City Farm is a sustainable organic farm bordering two very diverse Chicago neighborhoods:  Cabrini Green and The Gold Coast.  Located on the west side of Clybourn Avenue, just north of Division Street, the farm boasts 30 varieties of tomatoes as well as beets, carrots, potatoes, gourmet lettuces, herbs and melons.  All produce is grown in composted soil generated from various sources, such as restaurant trimmings from some of the city's finest kitchens.

The farm sells its produce primarily to local chefs and to the public from an on-site market stand. The produce grown at City Farm has been universally praised for its flavor, form and beauty. Sarah Stegner, a regular customer at City Farm and chef at the Ritz-Carlton Dining Room states, "I'm not buying from them because it's a good cause, although I'm happy it's a good cause. I'm buying from them because they have great tomatoes."

City Farm is the most recent initiative of The Resource Center. Chris Anderson, project director of City Farm, has great faith in the prospects of urban agriculture: "We're not just growing tomatoes. We have a whole model of sustainability we want to create."

With an estimated 80,000 vacant city lots in Chicago, mostly in economically under-developed neighborhoods, turning vacant land into an asset for the community is the primary objective of City Farm. The farm itself is a moveable feast: the land can be farmed, then the compost moved and reused elsewhere as lots become developed and communities grow. In addition to simply creating more green space and beautifying the urban landscape, the City Farm project hopes to provide education in organic farming and job creation for the community on the sites themselves, building a community-sustained operation while also providing highly nutritious products to people in underserved neighborhoods.

City Farm's future goal is the creation of a demonstration garden for school children.  In this setting, students would learn how to grow, harvest, and prepare nutritious seasonal produce, which could be integrated into their curriculum and revitalize school lunch programs.  Students learn patience and discipline, and experience first hand the connection between what they eat and where it originates.

To volunteer at CityFarm, please email City Farm at cityfarmchicago@gmail.com or stop by the farm at 1204 N. Clybourn and ask for one of the farmers.