The Talking Farm: "The Farm that Has Something to Say"

The Talking Farm

The mission of The Talking Farm is to provide access to fresh and locally grown food, job training and environmental education by operating an urban agricultural enterprise. Its vision includes both a physical space to grow food for sale to the community, as well as the educational and knowledge-sharing activities that emerge from the operations of an urban, organic farm dedicated to establishing sustainable food security for the Evanston community.

The urban farm we envision is two to three acres of land to provide local organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and related value added food products through four seasons for sale to the entire community, including households, schools, soup kitchens, restaurants, and hospitals. We estimate our farm can produce up to 10 to 20 tons of food annually, which translates to approximately 15,000 meals annually. We intend to grow our food using organic and sustainable practices, without chemicals or pesticides.

The farm would provide economic development, education and job training, but would also act as a community gathering spot enriching all Evanston residents through classes, harvest festivals, holiday events, food tastings, cooking demonstrations, to name just a few. The entire farm operation would be a living classroom of sustainable practices, including organic farming, composting, renewable energy (solar, wind and geothermal), green building methods, food processing and preservation, natural lifecycles, nutrition and health.  

Our objectives are, from short- to long-term:  

1)      To broaden and increase community awareness, support and fundraising efforts through public relations, marketing, creating a charter funding base, general contributors, events, and corporate/business funding;  

2)      To help fund our growth from a fledgling nonprofit and ease our administrative transition with minimal budgetary strain and growing pains, so that The Talking Farm can take more effective steps in achieving its mission;  

3)      To procure suitable land and initiate farm operations, including phasing in capital needs; 

4)      To plan and run consumer-driven food and farm-related educational programs workshops in sustainable growing practices, food production and value-added products, winter growing techniques, marketing and branding, horticulture, etc;  

5)      To provide jobs and job training for youths and adults through the and to give them access to increased career opportunities; and  

6)      To increase the availability and diversity of locally grown, organic produce for all of Evanston’s citizens.

 In order to put The Talking Farm "on the ground" while we are negotiating our permanent site, we are implementing an outdoor classroom and demonstration site for 2008. The main purpose of this “Mini-Farm” is to create a real-world, on-the-ground, presence that launches our educational mission in a tangible way. Given this strong educational mission, it’s important that each stage of this project, digging methods, soil health, seed starting, planting, mulching, watering, plant identification and care, pest management, etc. be viewed as a potential educational opportunity. We intend to use the site to teach methods of growing diverse varieties of produce, with the hopes of selling the harvest at local venues. We want this project to begin to look like a small urban farm, with living fencing, composting, various organic/sustainable and even permaculture practices, diverse produce, etc. -- the idea of the permanent farm to come.

For more information, please visit our Web site at www.thetalkingfarm.org.