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The Talking Farm Let Plants Speak for Themselves at Fun Event
- Bob Benenson
- Oct 6
- 2 min read
Non-Profit Urban Farm with Educational Mission Held Raise the Barn! Fundraiser
The Talking Farm is a 2.5-acre organic growing space that takes its name from its educational mission (it is located adjacent to the Tot Learning Center day care facility). The urban farm is located in Skokie, population of about 66,000, and is just north of the Chicago city line.
I had the pleasure of attending The Talking Farm's Raise the Barn! fundraising event on Saturday (October 4). It was an evening of food, beverages, music and good company. No formal presentations, though: The beauty of the food and flowers growing on the farm spoke for themselves.
The event was produced in collaboration with Third Coast Soif, which stages an annual Chicago fair celebrating minimal intervention wines, ciders and other beverages grown and made naturally (and the people who thirst for them). Their next full event is scheduled for March 22, 2026.
The event was zero waste thanks to Collective Resource Compost Cooperative, the North Shore’s preeminent compost and waste reduction company!
The following photos are organized with the event first, and some examples of the farm's beauty next.
My good friend Ernesto Rodriguez of El Molcajete Sauces (Evanston, Illinois) sampled his traditional mole sauces, and served sections of Asian pears, grown on the farm, filled with chicken mole.
The Tripping Billy pop-up is the story of owner Billy Zureikat's strength and perseverance. A diagnosis of muscular dystrophy in 2021 prompted the talented home cook to go pro, serving up pizza and sandwiches at locations and events to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Middle Brow first became known for its Chicago craft brewery and its Bungalow by Middle Brow restaurant, which serves legendary pizza. More recently, they began producing natural wines with grapes grown on their own farm in western Michigan or purchased from other Michigan producers.
Burl is a farm-to-table-focused restaurant that will open soon in Evanston. The owners have been prepping by serving at dinners and tasting events such as this one. They served a marinated and grilled steak dish with autumn bean salad, paired with wine from The Shed winery in Harbor Springs, Michigan.
Virtue Cider, owned by beverage master Greg Hall, served beautiful traditional dry ciders.
They were paired with Chacko's Tacos, a pop-up with a Mexican name and South Asian flair. They served a sweet potato curry at The Talking Farm's event.
Now, a little virtual walk around the farm...
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