Urban Growers Collective

10/07/2026

Harvest Fest is this Saturday! ✨ Here are some more pictures from last year’s celebration to show off just how much fun we have. Most activities are happening all-day, but there’s a few that will be timed, so take a look at our agenda to make the most of the day. We can’t wait to see you there!

Agenda
11:00 - 12:00 🌻 Budding Growers: Family Story-Time and Mandala Making
12:00 - 12:30 🌲 Tree Planting Demo
12:00 - 1:00 🌸 Natural Dyes Workshop with Youth Corps
12:30 - 1:00 👑 My Hair Is My Crown reading by Kandace Grooms
1:00 - 2:00 ✨ Perfumery Workshop with Kim Crutcher
2:00 - 2:30 🌲Tree Planting Demo

Sign up using the 🔗 in bio!

10/05/2026

Our hearts are heavy, but full of profound gratitude as we honor the transition of our beloved Elder, Baba Orrin Williams. Orrin Williams was the founder of the Center for Urban Transformation, a brilliant mentor, and a fierce advocate who wove together food systems, culture, and justice.

At the South Chicago Farm, Orrin Williams Orrin held an irreplaceable spot as our in-house Elder.

Baba Orrin practiced a deeply grounded, Buddhist path. He walked through the world understanding what Dharma teacher Thich Nhat Hanh called "interbeing"—the profound reality that we are all interconnected with the cosmos, the earth, and one another.

In that spirit of oneness, we know Orrin has not disappeared. His energy has transformed. He is in the breeze moving through the rows, he is in the collard green heritage seed project he breathed life into, and he is in every piece of fresh food that nourishes our city.

We love you deeply, Baba Orrin. We are sending so much love, light, and pr peace to Mama Betty and the entire family.

🍂 Come remember him with us:
We want to fill a memory book with stories of his wisdom, his humor, and his legacy.

Please join us at the farm at the memorial ancestors altar to honor him in community love.

• 📅 Harvest Fest: October 10, 2026
• 🕚 Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• 📍 Where: South Chicago Farm

Rest in beautiful transformation, Baba Orrin. Your seeds will keep growing forever. 🌱✨

10/05/2026

Reflecting on our "Grow With Us" gathering at the Obama Presidential Center, I am filled with gratitude for the community and partners dedicated to advancing the vital work of Urban Growers Collective (UGC).
Thank you to Dixie Erwin, Deb Alexander, and Jennifer Vachon for hosting this evening as UGC Advisors. This event was a direct outcome of our collective learning as UChicago Graham School Fellows—a testament to what happens when we align resources with deep civic commitment to service and the joy of building the just society we want to live in, where everyone has ample opportunities to thrive.
Gathering at the Presidential Center in the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium was deeply fitting. The South Side of Chicago is our home, a place of extraordinary strength, culture, creativity, and resilience.
Founded in 2018, UGC carries forward the legacy of community-based food models like Growing Power. Our goal is to move beyond temporary projects and build permanent local infrastructure. As a Black- and women-led nonprofit, UGC is dismantling historical barriers to build a just, equitable food system. Food is our catalyst, but our true harvest includes:
* Community health and healing
* Education and green-tech jobs
* Youth leadership development
* Neighborhood vitality and community ownership
* Community Food Navigator Resource Hub
While our impact is clear in the statistics, it is best understood through our leaders. It was an honor to introduce Malcolm Evans, Director of Urban Farms, who embodies this mission through his lived experience and leadership.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to support UGC. Together, we are building inclusive, place-based economies that benefit us all.

09/24/2026

These are just a few of our favorite moments from our past Harvest Fests 🍁 A day full of celebration, community, and honoring the land. Bring your friends and family out to make some memories with us at this years fest ✨

📆 Saturday, October 10th
⏰ 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
📍 South Chicago Farm, 9000 S. Mackinaw Ave

09/23/2026

Happy Fall 🍁 our second to last herb walk of the year is this upcoming Saturday, Sept. 26th! This month, we’ll be singing with the plants, guided by our special guest, Stacy Renee Erenberg. Together, we’ll explore herbal inspired circle singing and co-create ritual songs as a joyful mode of communal healing.

