Chute Middle School Peer Leaders

This year, the Learning Center received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a new program to encourage environmental stewardship amongst teen youth who participate in our on-farm programs. As a result, we have a new crop of leadership for our On-Farm programs this spring.  Two groups of teens from 10 schools ranging geographically from rural Wisconsin to south Chicago attended leadership training days this year, and have since returned to the farm to serve as peer educators to other students from their schools.

Gardening at the Ruby Garden

Last year, Angelic Organics Learning Center partnered with the Rogers Park Green Space and Food Systems Coalition to develop a new multi-plot community garden, the Schreiber Park Ruby Garden in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. The garden is now home to 64 community garden plots (and growing!) tended by area residents and community groups, including a number of refugee groups based in the neighborhood.

Kim Marsin and Rachel Reklau, proud new farmers and owners of Sweet Home Organics

2009 Stateline Farm Beginning Graduates launch new CSA, Sweet Home Organics!

Driving home from a Farm Dreams class at Angelic Organics in the spring of 2008, Kim Marsin and Rachel Reklau couldn’t speak.

Shiquita Shumaker (right) and Rockford youth participate in the 5th Annual Black Farmer's Market event at Navy Pier.

Angelic Organics Learning Center partners with a network of community-based organizations in the Rockford area that make up the Roots & Wings network. Roots & Wings aims to increase the leadership and life skills of local youth and adults through participatory development projects, hands-on garden-based education, and community service.

Burundi women plant their plot in the Schreiber Park Community Garden

The members of the Rogers Park Green Space and Food Systems Coalition have long believed in the power of growing food to energize a community.

Placing plastic at the Artists' Garden

Last fall, Learning Center partners in urban food system projects in Southeast Chicago installed season extension infrastructure – plastic hoop “low tunnels” where plants can survive cold spells in fall and early spring. Our partners at the South Chicago Art Center erected their low tunnel in the Artists’ Garden over beds of lush greens in late September. By mid-October, it was the Bush Community Garden’s turn. Both are part of an emerging coalition, building their local food system with Learning Center liaison, Thea Carlson.

Kids at day care for a baby goat.

Hi, I’m Rachel. I’m one of the children lucky enough to go to the Learning Center’s 2008 spring Day Camp. One of my friends was attending the camp back in March, and I went with my mom to take her there. When I saw how much fun it would be, I asked my mom if I could go. She said yes! Enough about me: This is my goat story.

Heifer International brings visitors from all over the world to learn from the South Chicago Artists’ Garden

In 2003, the South Chicago Art Center lost their urban garden lot to development. That year, Angelic Organics Learning Center partnered with the Arts Center to develop a new and larger garden space on four city lots.

This community garden and educational space was also supported through a partnership with Heifer International, an organization that assists communities to produce healthy food for community development all over the world.

Stateline Farm Beginnings® graduates Don and Tresea Larson

Driving east from Roscoe, Illinois, toward Angelic Organics farm one sees a familiar site: hundreds of new tract homes gobbling up rich agricultural land. It is a worrisome trend when viewed alongside daily stories of tainted imported foods. If we lose the farmland and continue to lose farmers, where will our food come from?

Stateline Farm Beginnings® graduate Margaret Nelson

Margaret grew up on a conventional dairy farm in northern Illinois and always wanted to farm, but thought it was too unrealistic. She and her husband Mark, a city kid, got a few cattle as soon as they moved onto their six acres. They wanted to make sure that their daughters were brought up around livestock. So the girls both helped to raise a few beef cattle and show them through 4H and at the county fair each year.