Have you considered growing your own healthy food?

As the first day of spring approaches, local, grassroots nonprofit, Our Kitchen Table (OKT) is growing food plants at the Blandford Farm greenhouses. In May, OKT will distribute these food plants to the families and individuals enrolled in our residential food gardening program as well as to four local schools, several agencies and designated community gardens—at no charge.

If you live in the Baxter, SECA/Southtown, Eastown and Garfield Park neighborhoods and would like to grow your own healthy food at your residences, you may qualify for this program, whether you own or rent your home. Qualifying gardeners will have access to free gardening resources including gardening containers, heirloom food plants and seeds and composted soil as well as a garden coach, soil testing and food garden education. 

OKT asks our gardeners to attend our free garden and food justice classes and be involved in some OKT events. For example, attend Cook, Eat & Talk events, shop at the
Southeast Area Farmers’ Market or go on one of our garden, foraging or food justice tours.

This is the fifth year OKT has offered the yard food gardening program as part of its Food Diversity Project, which is funded by a grant from the w K Kellogg Foundation. OKT also manages the Southeast Area Farmers’ Market at Garfield Park and G R Ford Academic Center from June 20 through November 8; offers free food gardening and food justice education classes to all; and hosts free cooking, gardening, foraging, bike and walking tours and food justice events throughout the year.