A View of the Farm on Ogden

Produce such as lettuce and spinach are grown in the aquaponics system. Photo by Ebony Ellis.

A sign to inform customers and residents of the Veggie Rx program. Photo by Aja Beckham.

A photo of the Farm on Ogden at 3555 Ogden Ave. Photo by Ebony Ellis.

The operating hours of the Farm on Ogden. Photo By Ebony Ellis.

Different kinds of onion. Photo by Ebony Ellis.

Various herbs and produce grown locally at Farm on Ogden and are ready to be purchased. Photo by Ebony Ellis.

A stand of organic seeds for sale. Photo by Ebony Ellis.

	By Ebony Ellis, Violence and Prevention Reporter, The Real Chi

It is no secret that many divested communities in Chicago are food deserts. The rise of opportunities for urban farming is helping with shifting this narrative. On Feb. 4, the Douglas Branch Library, 3353 W. 13th St., partnered with Windy City Harvest to host a tour of Farm on Ogden. 

The facility is funded through the Chicago Department of Family Services along with other grants. Operating through the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest provides paid opportunities to learn about and gain experience in urban agriculture. A few of the programs include: Corps, the transitional job training program for adult offenders; the apprenticeship, for adults and graduates of the corps program; the youth farm, which serves those between the ages of 15 and 18.

Another program is the Veggie Rx program. In this program, the Farm on Ogden distributes packages for patients. These packages contain produce prescriptions and weekly nutrition education and cooking lessons provided by the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion (CPHP). This program is also partnered with and developed by the Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC).

Farm on Ogden is one of 16 different farms throughout the Chicagoland area.

For the job transition program, 75 percent of participants come from the west side, according to Robin Smith, manager of the Windy City Harvest Corps Program. Farm on Ogden is a multi-use facility in North Lawndale that opened  in June of 2018. It is located at 3555 Ogden Ave., across the street from the CTA Central Park Pink Line Station.