FB Event info here

Come tour Avondale gardens and learn about all things urban agriculture and sustainability. Whether you’re an apartment dweller, a homeowner, or a small business, we’ve got something for you!

Click & save the map above or plan to grab a paper map from Concordia Place at 3300 N Whipple. 

Plan your route now – pick your “must see” sites from the map above and go from there. You can start anywhere! All sites open at 12:00 noon, then head over to Chief O’Neill’s at 5:00pm for the after party and raffle.

Raffle tickets will be given out at some fair stops, and sold at the After Party. AGA raffles are THE BEST. Bring any raffle tickets you find along your way to Chief O’Neill’s where you can purchase additional tickets to win: a year membership to the Insect Asylum; a native $300 parkway package from Red Stem; Aerogarden for indoor food growing; tons of museum tickets; $200 gift package from Metropolitan Brewery and much more!

RSVP on the Facebook Event: RSVP HERE FOR UPDATES

*If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out: AvondaleFair@gmail.com AGA still has volunteer tasks to share Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to share.
The Avondale Gardening Alliance is completely volunteer run and all time and funding is donated! We can always use more hands on deck. See ya soon! #AvondaleGardeningAlliance#AvondaleGardeners

Our biggest, most fun event, the AGA Garden and Agriculture Fair (AGAF), is right around the corner on Sunday, August 27th! Reach out to get involved: avondalefair@gmail.com

Remember how much fun we had? If you live in east Avondale, let us know if you’d be willing to host a fair stop. No matter where you live, let us know if you’d like to participate by demonstrating a skill to your neighbors, helping coordinate the raffle, sharing your favorite garden recipe, introducing us to new ways to use our plants, helping promote the event, curate a host site, or supporting the AGAF in another way. The AGAF is an excellent way to get involved in your community for introverts and extroverts alike!

Come tour Avondale gardens and learn about all things urban agriculture and sustainability. Whether you’re an apartment dweller, a homeowner, or a small business, we’ve got something for you!

We’ll post the AGAF 2023 map just a few days before the event as we finalize all the details and we will add a link here when ready. *in the meantime, look at last year’s map HERE and ’22 Fair video:

This year, Insect Asylum will join us with leaf chromatography demo, microscope viewing station of leaf stomas and seed pods (or whatever is laying around), and friendly critter faces! We have ART YARD, ADULT GARDEN, and CHILDREN’S GARDEN yards each year. Expect to find demonstrations on: composting, flower crowns, indoor gardening, maybe hugel culture, or making shrubs! We’ll keep updating this list as details are worked out!

It’s all happening Sunday, August 27th, from 12-5 pm in a walkable area of East Avondale. Then, join us at Chief O’Neill’s to spend those raffle tickets on fun prizes! Meet your neighbors and join our support network for new and experienced “farmers” and makers. Raffle tickets will be given out at some fair stops, and sold at the After Party. AGA raffles are THE BEST.

RSVP on the Facebook Event: RSVP HERE FOR UPDATES

*If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out: AvondaleFair@gmail.com AGA still has volunteer tasks to share Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to share. Want this info in your email inbox? Request our newsletter here!
The Avondale Gardening Alliance is completely volunteer run and all time and funding is donated! We can always use more hands on deck. See ya soon! #AvondaleGardeningAlliance#AvondaleGardeners

Avondale Gardener neighbors are currently agreeing to trade and share surplus seedlings via a dedicated Facebook subgroup. Drop offs of surplus (swapped or extras) seedlings SAT 5/20 at Metropolitan Brewery 10a-4p. Pick up of pre-arranged swaps happens early Sunday.

THEN, SUN 1-3p we’ll sell the surplus seedlings for small donation to YOUR neighborhood AGA! We use these funds to buy supplies for additional raised beds, chicken coops, specialty seeds, flyers, banners, and outreach efforts.

ANNNNNND super signage!

Click HERE for signage info!!

Hot off the press – our 2023 Avondale Gardening Alliance wall calendar! It’s more than just a calendar though folks, it’s an interactive tool to walk you through your gardening year from January – December. For $10 you’ll receive a physical wall calendar with moon phases and AGA events included, and a QR code on each month that gives you access to secret spots on our website with in-depth weekly gardening tasks, gardener interviews, recipes, and so much more.

