The past few months have been a whirlwind of activity and exciting news for Sweet Water Foundation. In September, SWF became a featured contributor and satellite site of the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial, The Commons hosted 250+ people for SWF's Annual Harvest Celebration and Hyde Park Jazz Fest performance, and the Sweet Water community celebrated Executive Director, Emmanuel Pratt's recognition as a 2019 MacArthur Fellow.
Amidst the ongoing buzz of these exciting events, the SWF team remains focused on growing the neighborhood and building community. This month, SWF welcomes a new cohort of apprentices for Sweet Water Academy's Fall 2019 Urban Ecology Program and begins preparation for winter, including the construction of new hoop houses that will enable year-round growing. We invite you to read on below to learn more.
There GROWS the Neighborhood!
IN THIS ISSUE:
Feature Story - SWF Tops the 5 Things to Catch at the Chicago Architecture Biennial
SWF Tops the 5 Things to Catch at the Chicago Architecture Biennial Read the full story.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Chicago Magazine, Credit: Ross Feighery
REGENERATIVE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN ACTION
Sweet Water Stories
2019 ANNUAL HARVEST CELEBRATION @ THE COMMONS
On Saturday, September 27, Sweet Water Foundation hosted the 2019 Annual Harvest Celebration at The Commons, welcoming more than 250 guests from near and far. Harvest Celebration activities centered around the R-N-D Park, a new community park SWF activated this summer on 5-contiguous parcels of vacant land at The Commons. Read more...
SWEET WATER ACADEMY'S 2019 SUMMER COHORT
In June 2019, SWF welcomed its first Immersion Cohort from across the City of Chicago and beyond. The Summer 2019 Academy Cohort worked together to build, create, grow, learn, and share Sweet Water Foundation’s practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development. Read more...
HONORING AERIN'S LIFE AT THE COMMONS
On a beautiful September afternoon, Sweet Water Foundation hosted a memorial service for, Aerin Nefertiti Jackson Cooper, a beloved member of the SWF Family. Aerin began visiting SWF in early 2018 with Mama Sunshine, a longtime member of the SWF Family and respected member in the community. Read more...
PEOPLE
Humans of Sweet Water
HUMANS OF SWEET WATER...
Meet Dave Snowdy and Jordan Graham.Meet Dave Snowdy and Jordan Graham. Dave (Mentor) and Jordan (Apprentice and Peer Mentor) have both been part of the SWF core team for years. Their relationship as Mentor and Apprentice demonstrates the unique model that Sweet Water Foundation uses to teach and engage lifelong learners in the practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development. This month, we invite you to learn more about Dave and Jordan’s experience at Sweet Water and their relationship as Mentor and Apprentice. Read more...
EVENTS
What's Happening at The Commons?
EVERY
FRIDAY
Sweet Water Community Farmers' Market
Harvest season continues into the Fall. SWF's weekly farmers' market at The Commons will run EVERY FRIDAY from 10 - 2. Come get fresh, local, and community-grown produce. Bring a bag!
TUES
OCT
15
Chicago Ideas Week Urban Ecology Lab at The Commons
Immerse yourself in Urban Ecology at The Commons. Participants will learn about Sweet Water’s practice of Regenerative Neighborhood Development during a tour of The Commons followed by hands-on activities ranging from farming to carpentry to art making.
Re-Root + Redux at the Chicago Architecture Biennial at the Chicago Cultural Center
Check out Re-Root + Redux, SWF's contribution to the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial. The installation is on display at the Chicago Cultural Center through January 5, 2020.
On August 29, the SWF team spent the day learning, sharing, and practicing the wisdom of pickling and canning: two commonly used food preservation techniques. The morning kicked off with a group harvest of fresh produce from the Community Farm, which was followed by an afternoon of preserving. Although food preservation practices have been used for hundreds of years, this was the first time the SWF team began to collectively practice preservation of the abundance of food growing on the farm.
Join us at The Commons to practice food preservation techniques or take a moment to read this guide for Home Canned Tomatoes by Lana Stuart from Never Enough Thyme.
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.
