Urban Agriculture in Chicago

[Jason Axt]

About a month ago I moved to Chicago from Milwaukee to continue my career as an urban farmer. I was pleasently supprised at the extensive amouts of urban ag and continual growth and awareness of urban ag in the city. 

I work at an urban vertical food co-op called "The Plant". Located in Back of the Yards just south of Bridgeport on 46th and Bishop, the farms, bakeries, and breweries occupy the abandoned Peer Sausage factory (http://www.plantchicago.com/). We are using aquaponics to grow tilapia and greens in the basement. Also we are starting mushroom production and sprout production in the not to distant future.

After moving into my apartment, I found that the Taylor Street Farm was only a block away!!! (http://taylorstreetfarm.org/). I now have a convenient place to dump my compost that will be sewn back into the neighborhood soils.

Also not too far from there just a few blocks south is  the Jane Addams Hull - House Gardens (http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/_programsevents/_farm/farm.html). Stumbled upon this gem while biking to work today. 

Other great places for aquaponics in the city are...

The Aquaponic Center at Chicago State University. (http://www.csu.edu/biologicalsciences/Aquaponics.htm)(I also help innovate here!!!) 

Growing Power (http://www.growingpower.org/chicago_projects.htm)

Growing Home (http://growinghomeinc.org/)

Whitney M. Young High School (http://www.wyoung.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=104636&type=d)

More to come with Pictures and Bios of each place.... If you live in Chicago and want your farm featured or exchange pleasantries, please contact me. I'm always looking for new farms and friends.

[Steve Stallard]

I live in Chicago also and my wife and I took the 2hr Saturday tour of The Plant a couple weeks ago!  What a great tour!  Aquaponics is one element of the 'vertical enterprise' with complimentary uses of waste and what-not every where you turn!  Of course, I really got excited when we saw the impressive aquaponics set up!  Super way to spend a Saturday!  I highly recommend!

[Colleen T Bell]

We are driving thru the Chicago area on Sunday the 25th.  We'd love to see some Aquaponics systems in action. 

Any suggestions of best ones to go visit?  We want to see AP in action!  Maybe buy some fish!

We are expecting to go to Growing Power in Milwakee tomorrow on our way to Toronto and then we could stop in Chicgoland on the way back.

Thanks

Colleen