You can consult Verd at the Green City Market, which is marking its 10th year as Chicago's only sustainable green market. More than 45 sustainable or certified organic farmers participate in the popular outdoor market that attracts thousands of shoppers. GCM features chef cooking demos, the "Sprouts" education program for kids, and "Breakfast Club" discussions about the link between well-being and good nutrition. The city's year-round resource for sustainable food, Green City Market is held in Lincoln Park, between 1750 N. Clark St. and Stockton Dr from late spring through fall and at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum at 2430 N. Cannon Dr. in winter through early spring.
Just across the street from the Green City Market in Lincoln Park is the Edible Gardens, which The Organic Gardener maintains. It's a place to learn all about growing vegetables. While the Edible Gardens are aimed at children, any novice is welcome and can learn about growing, weeding, compost making, harvesting and cooking vegetables. Located in Lincoln Park Zoo's Farm-in-the- Zoo, the Edible Gardens serves as demonstration models for home gardens as well as school gardens. Families and schools – principals, teachers, students and parents – are encouraged to make field trips to the Edible Gardens, which is a partnership between the Green City Market and the zoo.
Garden & Market Hours: The Edible Gardens are open for school field trips from March 15th – December 10th on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 am – 1 pm. You can also visit The Edible Gardens across the street from the Green City Market when the outdoor market is open: from 7 am – 1:30 through October 29. The market moves indoors from November 1 to December 20.
For more information, contact the Green City Market at (773) 435-0280 or www.greencitymarket.org. You can reach Verd Nolan, The Organic Gardener at 847.636.2720 or www.theorganicgardener.net. The Organic Gardener's Favorites for Success in Chicago Gardens
Arugula
Cucumbers
Edamame (green soybeans)
Garlic
Herbs
Basil, Dill, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Sorel, Thyme
Kale
Lettuce
Peppers
Potatoes
Radish
Strawberries
String Beans (Bush or Pole)
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Winter Squash
What to Grow from Seed or Plants
Direct Seeding Vs. Transplanting
Direct Seeding
Arugula
Bean
Beet
Carrot
Collards
Corn
Cucumber*
Kale
Lettuce*
Parsnip
Peas
Potato (seed potato)
Pumpkin
Radish
Rutabaga
Spinach*
Swiss Chard
Summer Squash
Winter Squash
Transplanting
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chinese Cabbage
Cucumber*
Eggplant
Garlic (from bulb)
Herbs
Kohlrabi
Leek
Lettuce*
Melon
Onion
Pepper
Spinach*
Strawberry
Sweet Potato (from slip)
Tomato
*Indicates both options work well.
The Edible Gardens
Planted and Maintained by Chicago's Green City Market at Lincoln Park Zoo's Farm-in-the-Zoo
Purpose: The Edible Gardens are designed to engage children with hands-on growing, weeding, compost making, harvesting and farmhouse kitchen cooking classes. The gardens serve as demonstration models for home gardens as well as school gardens. We invite families and schools – principals, teachers, students and parents – to join us for field trips to the Edible Gardens. Chicago's Green City Market and Lincoln Park Zoo have formed a partnership to help ensure that the future of sustainability will be understood and carried forward by our children. We hope that this program will be used as an influential educational resource with carefully constructed school tours that visit these gardens as well as the nearby Chicago's Green City Market for the most effective cross-promotion of farm-to-table.
Field Trips: Come on out! A field trip to the Edible Gardens and to Chicago's Green City Market is a unique opportunity for children of all ages (Kindergarten – High School) to learn where their food comes from. At the Market, your students will meet farmers and taste delicious locally grown food. In the gardens, they will do real work which varies with the season: planting tomatoes, pulling weeds, thinning carrots, harvesting green beans or digging purple potatoes. Even if you do not have your own school vegetable garden, your students can learn where their vegetables come from! A portion of the garden is designed for children with disabilities. If you would like bring your students to The Edible Gardens and Chicago's Green City Market, contact Jeanne Pinsof at (847) 636-2720 or jpinsof@hotmail.com.
To see photos and a description from a successful 1st grade field trip from Franklin Fine Arts School, go to http://www.franklin.cps.k12.il.us and then click on the "First grade MacKenzie" link. Then click on the Green City Market and Edible Garden link.
Garden & Market Hours: The Edible Gardens are open for field trips from March 15th – December 10th on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 am – 1 pm. Chicago's Green City Market is located across the street from The Edible Gardens and the market is open from May 14 – October 29 from 7 am – 1:30 pm.
Helpful Websites: Are you a parent or teacher who is interested in starting a garden at your school or in your backyard? Visit these websites for help and advice.
The Green Teacher Network is a powerful collaboration of Openlands, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance and the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is Chicago's educational resource network for those who want to start a school garden, go to www.openlands.org/urbangreening.asp?pgid=281
For local school gardening help, advice and information contact The Chicago Botanic Garden. They publish The Chicago School Garden Initiative: A Collaborative Model for Developing School Gardens That Work. www.chicagobotanic.org
For inspiration from Alice Waters, the pioneer of the school vegetable gardening movement and for amazing advice from their headquarters, The Edible Schoolyard, go to www.edibleschoolyard.org
National Gardening Association's kidsgardening.com go to www.kidsgardening.comFor information about Earth Boxes go to www.earthbox.com
For information about The Growing Connection program and curriculum go to and www.thegrowingconnection.org
For excellent composting and gardening advice and demonstrations at Garfield Park Conservatory, go to www.garfield-conservatory.org
For information on school or backyard gardening from the University of Illinois Extension go to www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/hort/
For more information on composting go to www.ChicagoHomeComposting.org or call The Rotline at 773-265-9587 for answers to your composting questions
For school garden curriculum to use in your classroom, go to http://www.schoolgardenwizard.org/ or http://lifelab.org/about/index.html or http://www.hort.vt.edu/HORT6004/network/lessonplans.html