Miss things posted on stupid Facebook? Never again, this calendar keeps you in the loop all year round! AND, thanks to support from local businesses Blue Food Company, Rooted by Pollen, Avondale Bowl, Eden, Frank & Mary’s Tavern, Metropolitan Brewing, and tag Outlet, your $10 will go entirely to supporting more great AGA programming.

Order your calendar here and select a pick-up date/location that works best for you. Bring cash, or donate your $10 via our ongoing Go Fund Me page. Happy gardening!

Come tour Avondale gardens and learn about all things urban agriculture and sustainability. Whether you’re an apartment dweller, a homeowner, or a small business, we’ve got something for you! 2022 Fair info & map:

We’ve planned things like: master seed starting; pet some chickens; attract birds and pollinators to your yard; learn homebrewing and growing; meet a giant beaver; make seed bombs; harvest and process medicinal herbs; discover the benefits of fermenting foods; learn beekeeping and much more!

It’s all happening Sunday, August 28th, from 12pm to 5pm in a walkable area of East Avondale. Then join us at Chief O’Neill’s to spend those raffle tickets on fun prizes! Meet your neighbors and join our support network for new and experienced “farmers” and makers.

Click and save the map above or plan to grab a paper map from Concordia Place at 3300 N. Whipple noon-5p. The map describes the demos and activities you can find at each Fair stop. Got the map – plan your route! You can start and end anywhere – hop around as much or as little as you’d like. Raffle tickets will be given out at some fair stops, and sold at the After Party. AGA raffles are THE BEST.

RSVP on the Facebook Event: RSVP HERE FOR UPDATES

*If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out: AvondaleFair@gmail.com AGA still has volunteer tasks to share Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to share.
The Avondale Gardening Alliance is completely volunteer run and all time and funding is donated! We can always use more hands on deck. See ya soon! #AvondaleGardeningAlliance#AvondaleGardeners

AFTER PARTY LINK! – WITH RAFFLES AND FUN 5-8P CHIEF O’NEILL’S

Scroll way down to see maps, details, and photos of LAST YEAR’S AGAF!

Our biggest, most fun event, the AGA Garden and Agriculture Fair (AGAF), is right around the corner on Sunday, August 28th! Reach out to get involved: avondalefair@gmail.com

Remember how much fun we had? If you live in east Avondale, let us know if you’d be willing to host a fair stop. No matter where you live, let us know if you’d like to participate by demonstrating a skill to your neighbors, helping coordinate the raffle, sharing your favorite garden recipe, introducing us to new ways to use our plants, helping promote the event, curate a host site, or supporting the AGAF in another way. The AGAF is an excellent way to get involved in your community for introverts and extroverts alike!

Also, check out our newsletter and/or sign up for that email every 8 weeks – for program and event info in your inbox!

We’re planning/scheduling AGA Happy Hours around the neighborhood and on varying days of the week to foster neighbor interactions! Some are BYO bevvys and snacks at the MLG, some are meet at outdoor patio of pub, others are BYO bevvy + watch a demo/learn something cool such as floral design at Rooted with Lynn and basics of sprouting and microgreens at Emily’s. We host may sharing/trading, zoom, and beautification events every year, where we’re so busy being awesome we forget or are short on time for socializing and catching up. This summer, we’re making an effort and making time to catch up. Check the Events & Planning Tab for schedule. See you soon!

We had a tshirt shop open for two weeks. YAY! Barrel Maker local printer, All Made super soft super sustainable shirts, AGA-style. When we’re ready for the next shirt run, we’ll post that announcement and link here!

Check out out the CHICKENS!!! Tab in this website and our dedicated FB Group “AGA Chicken Corner” for updates, photos, and videos!

Avondale Gardener neighbors have been agreeing to trade and share surplus seedlings via a dedicated Facebook subgroup since early May. Drop off of surplus (swapped or extras) seedlings SAT 5/14 at Metropolitan Brewery 11a-5p. Pick up of pre-arranged swaps happens early Sunday.

