|
|
|
|
Equitable Water Access for
Chicago Food Security
Over the last several months, AUA has worked in coalition with farmers, gardeners, and food system partners to advocate for a set of immediate and long term solutions aimed at reducing the cost of and increasing access to water for Chicago’s growers. After months of communication with the Mayor’s Office, Department of Water Management, Department of Planning and Development, and the Department of Legal Services, the City of Chicago has implemented a new hydrant permit policy for the remainder of the 2020 growing season. To learn more about the updated policy and how to navigate the application process, check out AUA's Chicago Growers Guide
However, there are still significant barriers keeping growers from accessing the water they need to grow food for their families and their communities. This has left many growers throughout Chicago without access to water in the midst of a global pandemic, when local and sustainable food producers are needed more than ever. Help us ensure that urban growers throughout Chicago have the water access they need to continue doing work that strengthens our local food system and fosters more resilient communities.
Sincerely,
Advocates for Urban Agriculture
|
|
Water Access Resources
Funded by the Chicago Region Food System Fund, AUA now has the ability to support growers with the costs associated with RPZ acquisition, installation and certification, as well as the costs of hydrant caps and keys. If you are in need of financial or administrative support to access water from a fire hydrant, please fill out this form as soon as possible. Funding will be distributed on a rolling basis.
If you have questions or want to get more involved in our advocacy efforts, reach out to us at advocacy@auachicago.org.
Lastly, AUA has some disposable and reusable masks and hand sanitizers available only for gardens and farms. Feel free to complete the form below if your farm or garden is in need of PPE. Thank you! https://forms.gle/oVoqxBTdPjteayPu9
|
|
AUA's Monthly Online Live Sessions
Grow With Us
We are starting Monthly Live Sessions . Learn from local Chicagoland growers skills to grow your food. Topics range from micro greens to indoor worm composting. This is also a great way to find out more about each grower and support their work.
JULY 21st: Our first session is Tuesday July 21st @12pm via zoom with David Toledo from Contemporary Farmer. He will be discussing indoor Micro Greens and Herbs, you don't want to miss this! REGISTER HERE.
Dates and times will be posted closer to the date for the remaining sessions.
|
|
|
NOVEMBER
Season extension with Paul Krysik from Windy City Harvest
DECEMBER
Indoor worm composting with Stef Funk from Plant Chicago
|
|
Introducing our new Development Coordinator
We are excited to have Bea Fry (she/her, they/them) on our AUA team as our new Development Coordinator!
 Bea hails from St. Paul, Minnesota and is a recent transplant to Chicago. They hold a B.A. in International Relations and a B.S. in Food Studies from Syracuse University. Their background includes research on violations of the Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition for transgender people of color. Bea is passionate about creating and maintaining a food system which is equitable for the LGBTQIA+ community and racial minorities, promoting the integration of international human rights rhetoric into the foundation of local food systems.
|
|
Support and Donate
We will continue to use our newsletter to highlight the many Black-owned farms and gardens throughout the region! You can click directly on their name to be directed to their sites (if applicable).
|
|
Getting Grown Collective
Getting Grown Collective works to equip Black and Brown communities in the Chicagoland area with tools required to develop self-sustaining knowledge by supporting community-driven agriculture projects, collaborating with food and environmental policy makers, activating multi-generational engagement with agriculture and providing alternative access to health professionals and healthy lifestyle options. Also, check out Food.Farm.Familia Mutual-Aid Meals, a project led by Getting Grown Collective, and supported by the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Urban Pilon, Fresher Together, Amor y Sofrito and Kwamena to prepare and deliver meals to families in Little Village, Englewood and South Chicago.
Follow them via Facebook: CLICK HERE
and via Instragram: CLICK HERE
Donate directly: HERE
contact via email: gettinggrown2017@gmail.com
Fresher Together
Fresh is a community-loving, Unapologetically Fat, Black, genderqueer, working class farmer chef. Born and raised in eastern North Carolina, Fresh is a transplant to the Midwest now calling Chicago home. Fresh is the founder of Fresher Together, Co-director of Chicago Bread Club, and proud board member of Howard Brown Health. Created during their Soul Fire Farm Immersion in 2018, Fresher Together is a farm and collaborative food project for healing, economic development, training and retreat. Fresh has shifted their work to pursue farming full-time and is excited about their first Full-Time farming season kicking off this year. They are grateful in advance for all the support from community. Fresher Together Farms currently incubates on Urban Growers Collective's land in South Chicago. Fresh has long term plans to farm in PembrokeTownship, IL , an historically black farming town, and would like to not only have a farm for production but also a space for community to come for restoration, healing, retreat, and residency on the land.
