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We Grow it, Give it to those in need, and Compost the rest

A sustainable, organic-practicing, mini-farm and food producing garden

100 % built and farmed by volunteers
100% of harvests are donated
           to charitable organizations
100% zero waste to landfill

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Each season, approximately 3,000 pounds of fresh food is harvested and donated to local social service organizations that share the dream
of food security for all and the mindfulness for our environment.
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With the Garden’s community composting initiative and
use of drip irrigation, solar power and rain collection,
the 5,000 sq foot area is zero waste to landfill.

GCG offers a myriad of educational, social action and
community-building opportunities for individuals and groups
in a beautifully accessible space open to all ages and abilities. 

The Garden sends abundant gratitude to Am Shalom,
the Village of Glencoe, the Glencoe Park District and our many friends for their continued support of our mission
to provide our community with this special place where
we can connect, learn, give and reflect.

Volunteer and Help

100% of our garden is built, harvested and managed by volunteers. 

Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to join in the harvest. 

No experience necessary.

Seed. Plant. Harvest. Deliver.  Build. Spread the Word.

All Ages Welcome! Simply Drop-in! Grow your ideas too!

 

​Inquire about scheduling a Service Opportunity Day for your school, team,

club, community group or business organization. 

Contributions are welcome to help maintain the Garden's mission, and may be sent to the GCG Capital Fund c/o Am Shalom, 840 Vernon Avenue, Glencoe, IL  60022.

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What's Happening

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Can’t make it? Toss your pumpkins into GCG’s dumpster outside GCG’s south gate from 10/28 thru 11/11
Thank you to Village of Glencoe and Lakeshore Recycling!

OWL HOUSES!

Huge thanks to Louis Zaransky (and mom Lynn) one of GCG’s creative and thoughtful young volunteers who crafted, designed and built 2 of them and 1 Kestrel house in hopes of attracting a natural predator for small critters that snack on the Garden’s root crops.


Our Food Partners

Each season, the Garden partners with social service agencies to distribute the fresh bounty, delivered by volunteer drivers direct from the Garden.

By providing fresh, organic foods, we contribute to

food security and health education initiatives in the Chicago area.

We have worked with the following agencies for several years and are confident that the Garden's produce is enjoyed fresh and flavorful throughout Chicagoland.

Hydroponics and Vertical Gardens

The Garden is a model for various ways of growing food. 2015 marked the Garden’s first successful hydroponic crop inside the unheated greenhouse. Currently three hydroponic systems produce bountiful harvests of herbs, micro-greens and larger vegetables available for community members to learn from.  

 

Unique designs for vertical gardening and hydroponic systems are a hallmark of the Garden.  In addition, home hydroponic and vertical systems have been developed for personal use as a means to help support the Garden.

Composting

Save the planet One Bucket at a Time!

Composting recycles garden and kitchen waste into rich fertilizer for growing food and flowers.

Healthy soil is the basis of the Garden’s and all food production.  

Volunteers at the Garden started an active composting initiative that inspired a

community-wide following.  Due to an overwhelming amount of waste brought for composting,

the Garden partnered with the Village of Glencoe and Lake Shore Recycling

to commercially compost kitchen waste brought by Glencoe residents.

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​All are encouraged to get involved in composting!

At least 40% of food in the U.S. goes to landfill or incinerators, where it generates methane,

a major contributor to climate changing greenhouse gases.

Composting allows community members to make gold from trash!

The Power Tower - The Power of Us

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The Power of Us demonstrates how we all can take a positive role in helping to save our planet from the effects of climate change.  

The mission of the exhibit

is to actively and visually demonstrate the necessity of acting now,

with suggestions of what to do, before we reach the point of no return.

​The 15-foot-high tower will demonstrate three alternative energy sources: wind, solar and human power.  A vertical axis wind generator, adjustable solar panels and astationary bicycle driving handmade generators will be used to power the exhibit. 

Watch "The Power of Us"

Chicagoland engineer and Glencoe Community Garden founder

Jim Goodman and his wife Annie are alarmed about the ever more severe climate change crisis and know their generation has failed to adequately address it. With the environmental clock ticking, the Goodmans enlist the aid of some equally concerned young people to unleash their creativity and usher in a new generation of climate change problem-solvers. The Power of Us underscores the urgency of the climate crisis and shows the power of an intergenerational, collaborative movement to fight climate change, with youth leading the charge into the future.

Glencoe Community Garden

380 Old Green Bay Road

Glencoe, IL

contact@glencoecommunitygarden.com

847-975-7025

We are located between the Green Bay Trail and the train tracks; right next to Phil Thomas Park in Glencoe.

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