Eden Place Mid Year Newsletter 2023

EDEN PLACE FIRST FILM FESTIVAL WAS 4 STARS

U OF I URBANA & EDEN PLACE PARTNER TO BRING FOOD SAFETY BOOTCAMP

WE ARE IN THE NEWS

We Celebrated 30 Years

by Ariel White

We can’t believe it but Fuller Park Development (FPCD) & Eden Place celebrated 30 years of serving the community this year In March volunteers, donars, and supporters from near and far gathered at the Discover Community Center in Chicago to celebrate. The afternoon was full of delicious food and shared memories from over the years

WE THANK YOU!

The celebration was a time to reflect on FPCD & Eden Places’ achievements and the hard work of its members. It was also an opportunity to recognize and thank the community for their support and trust over the years. Founders, Michael & Amelia Howard awarded several members who we intricate in getting us to 30 years We look forward to continuing to serve the community and making a difference in the lives of those we serve.

story, camera basics, pre-production, working with a team, lighting, and sound.

”Being apart of the filmmakers camp introduced me to so many amazing people and I loved learning how to create my own film”

A 4 Star Film Festival

Families from all across Chicago came out to enjoy our first Young Filmmakers Film Fest on June 30th. For 4 weeks a group of talented youth from Chicago between 10-17 years old joined us at Eden Place Farms to learn the basics of filmmaking This included the art of telling a

The film fest gave our filmmakers an opportunity to premiere their short films and were critiqued by guest judges. Our winner Nilah Harris took home the gold and a cash prize with her film, “The 4th Wall.” We were so impressed by our youth and the creativity they displayed that we are looking forward to hosting another camp in the near future

-Brandon C.

U of I Urbana & Eden Place Food Safety Bootcamp

Over 50 participants showed up to enjoy a day of connecting, learning, and networking The Food Safety Bootcamp provided valuable insights into the current state of food safety practices and regulations. It covered a range of topics, including emerging foodborne illnesses, food labeling requirements, and best practices for food handling and storage

Experts in the field shared their knowledge and experiences, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between government agencies, food producers, and consumers to ensure the highest standards of food safety. Attendees were encouraged to take these learnings back to their organizations and implement them in their daily operations to prevent foodborne illnesses and promote safer food practices

Thank you so much to all of our amazing participants and for our partners at of University of Illinois.

EDEN PLACE IS IN THE NEWS!

Eden Place Founders Win Award Of Excellence

Illinois Specialty Grower’s was proud to give the 2022 Award of Excellence to Michael and Amelia Howard co-hosted with Illinois Farmers Market Association and Illinois Farm Bureau From Food to Flowers.

"Amelia & Michael Howard from Eden Place Farm Learning Center are my inspiration and hope. I think of them and I am reminded of what perseverance is This couple has been giving love, faith and hope to every person they know and I am awed to know them and consider them family I cried watching them receive the Illinois Specialty Growers Association 2022 Award of Excellence "

-Raghela Scavuzzo

"Amelia & Michael Howard are Urban Gardening royalty in Chicago!"

-Ron Wolford

We are extremely proud of our Founders!

Lt Governor Juliana Stratton with Amelia & Michael Howard Ron Wolford sharing his congratulations

EDEN PLACE FARM WELCOMES LT. GOVERNOR

Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton spent a wonderful visiting with specialty crop farms. We spent the day with Eden Place Farms, discussing the diversity of agriculture around Illinois, hearing about the challenges of specialty crop farms, and learning more about the unique factors of urban farming

Amelia and Michael Howard were able to showcase the varieties of microgreens along with early-season vegetable starts. They discussed 30 years of community history and urban farming mentoring programs.

We Made Our Way To Laporte

This month Michael Howard spoke before the Laporte County Soil & Water Conservation District They provide leadership, education, and technical assistance to empower residents. Mr.Howard spoke about conserving and improving our soil, water and related natural resources.

The annual FULLFEST Was in Full Affect!

Eden Place Nature Center has become the backdrop for FULLFEST hosted by Kellen Marshall this July It is the Southside's official backyard party. Guest came out and enjoyed good food, great music from several of Chicago's top DJ's and an even better time!

Check out more about FULLFEST @fullfestchi

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS

Thanks to all of the students and staff from UIC for their day of service. Their team did an amazing job helping to build out our classroom and learning space!

Special thanks to West Union Lutheran Church from Cologne MN who came down to Chicago to help out at Eden Place Farms. The grow fields are looking so much more content from all of their hard work.