THEN, SUN 1-3p we’ll sell the surplus seedlings for small donation to YOUR neighborhood AGA! We use these funds to buy supplies for additional raised beds, chicken coops, specialty seeds, flyers, banners, and outreach efforts.

FINALLY! Come have beers with AG neighbors and meet some of our Admin IRL!
Sunday noon-2 at Metropolitan Brewery at Rockwell on the River (3057 N Rockwell St). Mix of meet-and-greet / AGA does this and that / Social Sunday with Suds.

Want to see our AGA Seed Library (YES. Yes, you do.) link to see

Got seeds from us? Reminders/rules of thumb:

**Depth to plant seeds is equal to the longest length (1/2 IN seed – plant 1/2 under soil).

**Spacing between seeds should equal the mature size of that plant.

**Keep soil of newly planted seeds moist for a week. Most will germinate and sprout in a week or so.

**Most seeds we had packs to give away are cool weather crops and can be planted now/soon!

**General ‘safe date’ to plant most plants and seeds is Mother’s Day round here.

Again, this year we’ll post surplus seed offerings to swap on dedicated FB group starting 2/14; drop off seeds at Swap Central(s) Sun 2/20; pickups Sunday 2/27. Review what you’ve got and what you’d like to grow this year in prep for the swap. We’re ~12 weeks off from average last frost, y’all! email or FB post questions if you got em! Need seeds – see link below photos!

We’ve cataloged all the AGA seed collection into one google sheet available for viewing online! Big effort and we’re really excited to share this tool with you. We’re also working hard to grow our network and get gardening resources to all our neighbors, so we created a companion short fill-in form below. Through form submission, we’ll send you a link to view our new and snazzy seed library.
Get ready for 2022 garden season with Avondale seeds! https://forms.gle/WAz8cPUSXvGbjdkU8

Welcome to 2022! We are so grateful for the progress we made in 2021 and excited about our momentum going into the new year. While many aspects of life have been difficult over the last 2 years, our hyper-local network of agriculturally-minded neighbors has been thriving. Despite many logistical challenges, the AGA has grown exponentially in numbers and engagement. Our little neighborhood group of gardeners we started in 2014 has become a force for a more sustainable Avondale. Neighbors have shared a staggering amount of seeds, seedlings, knowledge, skills, and support. We should all be proud of the community we are creating!

In 2021 we took the skills we learned in 2020, adapted them to an ever-changing risk-assessment landscape, and continued to provide opportunities for neighbors to engage with each other around urban agriculture. Some events had to be adapted at the last minute. Sometimes appropriate venues were really hard to find. But we neighbors persevered and produced dozens of events with more engagement than ever. The Gardening and Agricultural Fair was back this year and was even more fun despite its logistical challenges. We learned that somehow, AGA bingo makes the world go round. And most importantly, we saw our network of support grow stronger as community members became neighbors, and neighbors became friends.

In 2022 the AGA will continue to grow our network with a number of exciting projects meant to redefine the meaning of “community gardening.” Community gardening shouldn’t be relegated to solo gardening of small plots in scarce lots. Community gardening becomes infinitely impactful when it represents neighbors gardening with and for their community. We work with our Mutual Aid Society and Community Dinners to help more of our neighbors have access to healthy, local produce. We are partnered with Linne and Reilly Elementaries to help bring sustainable agriculture practices to our schools, including community chickens at Linne. At the Mindful Living Garden, together we provide a healthy green space and food for our community. There are endless opportunities to engage in community gardening with the AGA.

In 2021 we learned that the good we do by bringing more green space to our neighborhood and increasing positive engagement between neighbors creates broader positive change than we realized. I hope you will start 2022 by joining us via zoom on Monday, January 24th at 5:30 pm for a discussion of Eric Klinenberg’s book Palaces for the People, that brings solid research to the fact that our fun AGA events and your community engagement create a safer and healthier Avondale.

So get involved! Come learn with us. Come teach us. The AGA can use any and all skills: seed saving, social media outreach, grant writing, project management, graphic design, physical labor, data management, bilingual skills, research, agriculture skills, seed starters, writers, team leaders, and literally everything else. Introvert or extrovert, you can make a difference in your community outside with a megaphone or in front of your computer. You are an important part of our community and we need you.

