Advocates for Urban Agriculture

Join AUA at the Green & Growing Fair, Saturday, April 28!

auachicago — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:01:58 +0000

AUA will have an exhibitor booth at the Green and Growing Fair on Saturday, April 28, where we will be unveiling our new and improved Resource Guide, handing out our “Mini Urban Agriculture Resource Guide” brochures, signing up new members, connecting people with our working groups and Local Food Economy campaign, and more!

11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N. Central Park
Chicago, IL

FREE Admission

We hope to see you there!

Join AUA at the Chicago Food Policy Summit, Friday March 16!

auachicago — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:13:02 +0000

7th Annual Chicago Food Policy Summit

DATE: Friday, March 16, 2012

TIME: 10:45am-5:15pm

LOCATION: UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Avenue

This year’s Chicago Food Policy Summit will take place at the Good Food Festival and Conference (formerly known as the FamilyFarmed Expo) Friday, March 16. The Summit, convened by the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council in collaboration with FamilyFarmed.org, Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Council and Illinois Stewardship Alliance, will bring together a wide group of stakeholders, from public and private organizations to community-based activists, to discuss strategies to further the development of responsible food and agriculture policy recommendations. Click here for the Summit’s full schedule (several of the panels will include AUA members).

From 1:00 to 2:15, AUA will be sponsoring a panel discussion entitled Support for Local Food Economy (click here for more information about AUA’s Local Food Economy campaign).

AUA will also have an exhibitor booth at the Good Food Festival on Saturday, March 17, where we will be handing out our new “Mini Urban Agriculture Resource Guide” brochures, signing up new members, and directing visitors to our new, improved Resource Guide (coming soon to this website!).

We hope to see you there!

FREE! March forth to our Seed & Story Swap!

auachicago — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:10:07 +0000

Join us for a city-wide seed and story swap where YOU will have an opportunity to exchange seeds, find new ones to grow this spring, check out a library card from the Hull-House Seed Library, share food and agricultural stories (there will be a videographer there to record them!), and discover new ways to nourish a sustainable food system.

If you have seeds that you saved from last year, bring ‘em along. Have no seeds? — Come anyway and learn about saving, sowing, and growing seeds (list of workshops below)!

All are welcome: novice gardeners, expert seed savers, youth, families, and students.

No one will leave without seeds!

Jane Addams Hull House Museum, 800 S. Halsted (at entrance of Residents Dinning Hall)

Sunday, March 4

2-5pm

Workshops:

Plotting A Feast: Planning your garden and starting your seeds - 2:30-3 (Hull-House Museum)
An introduction to starting seeds and when to start them.
Hull-House Museum Farmer, Ryan Beck

Sprouts for Sprouts: Growing Seeds for Snacks (Workshop for kids) - 2:30-3 (Hull-House Office)
Construct pop bottle sub-irrigated planters and plant herbs
Kara Kong AKA Little Green Girl

Rise Up Sprouting! - 2:30-5 (Hull-House Kitchen)
Learn the basics of making sprouted grain bread including sprouting, dehydrating, grinding and baking.
Molly Breslin, Breslin Farms
Jacqueline Vasan, Bread from the Heart.

An Introduction to the Hull-House Seed Library - 3:30-4 (Residents Dining Hall)
Speaker: Hull-House Museum Director, Lisa Lee

No Pain No Grain: Seed Saving Made Easy - 4-4:30 (Hull-House Museum)
Growing Home Field Training Specialist, Breanne Heath

Seed Cleaning Demonstration and Seed Swapping: Ongoing!

Presented by: Advocates for Urban Agriculture, Jane Addams Hull House Museum, Chicago Honey Co-op, and South Side Seed Exchange

Supporters: We Farm America, Fresh Moves, Growing Power, Family Farm Defenders (Chicago), Mr BrownThumb

More info here

Sunday, 2/12: Join us for a special screening of “The Greenhorns” at the Hideout!

auachicago — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:16:49 +0000

AUA will be hosting a special screening of the inspiring new documentary The Greenhorns at the Hideout on Sunday, February 12. From the Greenhorns organization’s website:

“The Greenhorns documentary film, completed after almost 3 years in production, explores the lives of America’s young farming community – its spirit, practices, and needs. It is the filmmaker’s hope that by broadcasting the stories and voices of these young farmers, we can build the case for those considering a career in agriculture – to embolden them, to entice them, and to recruit them into farming.”

The screening will be followed by a moderated panel discussion and mixer. Local “greenhorns” and more experienced farmers, both rural and urban, will share their challenges, successes and advice with each other and the audience. Confirmed panelists include:
Kim Marsin and Rachel Reklau from Sweet Home Organics
Tracy Noel from Growing Home
Jody Osmund from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm
Michael Thompson from Chicago Honey Co-op

Sunday, February 12
Screening at 7:00PM
Panel from 8:30-9PM
Mixer at 9PM
The Hideout
(1354 W. Wabansia Ave, most easily accessed by turning east onto Wabansia from Elston)
Chicago, IL
$5.00 admission Tickets
More info here

Tonight! AUA Winter Meeting–Wednesday, February 1

auachicago — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:44:33 +0000

AUA Winter Meeting
When: Wednesday, February 1
5:30-8:00 PM
Where: Community Room
Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Ave.

5:30-6:15 Potluck
Bring your own silverware, drinking glass & a dish according to your last name:
A-F Entrée, G-P Salad or Side, Q-Z Dessert

6:15-6:30 AUA Community Slideshow: Everybody who submitted a photo will have a chance to describe their project for up to 30 seconds.

6:30-7:15 Panel on Institutional Food Buying: Who is buying local food and what hurdles were overcome to do so? Moderated by Kathy Nyquist – New Venture Advisors/Family Farmed

Panel participants:

Kyle Schafer – Real Food, Real Jobs

Greg Christian – Beyond Green: Sustainable Food Partners

Bill Perkins – Goodness Greenness

Joan Hopkins – Cook County Boot Camp

7:15-7:45 Community Networking

7:45-8:00 Closing Remarks