Submitted by Sue Crothers
What is Growing Power?
Growing Power transforms communities by supporting people from diverse backgrounds and the environments in which they live through the development of Community Food Systems. These systems provide high-quality, safe, healthy, affordable food for all residents in the community. Growing Power develops Community Food Centers, as a key component of Community Food Systems, through training, active demonstration, outreach, and technical assistance.
Will Allen, our Chief Executive Officer believes, "If people can grow safe, healthy, affordable food, if they have access to land and clean water, this is transformative on every level in a community. I believe we cannot have healthy communities without a healthy food system."
Our goal is a simple one: to grow food, to grow minds, and to grow community.
Growing Power’s Chicago Projects Office officially opened in February of 2002 to manage resource development and the technical assistance needed to assist emerging Community Food Centers and urban and small farm projects in the metropolitan Chicago area. By bringing together food related activities that are typically dispersed, an urban farm as a community food center allows for an integrated approach to addressing food security, ecological, nutrition and public health issues.
Pick-up for CSA deliveries from Growing Power is available in River Forest
I receive deliveries every other week.from Growing Power in Chicago. I send out the delivery schedule at the beginning of each month and customers can choose when they would like to receive a produce bag. The beauty about this system compared to regular CSA, is that the customer has the flexibility to decide when they would like to order and when not. To participate simply email me and drop off their payment one week prior to delivery, it's very flexible. There is also some choice on the type of produce bag. Below is a list of the bags available. All purchases help support Growing Power's mission, small-scale sustainable farmers, local businesses and jobs within the community. Growing Power is a non for profit and the prices are the costs given by Growing Power directly. I offer this to support GP and the RF and OP community.
- The Regular Market Basket @ $17.00 - ideal for 2-4 people for the week. Fill paper grocery bag of 10-12 varieties of fruits and vegetables. Contains a selection of the most popular produce items (mix of conventionally and sustainably grown). Over $10 savings on market price!
- The Junior/Senior Basket @ $9.00 - ideal for smaller households. Approximately half the Regular Basket.
- The Sustainable Basket @ $28.00 - ideal for 2-4 people for the week. Full paper grocery bag of all organic fruits and vegetable. As locally grown/sourced as possible (varies with season).
- The Fruit Basket @ $17.00 - offers the weekly selection of fresh fruit at wholesale cost.
- Spring Salad Mix @ $12.00/pound (available in 1/4# increments - contains a variety of tender micro-greens and sprouts)
- Pea Shoots @ $16.00/pound (available in 1/4# increments - delicious, crisp green flavor)
- Sunflower Sprouts @ $16.00/pound (available in 1/4# increments - sweet, nutty flavor - high in protein!)
- Zesty Sprouts @ $16.00/pound (available in 1/4# increments - spicy flavor - mustard, cabbage and radish sprouts)
- Hand Rolled Butter @ $5.00/pound (rGHB and antibiotic free local milk)
