By The Beachwood 444theFarm Affairs Desk
“For more than forty years, Fourth Presbyterian Church has been involved with the children and families living in Cabrini-Green,” the church says on its website.
“As an outgrowth of that relationship, in 2001 the church bought property in the Cabrini-Green community, on Chicago Avenue between Hudson and Cleveland, at 444 W. Chicago Avenue. In doing so, the church and Chicago Lights signaled their commitment to helping the neighborhood become a thriving diverse community and to ensuring that present residents are not cast aside in the process of its transformation into a mixed-income neighborhood.
“As the first step in this important endeavor, the Chicago Avenue site was transformed into a community garden, as a way to strengthen the relationships with the families and children in the Cabrini community.The Chicago Avenue property became the site for a community garden in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood in 2003, and the Chicago Lights Chicago Avenue Outreach continued to thrive as a garden through 2009.
“In 2010, in collaboration with Growing Power, a nationally recognized leader in urban agriculture, the garden has expanded to become an urban farm, with hoop greenhouses extending the growing season to nine to twelve months.
“The Chicago Lights Urban Farm provides job training and youth development. Through the urban farm, young adults not only learn about agriculture as they work with food production, but also gain life skills and job readiness. Families learn about nutrition and have access to affordable, healthy produce. And relationships in the community continue to be fostered as people of diverse backgrounds work side by side and enjoy community celebrations together.”
This video was uploaded to YouTube earlier today.
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Previously:
Movers & Shakers.
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The Home Place.
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NBC Chicago Green Week.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on January 20, 2012