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Hello everyone!

June and July have been hectic months (so hectic we’ve neglected our newsletter) and the food forest is in full summer mode. We’ve had a busy few weeks, and we’re excited to share some big updates this month. Most importantly: we planted! Check out the Food Forest Updates section to see what we chose this year.

Vegetables harvested from Phoenix Farms

We’re also thrilled to share that we have received a grant to plant more trees from an organization called Faith in Place! We are working on a plan for what to plant and where, but we are so delighted to be expanding our operations and creating more food for our neighbors.

This summer we also welcomed a new summer intern to the Phoenix Farms team who has hit the ground running, researching plants, building out a planting plan for the season, and helping us think through how to make the food forest even better for our community.

If you’re new here…

Welcome! We are Phoenix Farms, a small nonprofit organization that maintains a food forest in Woodlawn. We operate on God’s Little Acre, a lot on 64th and Kimbark, in partnership with First Presbyterian Church.

Our food forest is open to the public, and everything is free to pick and enjoy at any time. Produce not picked by our community is donated to First Presbyterian’s Free Food Market. More about the folks behind Phoenix Farms can be found on our about page.

Food Forest Updates

This is the update we’ve been working toward all season. Thanks to our summer intern and the support of the Cook County Farm Bureau Cookfresh grant, we were able to add a fresh round of edible plantings to the food forest this month. Here’s what’s in the ground:

  • Hot Banana Peppers - a little heat for the neighborhood
  • Green peppers - classic and versatile
  • Cherry tomatoes - these tend to ripen fast and produce a lot, so expect to see them soon
  • Basil - already smells amazing
  • Additional herbs - expanding what we already have growing

All of these were planted as transplants, not from seed, so they’re already established and settling in well. If the weather cooperates, we should start seeing peppers and tomatoes ready to pick in the coming weeks. Everything is free, so please come by and help yourself!

Our existing herbs (chives, cilantro, dill) continue to thrive. A reminder that we’re intentionally letting some of the dill and cilantro flower rather than harvesting all of it, which helps with pollination for the overall health of the garden. The flowers attract beneficial insects that help protect all our other plants.

Our apple and cherry trees are also looking strong. We’re watching the fruit development closely, and this is the first season we’ve let the buds go so we’re crossing our fingers for a real harvest later this summer.

Looking Ahead: Fall Tree Planting

We’re already thinking ahead to fall, which is actually one of the best times of year to plant trees and shrubs in Illinois. This is because roots are able to establish through the fall season before the ground freezes, giving them a major head start on spring growth. We received a grant to plant 10 more trees! Excited to share more about that in the months to come.

Volunteer Corner

We are planning a summer workday and will share details soon, so keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook for the announcement. No experience needed and all are welcome.

In the meantime: if you’re walking by and notice the plants look dry, a branch is down, or anything seems off, please let us know at phoenixfarms.nfp@gmail.com. Our community is our best set of eyes on the ground.

Community News & Happenings

  • 61st Street Farmers Market - every Saturday May through December, 9am-2pm. LINK and Senior Farmers Market Coupons accepted, LINK matched up to $25.
  • Free Food Market at First Presbyterian - open every Thursday, 10am-12pm.