Chicagoans get in touch with their inner farmer at annual Urban Livestock Expo event
On February 29th, 2020, Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) hosted its annual Urban Livestock Expo at Prosser Career Academy (who partnered with AUA this year for the event) on the city’s West Side.
The family-friendly event featured 20 workshops centered on teaching attendees how to raise chickens, ducks, bees, quails and goats in Chicago’s urban setting. In addition to vendors selling homemade goods like honey, soaps, chicken feeds and more, the event featured Prosser Academy students helping throughout the day including making and selling food through the school’s culinary program. Longtime presenters like Naaman Gambill, who owns North Lawndale’s The Hive beekeeping shop, gave specialized presentations pertaining to each of the animals at the day’s event.
Jazmin Martinez, AUA’s Outreach Manager, says the event is a good way to spread knowledge about urban agriculture while also advocating for laws that support and protect Chicagoans’ ability to raise non-traditional animals.
“I think this event fills a need for Chicagoans and just people in general to get to know how to keep urban livestock in their backyard and to make sure it’s a possibility for them and it’s also a family-oriented event and it’s free which it’s always an added touch,” said Martinez. “It’s really about highlighting the community.”