ROOTED IN GROWING FOOD, WE CULTIVATE NOURISHING ENVIRONMENTS WHICH SUPPORT HEALTH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HEALING AND CREATIVITY THROUGH URBAN AGRICULTURE.
Urban Growers Collective’s work aims to address the inequities and structural racism that exist in the food system and in communities of color. Research suggests that urban agriculture can produce a range of social, health and economic outcomes for communities. We believe engaging in this work will ultimately lead to healing trauma on many levels and improving the economic vitality and overall health of communities in Chicago.
Job Training
UGC’s goal is to help folks grow in their knowledge and understanding of healthy produce, urban agriculture, and our local food system. We provide hands-on learning opportunities to youth and adults to develop tangible skills that create a strong foundation for school, work, and life.
- Over 200 teens are employed annually in after school and summer job training opportunities at our urban farms on the South Side of Chicago.
- 40+ unemployed African American and Latin-X men will gain experience in urban agriculture and landscaping through an 18-month job training program in partnership with Heartland Alliance. These men work at our farm sites and will beautify 50 vacant lots in Chicago in 2019 and 2020.
- 145 head-start preschoolers are engaged every week in a hands-on school garden curriculum.
- 12 Incubator Farmers are equipped with technical assistance, workshops, and land to develop their own agri-businesses. This increases access to entrepreneurial and economic opportunities for Black and brown farmers who have historically been excluded from the agriculture industry.
Thoughts From Our Teens
“Because of this program, I was able to both pay for myself and better myself mentally, physically and socially and I made new friends. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!”
-Justin
“Thank you for this great opportunity for me to get a feel of a work environment. This experience will benefit me for the rest of my life. I have learned to work with others, time management and interviewing skills. You have given me life long memories this summer and a little spending money.”
-Augustin
“I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot about farming. I don’t know what I would have done without this program. I am grateful for what I was able to experience. I really improved my speaking, communication and farming skills. I loved coming to the farm and working in the warm sun. I got to meet new people and all this wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thanks!”
-Karen
Food Access
UGC’s mission is to Through these programs, UGC works to increase access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally-affirming food in communities of color.
- The Fresh Moves Mobile Market partners with neighborhood organizations to provide a farmers’ market on wheels to South and West Side residents through the use of converted CTA buses. In 2018, Fresh Moves served its 10,000th customer with fresh produce; and
- UGC participates in farmers’ markets and on-site farm stands providing fresh, locally grown produce, showcasing how to use and sell fresh produce to communities that lack access.
- The Prescription for Health Program with Howard Brown Health Center allows us to provide patients with food-related diseases the opportunity to learn which foods best combat the illness. Through this program, we provide cooking demonstrations and recipes to help support healthy eating.
Community Engagement
Our farms create safe spaces that allow for relationship building, skills development and healing. We engage neighbors and folks throughout Chicago by providing opportunities to get in touch with the soil through:
- Community garden plots where neighbors can grow produce for themselves and their families;
- Volunteer opportunities for individuals, community groups and schools to increase awareness of where food comes from; and
- Workshops to educate Chicagoans on a variety of topics focusing on agricultural growing techniques, social justice and healing.