City Farm is the most recent initiative of the Resource Center. Andy Rozendaal, program director of City Farm, has great faith in the prospects of urban agriculture. "With a great staff, interns and over 850 volunteers per year, we can produce a tasty variety of healthy and sustainable food for those who desire and need these products. The taste and quality can be the reason people buy, but the difference we are making in the community is the reason communities need to embrace urban agriculture."

Thousands of Opportunities

With tens of thousands of vacant city lots in Chicago, mostly in economically under-developed neighborhoods, turning vacant land into an asset for the community is a 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 are developed and communities grow. In addition to simply creating more green space and beautifying the urban landscape, the City Farm program strives to provide education in sustainable farming, as well as job creation, building a community-sustained operation while also providing highly nutritious products to people in diverse neighborhoods.

Taste the Difference

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 widely praised for its flavor, form and beauty. Bruce Sherman, chef and owner of North Pond restaurant and a long-time supporter of City Farm, says, "It's delicious. I don't get product just because they're doing the right thing. That product first and foremost needs to be exceptional. The fact that City Farm grows exceptional produce the right way only makes it better."

Some Chicago restaurants and stores featuring our products:

• Frontera Grill & Topolobampo
• Vie Restaurant
• North Pond
• Lula Cafe
• Nightwood
• Gilt Bar
• Signature Room
• Sepia
• Chilam Balam
• Dill Pickle Food Coop
• Green Grocer

One of the major goals for City Farm is the creation of a permanent demonstration and training facility. Thousands have come through City Farm’s different gardens to be trained or to learn about food. Replicating the City Farm model will bring more local food and jobs, and advanced training will become available for those who want to convert land and thrive off of it themselves. Rozendaal notes, "People grow vegetables in many different ways; urban resources can stop being wasted and be made available to growers who can improve their communities' way of life. We can do that." In a manner consistent with the City of Chicago's support for use of open land, City Farm continues to grow and design solutions for Chicago's urban agriculture.