We’re gettin CHICKENS!

See tab above for updates as we get them. Bawwwwwk.

Highlights from the AGA Agriculture and Gardening Fair

Come tour Avondale gardens and learn about all things urban agriculture and sustainability. Whether you’re an apartment dweller, a homeowner, or a small business, we’ve got something for you!

Things like: Make your own non-toxic natural dyes; plan a drip irrigation system; attract birds and pollinators to your yard; learn homebrewing and growing; resurrect your houseplants; make seed bombs; harvest and process medicinal herbs; discover the benefits of fermenting foods; learn beekeeping and much more!

It’s all happening Sunday, August 29th, from 12pm to 5pm in a walkable area of East Avondale. Meet your neighbors and join our support network for new and experienced “farmers” and makers.

Get a virtual map from this event page starting Friday, August 27th or grab a paper map from Concordia Place at 3300 N. Whipple starting at noon on the 29th.

RSVP on the Facebook Event: RSVP HERE FOR UPDATES
See ya soon! #AGAF21  #AvondaleGardeningAlliance  #AvondaleGardeners

*If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out! The Avondale Gardening Alliance is completely volunteer run and all time and funding is donated! We can always use more hands on deck. AvondaleGardeners@gmail.com

Third annual AGAF is in planning phase! YAY! Neighbors are volunteering yards, skills, and demonstration topics. Reach out if you’d like to highlight a skill you’ve learned or are well seasoned on and/or if you’d like to join the steering committee.

2021 closed. Final swaps via centralized locations Sunday May 16th.

Hard to quantify how many seedlings we as a group swapped, but we had over 500 posts @ plants and 180 neighbors swapping.

Check out Avondale Gardeners Facebook group or contact AvondaleGardeners@gmail.com for more info.

You want TikTok? We got TikTok. You want Insta? We got Insta. We got FB; we’ve got a website that’s updated often; we’ve got an actual garden; we’ve got IRL (workshops, workdays, social social-distanced meet ups). Oh, snap… we’ve even got Slack. Join us. Watch us. Engage. Join us. avondalegardeners

A free seed swap, open to all! Bring store bought or self-saved seeds to trade or give away. If you’re interested in simply socializing, that’s alright, too! This event is dog and child friendly. Metropolitan Brewing is a beautiful location overlooking the Chicago River. They welcome outside food and non-alcoholic beverages.

**Wear your AGA shirt and get a free beer koozie!**

Soup and homemade bread available for a $5 donation.

Seed Swap Details:

-Ornamental and edible plants welcome.

-Bring clearly labeled seeds in envelopes or baggies. (Some envelopes will be available if you want to split them there.)

-Try to only trade viable seeds. Feel free to bring seeds that are older(seeds are usually viable for 2-4 years) or that you’re not sure about and leave them on the “free to take” pile.

-Hybrid harvested seeds will not grow to type.

The third annual Bloom, Booze, and Bake event will be at Pollen Floral studio at 2918 N Milwaukee Ave.

Bring baked goods and beverages of any kind to share! This social event is a warm and cozy gathering of neighbors. Mix and mingle with the local gardening-and-sustainability-inclined. We will have our free seed library available, so you’ll likely leave with more than just a buzz. Homemade goodies are welcome, but not required. This free event is open to all neighbors!

Pollen Floral Studio is a boutique floral studio that creates stunning and sophisticated floral arrangements from local sources and values sustainable practices.

The studio welcomes neighbors of all types, but asks that children of “touching lots of things” age please stay behind as there are lots of fragile vases around. Additionally, this is a gun-free facility.

As the season comes to a close, we come together to share what we’ve grown and made. Neighbors will bring soups, dips, salsas, pickles, and raw fruits and veggies to share.

Come empty handed and leave with a full belly or bring something to share. Either way we want to celebrate another season in the books!

If you have seeds to share, swap, or giveaway, this is a great time to do it!

**There will be a bake off! If you want to enter, just bring something to share. Winner gets a prize!**