As the world turns indoors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sweet Water team has continued to focus on growth and new life at The Commons. In March, over 7,000 seeds were planted, 25 new garden beds were constructed, and more than 3,000 plants have been transplanted to the Community Farm. The SWF team is more determined than ever to sustain life at The Commons for the upcoming growing season.
For the health and safety of our team and the community, The Commons is closed to the public and ALL visitors at this time. Sweet Water Foundation is carefully monitoring events and will share updates about our plans for Spring and Summer programming, events, and farmers' market in May.
The fundamental flaws of a single bottom line economy that render both humans and nature as expendable are now in plain sight, forcing a much-needed reassessment of our values. In what has been a time of worldwide political upheaval, rife with division and social disruption, we find ourselves intimately united in a fight to sustain life, both physically and economically. We have before us a rare moment - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as individuals and a never-before-experienced chance as a species - to change course. If we choose wisely, this crisis will become a catalyst to establish a new economic model, an Essential Economy rooted in that which matters most - sustaining life.
At the beginning of March, SWF welcomed its first volunteer group of the season for a two-day immersion at The Commons. Ten community college students from New York participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip in Chicago. For two full days, they worked alongside the SWF team to prepare The Commons for spring and, ultimately, gained inspiration to bring SWF’s practice back to their own communities. Click here to read more about their experience.
Spring 2020 | Cultivating New Life at The Commons
As the world slows down and moves indoors, the Sweet Water team and community continue to GROW the neighborhood, cultivating new life and growth at The Commons. We are focused on preparing the farm and garden beds for the growing season to ensure a bountiful harvest of fresh and nutritious food for our community. With the help of hardworking volunteers, Sweet Water has already rebuilt and refreshed its 20 community garden beds and seeded more than 5,000 plants. Our team is working hard and more dedicated than ever to cultivating hope and life at The Commons. Click here to read more.
PEOPLE
Humans of Sweet Water
Humans of Sweet Water...
Meet Andrea Yarbrough.Andrea first visited The Commons during the fall of 2019 and has been plugging in ever since. She has been helping in the Work-Shop, supporting the Community Farm, and engaging in Arts + Culture programming across The Commons. Andrea is interested in curating spaces specific to women of color to discuss and practice care within and outside of an institutional context. This month, we invite you to read more about Andrea. Click here to read more about Andrea.
EVENTS
What's Happening at The Commons?
The Commons is closed to the public and ALL visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the health and safety of our team and the community, all spring programming and events have been cancelled. Our team is carefully monitoring events and will share updates about summer programming, events, and the farmers’ market in May.
The SWF team has begun transplanting cool weather crops like spinach, arugula, lettuce, and swiss chard from the hoop houses onto the SWF Community Farm and into the recently reconstructed community garden beds. These plants are growing bigger and stronger each day, and will soon be ready to harvest. These crops are rich in nutrients and are healthy options for those of us who are stuck indoors. This month, we hope you enjoy this recipe forStewed Spinach (African Style)byImma from Immaculate Bites.
½ pound shrimp peeled and deveined
1/2- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning (or your favorite spice mix) Adjust to taste
½ pound chopped smoked turkey
1 medium onion sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 -2 teaspoons thyme optional
4-5 fresh tomatoes chopped
½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, whole scotch bonnet pepper works too!
1- teaspoon paprika
3 pounds spinach frozen thawed and drained
½ -1 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1- teaspoon bouillon powder or Maggie cube optional
Container gardening is the perfect way to support life, especially during this time when it's important to stay at home. With Spring in the air, now is the time to get started. The good news is you don't need a lot of space to start - all you need is a couple of containers!
Here are some container options to get started:
SWF Fractal or Milk Crates - Simply line the inside of the crate with a cloth so that the soil doesn't fall through.
Fabric Pots - These are a low-cost container option. You can purchase fabric pots online - one great resource isGreener Hydroponics.
Recycled plastic bags or Milk Jugs - Cut a few holes in the bottom of the bag or milk jug before you put soil and seeds inside to help the water flow out.
Once you have your container, it's time to start planting! Add some soil, a seed or two, and some water. Place your container in a sunny place, water regularly, and let it grow! Looking for more resources? Reach out to SWF Community Advisor, Orrin Williams (orrinw@uic.edu) - an expert at container gardening or visit the Container Garden Club for more recommendations for container gardening.
