100 Garden Beds for a Resilient Chicago

Chicago has been vigilant in the face of Covid-19. In these challenging times community gardens have emerged as mighty neighborhood places where communities grow food and safely come together outdoors.

To help gardens meet the increased demand of the pandemic NeighborSpace, Chicago’s land trust for community gardens, will build or repair 100 raised garden beds before the start of the 2021 growing season. This will help Chicago’s communities grow even more food, so that when springtime comes our communities are more resilient.

DONATE today for food security
DONATE today to support neighborhood garden leaders
DONATE today for connecting communities
DONATE today for mental well-being
DONATE today because Chicago will always Grow Together

We need $15,000 to meet our goal. With your support we will build garden beds in Austin, Back of the Yards, Humboldt Park, West Pullman and throughout Chicago.

NeighborSpace is the only nonprofit land trust in Chicago that preserves and sustains gardens on behalf of dedicated community groups. We support community gardens – through property ownership, insurance, water, stewardship, education, tool lending, project planning, fundraising support, troubleshooting and more – so that community groups can focus on gardening and on their community building vision, generating food, beauty, play, health and safety for their neighborhoods.#

Year Established: 2015
Local Leaders: South Austin Neighborhood Association (SANA)
Community Group: Neighborhood Gardens
NeighborSpace Partnership: 2017

The South Austin Neighborhood Association (SANA) has been organizing since 2015 to create a Veteran’s Peace Garden in the Austin community area. The garden’s mission is to be “A sanctuary of peace, beauty, and tranquility that that creates a sense of community with veterans and residents.” The planned garden will be an oasis of calm on busy Madison Ave. Also, with numerous businesses and restaurants, including the famous MacArthur’s breakfast place, on the block the gardeners envision it being used as a lunch picnic spot. It will include a central path, the flags of each military branch, ornamental plantings, shade trees and two gazebos for small gatherings and quiet contemplation.

The planned garden is on one double wide lot on Madison Ave., though the owner has agreed to sell the land. 29th Ward Alderman Chris Taliaferro has supported the garden plan with funding commitments for acquisition and construction. The proposed garden leaders bring with them decades of experience in the military, civil service, social services and community organizing. They include Terry Redmond, a SANA board member who is retired from the US Air Force. Mr. Redmond has forged connections to area veterans to maintain the site along with SANA members. Cassandra Norman has been a resident of Austin for 30 years. She is a retired police officer who is also active in local School Council as a Community Representative for Michelle Clark HS and a Board member for Sister House, a recovery home with the Archdiocese. Sharon Hartshorn, a retired government employee of 30 years, is a church member of Friendship Baptist Church in Austin.

Longtime NeighborSpace friend Mike Nowak tells us about the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Wards. Applications are due June 23rd.

The Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards (CEGA) comes to the Windy City this summer, providing an opportunity for Chicago gardeners to strut their stuff. The awards provide recognition to the hard work and creativity that make our city a healthier, more beautiful place. They support the pride we take in our neighborhoods and help us build our communities.

Presented by The Mike Nowak Show, University of Illinois Extension: Cook County, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Community Gardeners Association – CCGA and Natural Awakenings Chicago Magazine, the competition is open to residents of the city of Chicago.

Judging begins July 1 and awards will be presented in September. This year’s competition includes four garden types within four categories, as well as a separate category for community gardens.

4228 W. Ogden Avenue
June 3rd, 2017
10 am to 2 pm
ALL WELCOME!

Celebrate this neighborhood accomplishment, and learn how to get more involved.

• Kids Nature Play Garden Open
• Ribbon Cutting and Blessing
• Musical Entertainment
• Food and Drink

Printable Flyer

The TreeKeepers Program is an 8-day course taught by nationally and world-renowned experts, focused on managing and reducing the threats to forest health. Topics covered include tree physiology and soils, tree identification, pruning, tree selection, planting and mulching, and pests and diseases.

For more information, please contact treekeepers@openlands.org or visit www.openlands.org/treekeepers.

Printable Flyer

Do you host community-building events at your NeighborSpace communtiy garden? The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is offering grants for community event hosting. NeighborSpace community gardens are eligible to apply for the grant (which is due June 5th) using NeighborSpace as a fiscal agent. Learn more about the grant here, and email NeighborSpace Development CoordinatorJoe Zarrow with questions.

2017 Every Day Event Grants

Our nation’s public lands are places where we picnic, play ball, fish, fly kites, pull weeds, and plant seeds. Our public lands should be safe places of natural beauty where everyone can go to lend a hand, observe nature, and enjoy life. With generous support from Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., NEEF offers Every Day Event Grants to public land organizations, or Friends Groups, to engage their community on a public land site.

This year, NEEF will award approximately 50 Friends Groups up to $2,000 each to hold a minimum of three events on their public land site(s) that are educational, recreational, health-oriented, and/or volunteer-based.

We want to thank the volunteers from the Civic Education Project at Northwestern University who visited us yesterday Friday April 14, 2017. It was a great volunteer day and our thanks to the students and chaperones: Ananya, Smirthi, Emily, Grace, Claire, Carmen, Justin, Etienne, AJ, Jyler and Lorena!

The Civic Education Project’s CivicWeek brings together outstanding students from around the country for service, learning, leadership, and laughter. The city where they service becomes a classroom as students gain hands-on experience with important social issues and explore careers that make a difference in fields like health, human rights, law, politics, and urban development projects (like community gardens.

Together with an experienced staff team, groups of 12 to 18 students engage in meaningful service, meetings with professionals and community leaders, and hands-on learning in a fun and supportive living-learning community.

Hermitage Community Gardens on Facebook

Come out on Saturday, April 1st, from 3:00 to 6:00 at Rabbits Bar and Grill (4945 West Foster Avenue, at the corner of Foster and Elston) and help Olives Neighborhood Garden for the Hungry grow fresh food for neighbors who have fallen on hard times. Come Early, Stay Late!

Admission is free. There will be raffles for items donated by local companies and a cash prize raffle. Contact Andy at 773-502-4651 or GardenfortheHungry@hotmail.com if you’d like to buy a ticket, donate a prize, become a sponsor or just find out what’s up.The food grown in the garden helps serve 70-80 families per week at the Food Pantry at the Northwest Church of Christ, Kilbourn and Wilson.