Have you ever wanted to find locally-grown food or learn how or where to grow your own veggies or fruits around the Chicago area? Cool! Not only would you be helping your health and your wallet, you’d also be helping the planet! Check out previous foodblog posts about community gardening and the meat industry to learn more about agriculture and sustainability. Besides Moraine’s own awesome community garden (which is so cool it has its own Facebook page!), of course, here are some interesting projects happening around town and ways to grow or find local food:
Want to plant your own garden but don’t have room or outdoor space? Community gardens are shared plots of land where you can get some space to plant your own stuff! Find a map of community gardens and how to start and register a new garden here: Neighbor-Space.org. Visit GreennetChicago.org to find more information and about Chicago’s community gardens, and download the free resource guide Greenpages. Learn more about gardening at this year’s Green & Growing Fair! It’s free!
Community gardens are especially valuable for people who lack access to fresh foods close to home. Read this recent Chicagostories article about community gardens and food deserts. Other types of urban agriculture include vertical farming, hydroponics, and aquaponics.* The Chicagostories article discusses an urban vertical farm that a young college grad started in the old stockyards buildings: 312 Aquaponics. Check out their site where you can learn about aquaponics; if you’re interested, you can even take a tour on Wednesdays!
Don’t have a green thumb but still want fresh, local foods? Go to localharvest.org and search by zip code to find local farmers markets. You can also search for local food and products, CSAs, food co-ops, and more!
From the Moraine library, Check out books and dvds on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) , composting
, urban gardening, urban agriculture, indoor gardening, vegetable gardening, and more!
*Research aquaponics, hydroponics, community gardening, and more in our databases! Try Academic Search Complete, GreenFILE, and Expanded Academic ASAP!
Look for upcoming posts to learn about GMOs, permaculture, and healthy diets.