LOCAL FOOD l One of my favorite times of the year is when I receive my first humongous watermelon from my farmer friend at Three Sisters Garden in Kankakee, Illinois

FARMERS MARKETS l Local Food Forum got its first 2025 sighting of watermelons at a Chicago market, checking off one of the few favorite summer crops to hit town...

FARM NON-PROFITS l Just Roots, a Chicago urban farming non-profit, is receiving an award for its community arts project at its farm in south suburban Sauk Village...

URBAN FARMING l The latest in my series about the beauty of growing season at Chicago's Just Roots urban farm, where I do a bi-weekly CSA subscription pickup...

FARMERS MARKETS l No two growing seasons are exactly alike. Happily, in the Chicago region, this season has been superb... and much of the produce is super-sized...

FARMS & FARMERS l How many volunteers does it take to pick a garlic bulb? Find out by pitching in at Garlic eScape Farm, located in the Chicago exurb of Woodstock...

FARMERS MARKETS l A flawed rain forecast sent Bob of Local Food Forum to the farmers market super-early, but there was a upside to Bob's Farmers Market Sweep...

FARMERS MARKETS l A Natural Awakenings Chicago essay by Local Food Forum outlines best reasons to shop at farmer markets. And check out a blueberry crumble recipe...

FARMERS MARKETS l Many local food lovers have a favorite for which they wait in anticipation of peak season. In Chicago, this was a good week for tomato & melon fans

FOOD CO-OPS l There are just a handful of food co-ops in the Chicago area and most opened recently. So the 10th anniversary of Sugar Beet Co-op is worth celebrating