Talking Farm Says Something About Local Food

An organization just north of Chicago is working to improve lives through urban agriculture.
Talking Farm Says Something About Local Food
Conan Milner
8/4/2010
Updated:
8/4/2010

CHICAGO—An organization just north of Chicago is working to improve lives through urban agriculture by giving people better access to locally grown, organic produce. The Talking Farm in Evanston, Illinois, holds classes, offers assistance in creating community gardens, and hopes to soon have their own three-acre farm.

“Food is where everything meets,” explains Judy Mendel, administrative manager of The Talking Farm. “It touches on everything from transportation—lowering your carbon footprint—to obesity. We want to get the word out about local food and why it’s so important.”

There has been a noticeable interest in recent years toward locally grown food. Documentaries like “Food, Inc.” have highlighted the importance of food quality, while raising awareness about the damage that’s been done through conventional corporate farming methods.

The growing awareness for food quality has also revealed a host reasons why people are choosing to buy locally grown (or even home grown) produce. According to Mendel it protects the environment, increases fruit and vegetable intake, and improves the health of families.

“From food scares in China with melamine, to e coli in spinach—it’s about knowing where your food is coming from,” says Mendel.

There are also economic factors involved. If you grow your own food you don’t have to spend as much at the supermarket.

The Talking Farm recently hosted a new film called “Fresh” that’s playing at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago to further their message.

“If you see the movie you get a real sense of the problems with conventional agriculture. It hurts the economy, as well as the health of the people and planet,” says Mendel, who adds that her venture hopes to have the opposite effect through education and local food production.

The Talking Farm began as a nonprofit in 2006 when an offshoot group from the Evanston Food Policy Council began shaping an idea for a local urban farming and learning center. Since then, The Talking Farm has held a number of classes on subjects such as permaculture, soil testing, and farming basics.

School Partnerships

From its inception the organization has also been actively partnering with several schools and organizations in the area to create a variety of community garden projects.

“When we first started, we discovered that we needed to have a demonstration farm in order to get grants and funding,” recalls Mendel. They started with some unrented community garden land and created a mini-farm where they held classes.

Believing that a larger plot was just around the corner, The Talking Farm handed over their mini-farm to Kingsley Elementary school, and it continues to thrive.

Another success was created last year when The Talking Farm partnered with Evanston Township High School and turned a former smoker’s spot on campus into a community garden plot.

Students in different classes were involved in all aspects of the garden—the geometry class calculated the best sun spot, the art classes helped to design the layout, and the agriculture class helped plant and maintain the garden. The project eventually turned the plot into 25 raised beds.

They have also partnered with the city in a summer youth employment program where the kids have been working, harvesting, and selling the produce. Much of the produce has been used at the high school’s summer school kitchen.

In another example, when nearby Oakton Community College wanted to donate some of their space for community gardens, they brought The Talking Farm on board to help out.

“It’s very exciting because the whole community gets involved,” said Mendel.

While they will continue to support community garden projects in the area, Mendel says that The Talking Farm hopes to soon have its own, three-acre farm and learning center.

“We hope to sell to local restaurants, have a market on our land, harvest festivals, classes, job training, and a community supported agriculture program for low-income people to get a box of fresh produce every week,” explained Mendel.

Thanks to a recent agreement with the Skokie Park District, the vision might not be too far away.

“We’re waiting on environmental reports to decide if they can move forward on this land,” said Mendel.

In the meantime, The Talking Farm continues to promote the benefits of organic and locally grown food, even for those who don’t garden.

“Just start putting a quarter of your food budget into a farmer’s market,” says Mendel. “Support your local farmer with a little of your food dollar—you’re making a statement with every food purchase.”

Conan Milner is a health reporter for the Epoch Times. He graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and is a member of the American Herbalist Guild.
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