With spring in full swing, there’s a lot growing on at Evanston Grows. The food-based collective impact organization has established a partnership with the ETHS Edible Acre program, and is overseeing a number of students from the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP) to help maintain it. “This collaboration is a natural extension of Evanston Grows’ programming, and gives the youth an invaluable opportunity to learn about urban farming,” said director of farming operations Matt Ryan.
Established in 2009, Edible Acre is an ongoing program for ETHS students to learn about farming through hands-on experiences. It offers four horticultural classes during the school year, with over 60 students coming out once a week to work in one of the “acres” (really an eighth of an acre): a plot of land on the southeast corner of Dodge Avenue and Davis Street; and another on Church Street.
This year, Evanston Grows has hired seven students from the MSYEP who work 15 hours a week for 10 weeks. Ryan said that this placement is a valuable introduction to both farming and general work culture. “For many of them, it’s their first job experience. They gain insight into urban farming and sustainability, but it’s also money in their pocket. They learn about showing up on time, being appropriate in the workplace, and managing their schedules. But then they get a little cross section into different farming skills and practices, including how to grow their own food. A lot of them end up getting their families involved in backyard gardening,” Ryan said.
The teens help maintain the garden’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which is offered to ETHS faculty and staff. “From May until October, they are involved with every aspect of the CSA, from harvesting the food to packaging it for sale. Edible Acre offers over 50 varieties of vegetables, fruit, and flowers, including apples, Asian pears, three kinds of radishes and five kinds of tomatoes. We’re able to plant varieties that are more obscure and you won’t find at the grocery store,” Ryan said.
The produce is harvested on Tuesday and picked up on Thursday, allowing for the highest quality possible. “Getting produce this close to the source ensures it is fresh, maximizes the nutrient content, and just tastes better. It cuts down on transportation costs, and you’re eating seasonally, which is more harmonious with the environment,” Ryan said.
The youths also help organize Evanston Grows’ annual seedling sale, which will be held at the ETHS greenhouse on May 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Evanston Grows is dedicated to a larger mission of helping to end food insecurity in Evanston. They maintain five area gardens: Evanston Vineyard, Faith Temple Church, Foster Street Garden, Eggleston Park, and the Ward Manufacturing site on Main Street. “The churches have their own existing food pantries, and we help maintain their gardens,” Ryan said. “The other sites allow us to grow food for the community and we hope to give away 25,000 pounds of produce this year.”
They provide free weekly produce to five distribution sites for over 20 weeks a year: Tuesdays at Fleetwood Farmstand, Wednesdays at Evanston Vineyard Food Pantry, Thursdays at the Infant Welfare Society, Friday at the Levy Center Farmstand, and Saturday at the Faith Temple food pantry. Additionally, Evanston Grows fosters a number of educational programs throughout the city. “We offer food literacy, cooking classes, demonstrations, and wellness programming at places such as Fleetwood Jourdain Community Center, Family Focus, and the Levy Center,” Ryan said.
Besides working with students, Evanston Grows has a number of volunteer opportunities available for community members to help with every aspect of farming, from planting and weeding to watering and harvesting. “We support college students who either receive course credit or a stipend, and are working to develop more youth internship programs. Community members play a big role in our daily operations, and we are grateful for their support as we continue to grow,” Ryan said.
Evanston Grows cultivates young gardeners at Edible Acre is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.