Donate: gofundme.com/an-airstream-and-a-dream
Follow them via Instragram: CLICK HERE
Donate directly: HERE
contact via email: ChefFresh82@gmail.com
|
Your Bountiful Harvest Family Farm
Your Bountiful Harvest began with a mission to teach people how to feed themselves. Safia Rashid is the owner and urban farmer of Your Bountiful Harvest Family Farm which is a founding member of the Englewood Village Farms, a cooperative of urban and rural farmers. At Your Bountiful Harvest Family Farm they grow vegetables and herbs and make jams, fermented vegetables, and sauces with a focus on the African American Southern tradition and African diaspora. Currently, Your Bountiful Harvest sells their organically grown produce and value-added products via CSA (Vegetable boxes), to a New York-based hot sauce company, and a local food distributor. They are incubator farmers at Urban Growers Collective located in South Chicago.
Listen to their story on NPR WBEZ radio
Follow them via Facebook: HERE
and via Instagram: HERE
Donate directly: HERE
contact via email: yourbountifulharvest@gmail.com
|
|
Upcoming Funding Opportunities
Illinois Farmers Resilience Fund - deadline: July 28th
This fund helps working independent farmers in Illinois  invest in critical infrastructure to scale up and adapt their business models. Priority is given to those that integrate goals of environmental stewardship, economic profitability, and social and economic equity into their farming system and production. Find the application HERE
Pure Growth Project - Deadline: July 31st
 This program supports community farming and preserves essential farmland in America. The funding is for community farming in order to aid accessibility and production of local produce as well as supporting greenspaces in neighborhoods with limitations due to capacity and economic conditions. You can find the application HERE.
Green Infrastructure Partnership Opportunity Program- Deadline: August 20th 
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is accepting project applications for partnership funding opportunities. MWRD seeks to partner with local municipalities and public agencies to install green infrastructure (GI) throughout Cook County. Submitted applications will be evaluated based on the engineering effectiveness of the GI practices amongst several other criteria. More information can be found HERE.
|
|
Upcoming Events
 The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection is offering a FREE Small Business E-Expo will be on Thursday, July 16 beginning at 10:00AM online.The E-Expo will
provide FREE business resources for new and existing entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their business. Register HERE!
Fill out this GOOGLE FORM if you are interested in volunteering at the #BreathingRoom Gardens and Farm. All levels of experience are welcome. Please note any previous involvement or experience with garden or farming to help workers organize volunteers and garden tasks.
Also, If you missed last month's Taxes and Your Farm Webinar you can watch the recording on our website. It's not too late to build your tax resiliency. Click on the image to access the recording.
|
|
National Resources
The National Young Farmers Coalition offers in-person workshops across the country to help young and beginning farmers navigate business challenges and opportunities. Throughout the summer we will be hosting a series of focus groups with farmers to discuss on-farm produce safety practices and how they can be integrated into your farming operations. Each focus group will have a specific topic to narrow the conversation and bring farmers together with similar experiences, such as (but not limited to!) Worker & Volunteer Training, CSA/Farmshare Distribution, Aquaponics and/or Hydroponics, Making Compost On-farm, etc. If you want to participate visit their website HERE.
 CoFED’s Racial Justice Fellowship is a 6-month opportunity for young cooperators of color working to close the racial wealth gap by advancing community ownership of land and the food system. They are looking to support emerging leaders who can demonstrate a solid and progressive track record of creating change -- and who are ready to take their vision, leadership and impact to the next level. We want to learn how you are shining the light that only you have and support you to grow, transform, and become your ancestors' most vibrant and bold dreams. Learn more and apply for their Fellowship HERE.
|
|
|
Never miss the latest by signing up for AUA's 2,300+ member listserv and following us on social media! Have an event to share? Reach out to us at info@auachicago.org!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
