With the last month of summer upon us, the Perry Ave Community Farm is flourishing and the Commons is bustling with visitors. This summer, we have welcomed nearly 1,000 visitors from down the block, across the city and around the world. Our dedicated staff and interns have worked tirelessly to continue transforming the Commons and the fruits of their labor include new built projects, a revamped website, and a more bountiful harvest than ever before.
The Perry Ave Community Farm is now harvesting collards, kale and turnip greens, cucumbers, broccoli, eggplant, potatoes, a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and more! Come out to the Perry Ave Community Farmers' Market on Friday's from 10am to 3pm. Bring a bag and a friend!
Each summer, Sweet Water Foundation welcomes high school, college and graduate students to help GROW the neighborhood. A special thanks for making this summer season a success!
Meet Mama Betty... if you've ever made your way to the Perry Ave Commons, it's likely that the smell of greens, freshly picked onsite, has lured you to the kitchen where Mama Betty is whipping up dishes for Sweet Water Foundation staff and visitors. A native of Alabama, Mama Betty made her way to Chicago in the 1960's and got involved with Sweet Water Foundation many years later. As Mama Betty approaches her fourth year with SWF, she's not going anywhere anytime soon. She says, "My favorite thing of all is waking up in the morning and looking forward to coming to Sweet Water Foundation."
FARMERS' MARKET NOTE: Special Hours on September 1st, 10am-1pm.
Harvest season is here!. The weekly farmers' market at Perry Ave Commons will run every Friday from 10am until 3pm. Come get fresh, local and community-grown produce. Bring a friend and a bag.
SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL HARVEST CELEBRATION
Each year, we invite the community and our supporters to join us in celebration of another successful harvest season. This year, Sweet Water Foundation will partner with the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago to celebrate with music, art, food and a special, community-driven built project. More details to follow...
RADICAL [RE]CONSTRUCTIONS: OPENING NIGHT @ THE SMART MUSEUM The Radical [Re]Constructions exhibit will connect the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago to Sweet Water Foundation's Perry Avenue Commons. The installation features a large, three-dimensional representation of a house, set against the Museum’s central lobby wall and constructed from salvaged materials including wood that SWF apprentices finished with the traditional Japanese shou sugi ban charring technique. Join us opening night from 6:30-8:30pm at this free and public event.
RECIPES
Avocado, Cucumber & Strawberry Chopped Salad
Take advantage of the abundance of cucumbers and tomatoes from the Perry Ave Community Farm to make this delicious salad from Angela at the Kitchenista Diaries. It's the perfect meal for a hot summer day.
Ingredients:
1 ripe but firm avocado, diced
1 large cucumber, seeded & diced
10 strawberries, sliced
4 c. chopped lettuce (Romaine, green leaf or red leaf is suggested)
1/4 c. Lemon Poppyseed Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Got Rain Barrels?
Help us reduce our water usage buy donating an unused rain barrel and/or purchasing a new rain barrel. Click the image above to purchase the best priced rain barrels, as recommended by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
