicago neighborhood. It has suffered from decades of neglect and the flight of about 50% of its population since the early 1960’s. This dismal cycle of decline in Englewood can be seen in the vacant buildings and sparse population that have allowed drug trafficking and other criminal activity to grow. As gangs protected their territories, violence increased and youth became at risk of either gang assaults or gang recruitment.

“Domestic violence, substance abuse and high unemployment levels all contribute to a crime rate near the top among Chicago police districts. As a result of these difficult circumstances, most major food vendors have abandoned Englewood, and much of the south side of Chicago. This area has been described as a “food desert” because of the lack of access to food in general, and particularly to fresh, healthy food.

“The Wood Street Urban Farm is located in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, just a few blocks west of Ashland and 58th St. This site, as well as all of Growing home’s other farm sites, is USDA Certified organic. While the site is small – only about 2/3 of an acre – we are able to grow a great deal of produce. In 2008 we produced approximately 5,000 lbs of produce; in 2009 we expect to grow and harvest over 10,000 lbs.

“At the Wood Street urban farm, we grow spinach, salad mix, arugula, and swiss chard, which all like to grow in the warm, moist hoophouse climate, as well as tomatoes, zucchini, beets, turnips, kale, mustard greens, and collards.”

Read more about Growing Home here.