JJK FAN

The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, Nutrition Innovation Center — we call it JJK FAN — shows kids and teens how they can grow their minds as they grow healthy food. ** Want to help?

10/28/2026

Fresh collard greens, grown with love, for the community we love! 💚

This Wednesday marks our FIRST WEEK selling collard greens grown right here in East St. Louis!

Every leaf represents a labor of love, hard work, and our commitment to making fresh, nutritious food more accessible in communities where healthy options can be hard to find.

We're grateful to grow more than food. We're growing opportunity and investing in our health and well-being.

📍1375 N. 23rd St., East St. Louis, IL
Today | 9 AM – 3 PM

10/26/2026

🌱 A new week brings new opportunities, fresh beginnings, and room for growth.

Just as we work to cultivate the land, every new day is an opportunity to plant seeds of purpose and progress.

Happy Monday! May something beautiful take root in your life this week.

10/18/2026

🌱 LITTLE HANDS. BIG HARVESTS!

Join us every Monday at The JJK Foundation for our 4-H Kids Farmers Market!

Through the University of Illinois Extension's 4-H program, our young growers are getting hands-on experience in gardening, agriculture, and entrepreneurship while sharing the fruits of their hard work with the community.

Come out, support our kids, and see what they've been growing! 💚

Mondays | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM📍101 Jackie Joyner Kersee Cir, East St. Louis, IL

10/14/2026

Fresh from our garden to your table!

Looking for fresh, locally grown produce? Stop by every Wednesday and shop a variety of vegetables grown right here in our community!

Every harvest represents more than fresh food. It’s a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and growth happening right here at JJK FAN. 💚

Every Wednesday | 9 AM – 3 PM
1375 N. 23rd St., East St. Louis, IL 62204

10/10/2026

Growing connections, cultivating opportunities!

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from East St. Louis School District 189 to the JJK FAN Innovation Center!

Led by Andrew Grull, Lansdowne UP's Lead Ag Team Mentor, our guests got an up-close look at the exciting work happening across campus, explored our growing spaces, and even enjoyed a taste of some fresh fruits and vegetables!

Beyond the harvest, this visit was an opportunity to share how agriculture, education, and hands-on learning come together to inspire curiosity in the young people of our community.

Thank you, District 189, for spending time with us!

10/09/2026

Fresh food. Stronger families. Healthier communities! 🥬🍅

We're proud to partner with Operation Food Search to bring the Mobile Market to the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation every Friday!

Access to fresh is an important part of building healthy families and thriving communities. Together, we're helping make fresh food more accessible to East St. Louis!

📍JJK Foundation | 101 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Circle, East St. Louis, IL
📅 Every Friday
⏰ 4 PM – 6 PM

Spread the word and help us serve more families in our community! 💚

10/05/2026

🌱 Learning by doing—and growing along the way!

Our young people are putting their 4-H skills into action at the JJK FAN Kids’ Farmers Market. From agriculture and teamwork to responsibility and real-world experience, every market day is another chance to learn, lead, and grow.

Come out and support our young growers at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation from 3:30-5:00 PM!

09/28/2026

The banana phone is ringing—and our youth are answering the call!

The JJK FAN Youth Farmer's Market is more than a place to find fresh produce. It’s a hands-on learning experience where young people can build confidence, practice responsibility, connect with their community, and experience the journey from growing and harvesting to sharing what they’ve grown.

Come see our young growers in action every Monday from 3:30–5:00 PM and support a program that’s planting seeds far beyond the garden.

09/23/2026

It started with a vision—and grew through collaboration. 🌱

Jackie Joyner-Kersee brought together partners with different strengths but a shared commitment to East St. Louis. Through JJK FAN, innovation, education, workforce development, agriculture, and community come together to create something great!

It’s more than one organization or one initiative. It’s a collective vision for what can grow when we work together. Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation Lansdowne UP Donald Danforth Plant Science Center University of Illinois Extension-Madison, Monroe and St. Clair Unit

EastStLouis

Address

East Saint Louis, IL

Website

https://www.jjkfan.org/

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