What we Do
Grow Kits
Home Gardens
Lunch & Grow
Education
Grow Kits
The Grow Your Groceries Grow Kit program provides reusable fabric grow bags, soil, seeds or a seedling, and educational support in classrooms, at community events, and farms stands. We currently offer one, three, five, and ten gallon bags.
Check out our event page to find out where you can get one! https://www.chicagogrowsfood.org/gardening-events-calendar/
Home Gardens
The Grow Your Groceries Home Garden initiative provides a customized installation of 12 5-gallon grow bags, 1 100-gallon grow bag, or a 4×4 raised bed. Recipients also receive soil, seeds and seedlings, educational booklet, weekly resource emails, and one on one technical support.The Grow Your Groceries Home Garden program works with individuals or families in their homes to provide a customized home garden installation. Participants are offered 12 5-gallon reusable fabric grow bags, One 100-gallon reusable fabric grow bag, or a 4×4 wood or fabric garden bed. They also receive soil, seedlings, seeds, and continued support.
Lunch & Grow
This is a monthly event creating space to learn from an expert about what to focus on each month in your garden. Additionally, this is an opportunity to engage and grow with the gardening community. Come with questions or listen to others. Either way we will be there to chat.
Education
CGF provides the tools, resources, and education for gardening, nutrition and cooking. Participants have the opportunity to attend free workshops and cooking classes that teach soil health, pickling, season extension, and more in English and Spanish. Additionally, we offer one-on-one technical assistance where gardeners can ask questions by emailing chicagogrowsfood@gmail.com.
GOALS
Programs
Distribute Grow Kits and Install Home Gardens to Chicago communities facing food insecurity.
Education
Provide online and offline learning resources for new and experienced gardeners.
Community
Build community among home gardeners to generate long-lasting social relationships.
Experiential Learning
Offer at-home and classroom gardening activities to engage in hands-on learning.
From Box to School
What We Do & Aim To Accomplish!
History
The coronavirus, responsible for COVID-19, affected communities throughout the entire world both directly by causing illness and death and indirectly by exacerbating difficult socioeconomic circumstances for many. As one of the national hotspots in the United States, the city and suburbs of Chicago faced a high case count with a disproportionate number of fatal cases impacting black and brown communities who were already experiencing ongoing crises from health disparities, poverty, and racism before this new crisis began. COVID-19 is simply made hard situations worse and creating new struggles as well.
With so many residents having been stuck at home and local food insecurity on the rise, CGF, a group of food growers based in Chicagoland, have chosen to do hopeful work in a serious time. We have created a food garden relief effort, the Grow Your Groceries Campaign, which aims to equip our neighbors in hard hit zip codes with the tools and materials they need to start growing healthy food at home right now.