Gar eld Park Conser vatory hosts West Side Garden Collective

Community members use nature to get to know one another and contribute to their neighborhoods

By SHANEL ROMAIN

Community Narrative Reporter

About 20 West Side Garden Collective members gathered Jan. 28 at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., to explore gardening methods.

According to the group’s Facebook page, the Garden Collective is a “g roup of gardeners and neighbors in a grassroots effort to grow food, community, networks, and resiliency. Hoping to lear n about soil re generation, food networks, and how the complex systems of our local biome intersect with our re gion at large.”

Maria Sor rell and her friend, Mary Margaret Bar tley, both Austin residents and members of Root-Riot :: Harambee, attended the event. The garden they share with about 30 other families is located at 445 N. Waller Ave. Now in its 14th year, the garden is a tool to bring the neighborhood to gether

“We had our first pizza party with our new outdoor pizza oven last week with the families within in the garden. We try and have something every Friday inviting the community,” Sor rell said.

One of the biggest attractions in the Harambee garden is the Harambee goats from Austin’s GlennArt Farm grazing on half the pasture in the war mer months situation and I quote, “Somebody run, chase somebody by foot or car, that police of ficer should be able to chase them down and hunt them down like a rabbit.”

Biolo gist Prayag Amin was also in attendance at the Conservatory. Amin is part Sylvan Holt, a nonprofit committed to expanding urban gardening in the Chicago area.

“Our mission is to tur n empty plots the city into little open forests that can provide food, wildlife, and fresh air and tur n the contaminated soil into clean soil,” Amin said.

Let’s hear from the other candidates. How would you as mayor handle an incident such as the one in Memphis. I think Chicago voters deserve to hear from each of them.

Grace Bishop Chica go