Chicago's Oldest Urban Farm

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City Farm is now a spin off to Chicago Patchwork Farms and a past program of the Resource Center.

It is Chicago's oldest sustainable urban farm.  For over 30 years, thanks to innovative practices developed by Resource Center founder, Ken Dunn, vacant lands in urban areas have been turned into vibrant organic farms using compost created through Resource Center's compost collection service.  

The result is a working, sustainable farm operating on a nourishing base of compost resting upon clay set atop anything from dirt to asphalt.  Through Ken's pioneering efforts to provide healthy compost to the inner city where "clean dirt" and soil is unavailable, the city of Chicago has benefited greatly by  organizations using this model of sustainable urban agriculture.

City Farm is still a working urban farm growing fresh vegetables, but it is also a model of sustainable urban agriculture. It is an outdoor classroom which we use to educate the community about the importance of a healthy food system through lectures, demonstrations, volunteer days, and after-school programs with neighborhood students. 

The previous goal each season was to sell the majority of our production to Chicago restaurants, helping chefs reduce their carbon footprint while increasing Chicago’s food self-sufficiency.  Remaining crops are sold on a weekly basis to the local community via our farm stand located at City Farm at Division and Clybourn. 

City Farm grows a variety of crops annually including tomatoes, kale, collards, beets, herbs, salad greens, cucumbers, rainbow chard, Malabar spinach, garlic and more.   

City Farm is currently farming at 550 W. Division St. (by the Chicago Fire Department house) thanks to Chicago Patchwork Farms.

Our net proceeds supported other programs of Resource Center Chicago and now support Chicago Patchwork Farms outreach.