Raspberries Have Arrived
Summer starts this Wednesday, so no surprise that the surge of peak-season crops is under way. I visited the Roscoe Village Farmers Market in Lakeview this morning (Sunday) and made two first-of-the season buys: Raspberries and summer squash, both from Parra Farms in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
This is my cue for a reminder on getting that beautiful, ripe, fragile fruit home from the market intact: Bring hard-sided containers with lids with you and put your purchases in them. If you just put the fruit you buy loose a bag, chances are you’re going to have at least some bruised or squashed fruit when you get home.
These green bell peppers are another new-in-season crop that I saw at Parra Farms’ stand.
The Roscoe Village Farmers Market is definitely geared toward serving its neighborhood. Located on the playground behind Jahn Elementary School at Belmont and Wolcott and open Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon, it is one of the smallest farmers markets in the city proper and it’s not a one-stop-shop market. You will surely find some nice things to take home with you, nonetheless.
Star Farm Chicago Seeks Help Following Fire
Sometimes Local Food Forum has some bad news to share. Star Farm Chicago — an urban farming project that is growing food and opportunity in the city’s Back of the Yards neighborhood — lost valuable equipment and collateral when a fire gutted a storage container.
A message from Stephanie Dunn, Star Farm Chicago’s founder and executive director, is below, followed by buttons that enable you to contribute to restoring the project to full strength.
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As some have already heard, we had an unexpected fire at Star Farm on Memorial Day weekend. Rocio, our Director of Operations, returned from working the Logan Square Market and saw that the pink shipping container at our main site had caught fire. She frantically called the [Chicago Fire Department], directed sprinklers towards the flames, and tried to do everything she could to minimize damage while she waited for the fire department to arrive.
After putting out the fire, CFD said that the fire was caused by cottonwood seeds from the tree that neighbors our main site, which due to especially dry conditions were highly flammable. We feel fortunate that the fire was contained and did not damage our hoophouse, garden beds, or any of our neighbors’ properties. That said, the fire did destroy our shipping container that housed event materials, programming supplies, market equipment, and farm/landscape tools. These losses are devastating because like many farmers, we have spent years investing in, and slowly accumulating, our organization’s equipment and materials.
We were slow to share this news because we wanted to push through the sadness, frustration, and inconvenience caused by this incident. The timing of this fire has been especially difficult because we are in the midst of our busiest season of programming, growing, and landscaping. Creating a plan of action for making repairs, financing replacements, and finding time amidst landscaping, farming, and programming to address our needs has been challenging.
Additionally, we did not want to ask more of those who already give so much support to us. But as word has slowly spread throughout our amazing community, we have had many people ask how they can help. For this, we are overwhelmed with gratitude and reminded, once again, of the power of a community built on shared values and goals.
We were able to account for everything that was lost, and we have estimated the total costs for repairs and replacements. If you are feeling compelled to support us during this time, there are a few different ways you can show your love.
Donate via our PayPal Donate Page
Donate via our Fire Support GoFundMe
Purchase items from our Home Depot and Amazon wishlists
Purchase a ticket to our June 25 Brunch for either yourself or sponsor a ticket for someone in the neighborhood. Use code BRUNCH for a discount!
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