RSVP at the 🔗 in bio!

09/21/2026

The Rooted and Rising Cycle – Lineage & Food Sovereignty 🌱✨

Today marked a powerful milestone in our community work as we concluded our series with an intergenerational gathering centered on seed sovereignty, lineage, and food independence
We were joined by neighbors who attended all 6 sessions and a few guests from across the nation.

A seed is more than a botanical starter, it is a tiny time capsule. When we save a seed, we make an active promise to future generations, participating in the circular nature of life and regeneration at the end of each season.
In alignment with our practice of right relationship with nature and living out true abundance, we stocked the Presidential Library’s Seed Library with 100 seed packets today! Thanks to Marty Acosta, Librarian at the Presidential library for joining us and activating this goal - 🙏🏽

Operating on a "give one, get one" model of reciprocity, attendees were encouraged to plant these seeds, save their harvest, and return next year with climate-adapted seeds harvested from our local microclimates.

Word of the Day:

SOVEREIGNTY — The power to control our own food, our own seeds, and our own future.

Thank you to every elder, youth, and participant who helped pass the torch and anchor our collective future.

Reflection: What is a story, a recipe, or a seed that you want to pass down to the next generation?
Obama Foundation

09/19/2026

We are rooted in the belief that food justice is community justice. 🌱✨Gathering to share a meal and center around good food is a true privilege - especially when everyone is invited!

Our Founding CEO, Erika Allen Allen, was thrilled to spend the afternoon on the West Side joining our friends at the Greater Chicago Food Depository for their incredible Longest Table Community event on Kildare Avenue!

At Urban Growers Collective, we know that closing the food insecurity gap requires deep collaboration, systemic change, and a lot of shared love. Seeing so many West Side neighbors, local businesses, and startups come together to share a meal, exchange real-life conversations, and support one another is exactly how we deliver change—block by block and plate by plate.A massive thank you to Ferguson

for her vision in cultivating this culture of sharing, and to everyone who pulled up a chair to help build a more equitable food system for Chicago.

The movement is just getting started. If you missed the West Side gathering, the table is pulling up next on the South Side!🍽️

Catch the Next Longest Table Event📍 South Side Location: Stewart Ave between 66th & 65th

🗓️ Date & Time: Sept 30, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

🎟️ Admission: Completely free and open to all ages.While signing up isn't required to eat, registering ahead of time helps the organizers plan.

You can also sign up to volunteer or serve as a Table Captain to host these vital neighborhood conversations. If you have any questions, reach out to community Greater Chicago Food Depository

Let’s keep growing, sharing, and building a hunger-free Chicago together! 💚

09/07/2026

🌿 HARVEST SEASON JOY! 🌿
Community, care, and collaboration at its finest! 🍇✨

We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate our amazing UGC Herbalism Apprentices, Hannah and Lakeshia! Led by Herbalism Program Conductor Kim Crutcher They just harvested over 150 pounds of fresh Elderberries for local medicine makers.
These berries will be turned into powerful syrups and tinctures. Seeing them mixed with our honey and other natural fixings—getting ready to support everyone through the upcoming weather changes—brings us so much happiness!

A massive thank you to Incubator graduate Kenya Moore vera and DuSable City Botanical Farms GGE
for activating this Elderberry grove in our orchard and making this incredible harvest possible.

Stay tuned for our upcoming market dates and special CSA offerings! 🧺❤️
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09/07/2026

09/07/2026

Grateful to the Huckberry team for featuring us in the filming of DIRT!

It was an honor to host the crew, share our story, and talk about our vision for a truly sustainable food system. DIRT shines a vital spotlight on local purveyors by exploring regions through the lens of local chefs, reaching over 500k subscribers and 1.5M newsletter readers.

Thank you to the entire team for championing regional food systems. We can't wait for the Chicago episode to launch!
Instagram

That’s a wrap on filming! 🎬🌾
Huge thanks to Huckberry and the crew behind DIRT for featuring us in their upcoming Chicago episode.

We loved having the team on-site to share our purpose, our passion, and our vision for a more sustainable food system.

It’s an honor to be included alongside the incredible local chefs and purveyors shaping regional food culture.

Stay tuned for the episode release!