At this weekend’s Evanston Garden Fair, Linda Kruhmin stood behind a table overflowing with potted vegetables and herbs, each one planted with organic seeds and soil. The Talking Farm’s plants are grown in volunteers’ homes and are part of their initiative to provide locally produced food.
The nonprofit organization is two and a half years old and is in the process of developing an urban farming space just north of Howard Street. Talking Farm’s land-use proposal includes a depository for collecting rainwater, a demonstration garden and an environmental learning center.
The design shows one acre for an “agri-forest” comprised of fruit and nut trees and a variety of plants that flourish in the shade, such as ginseng and currants, and an allotted two acres for vegetable and herb production. In order to survive during the harsh winters, the farm uses hoop houses – tent-like, unheated structures that can house growing plants 11 months out of the year.
“It’s about tying together all the different sustainability ideas,” Kruhmin said.
The farm plans to use the small land space efficiently. Some fruit can grow vertically and so can hops, which could lead to small micro-brewing classes, Kruhmin said.
“In any urban garden, you don’t have as much horizontal space, so you try to grow up vertical with fences, specially made lattices, and they even have things called green walls that have … window boxes built into it that you plant into,” she said.
The project emphasizes the importance of locally grown food as an environmentally sustainable way to eat healthily.
“The average piece of produce travels 1,500 miles – it’s coming from California or Florida or New Zealand or China,” she said. “If you factor in petroleum products … and then include pesticides and refrigeration, you’re looking at a really large carbon footprint, rather than something grown within, say 200 miles of your home.”
Patsy Benveniste, vice president of community education programs at the Chicago Botanic Garden, said the plan for urban farming represents an economically independent way to produce food.
“Evanston is in an advantaged position,” said the Talking Farms board member. “It has a progressive, activist, educated community that puts a high price on healthy food. It can help advance a local, living sustainable economy.”
Individual urban farms are also cost-friendly projects, Kruhmin said. The Talking Farm proposal only plans to use about 50 percent of its space to grow food to accommodate for sidewalks and visitor space. The goal is to encourage residents to take the concept into their own backyards.
Kruhmin sells potted peppers and eggplants for $3 each, and tomato plants for $3 to $5 each. If properly cared for, each plant can yield several pieces of food. Kruhmin said some cherry tomato plants have the potential to grow 100 pieces of fruit.
The Talking Farm aims to incorporate an element of education; along with the proposed environmental learning center, the organization collaborated with Kingsley Elementary School to form the Kingsley Green Acres and Talking Farm. The urban farming project comprises 4,000 square feet and 25 different gardens.
The farm created the space in the community garden and then turned it over to the students of Kingsley.
Sharon Smaller, a Kingsley parent who helped start the program, said the goal is to teach the students about why sustainable farming is important and to incorporate the farm into their studies.
“It’s engaging and hands-on, to tie into the curriculum,” she said. “For example, the third-grade class had a unit on Native Americans and pioneers, so they planted a “three sisters” garden with corn, squash and beans.”
Kruhmin said the Talking Farm hopes to continue working with schools.
“(We have) a dual mission to grow for the local community and educate,” she said. “It’s about taking an idea and running with it.”
