Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Community Gardening



Watch the North Chicago Green Youth Farm's Julio Guzman give a tour of the garden at Open House
Day 2009.

Green Youth Farm
Open Houses

Community open houses will celebrate the 2010 Green Youth Farm students’ accomplishments on July 28 in North Lawndale, August 4 at the Helen J. McCorkle School, August 11 at Washington Park, and August 18 at the North Chicago/Waukegan farms. Family, friends, and members of the community are welcome to tour the farms, purchase produce, and ask the students about their experiences.

View photos of the 2009 Dyett Green Youth Farm Open House on SmugMug.

Students also sell their produce through October to the public at several area markets:

  • U-Pick Market, Greenbelt Forest Preserve (off Green Bay Road in North
    Chicago) on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., mid-July through October 9.

  • The City of Chicago’s North Lawndale Farmers' Market will be held on-site at the North Lawndale Green Youth Farm every Wednesday afternoon from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., starting July 7.

  • Chicago Botanic Garden Farmers' Market, the first and third Sundays of the month from June 6 through October 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain or shine). Visit www.chicagobotanic.org/farmersmarket for more information.

North Lawndale students are from Manley Career Academy, Collins Academy, Farragut High School, and North Lawndale College Preparatory School. North Chicago/Waukegan students are from Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion Benton, and Shorland Lutheran High Schools. Washington Park/Dyett students are from Dyett High School, and Jr. Green Youth Farm students are from the Helen J. McCorkle School.

For more information

If you are a student or parent interested in learning more about the Green Youth Farm program, contact Eliza Fournier at , or (847) 835-8352.

Green Youth Farm is a program of the Chicago Botanic Garden in collaboration with the Lake County Forest Preserve District, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, NeighborSpace, Cook County Sheriff’s Boot Camp, Chicago Public Schools, and the Chicago Park District. Green Youth Farm is made possible by the generosity of the following corporations, foundations, government agencies, organizations, and individuals:

Major Support for this progam comes from the After School Matters, Inc., The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust, The Grainger Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, Barbara Notz Hines Foundation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity/Office of Workforce Development, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Walter S. Mander Foundation, McKenna Foundation, Quad Communities Development Corporation, Sheridan Foundation, and the Steans Family Foundation.

Additional Support for this program comes from the Brinson Foundation, Corner Bakery Café, Garden Club of Barrington, Grossinger Autogroup, HSBC-North America, Kemper Educational and Charitable Fund, Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation, North Shore Garden Club, Inc., Janice Becker, Edward K. Hibben, Virginia A. Hotaling, the University of Chicago, and Stacy Vaccani.