A
Glimpse of almost summer: Urban Gardening
Memorial
Day is next week. Summer is just around the corner. The seed catalogs have
arrived, seeds ordered and started indoors. The veggies are inside and
are almost ready to be planted outdoors. As the weather warms, now is a good
time to get the cool weather crops in the ground. The tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant and zucchini will soon follow. Be careful and watch for frost.
As I’m driving around the area community gardens are
starting to pop up. Unfortunately, the old City Garden on North Ave. is being
torn down. I am also receiving invitations to join CSA’s of local organic
gardens. A CSA is Community Supported Agriculture, locally owned, usually
organically grown family farms selling directly to the consumer. In my opinion this
is a great way for folks to eat healthier, help the environment and support
local farmers. Excuse me while I go hug a tree.
Grayslake, in Lake
County is a hub of activity and support. The College of Lake County
has a program (I am currently working on a certificate) in Sustainable
Agriculture. It covers all aspects of organic gardening and season extension
principles. We are working on producing local organic foods ten months out of
the year as opposed to the usual six or seven months. The program is both
scientifically based (old-fashioned college classes) with hands-on experience
in the greenhouse, hoop houses and outdoor beds.
Also in Grayslake is an
incubator program at Prairie Crossing. They help people get started in
agriculture to move into a full-time career. It is called the Farm Business
Development Center. A friend of ours (Sandbox Organics) who got started in
Grayslake is now renting 25 acres in McHenry County.
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The Chicago Botanic
Garden has a program called the Windy City Harvest. It
is an education and jobs-training initiative to help build a local food system,
healthier communities, and a greener economy. They offer apprenticeships to
local youth in partnership with
the City Colleges of Chicago's Daley College/Arturo Velasquez Institute. They
have four locations in the area offering hands-on classes in urban agriculture:
The Green Youth Farm in Lake County, the North Lawndale Youth Farm, Washington
Park (Chicago), and the Urban Garden Lab in Block 37 in Chicago.
Let me take you on a
tour of the late spring market to help you sell or find your dream home and garden, or if
you just want to know the sale price of your neighbors’ home. For over 25
years, we have been the Realtors of choice from Chicagoland to Dairyland!
To contact us: Eve:
847-409-1550
Mike:
847-409-0850
Ciao! Ciao!
Mike
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