Community Health is Wealth
Grow Greater Englewood is a 501(c)(3) that works with residents and developers to create sustainable local food economies, green businesses, and land sovereignty to empower residents to create wellness and wealth.
We are building a network of Englewood cooperative businesses designed to serve a growing food, energy, and environmental market.
Englewood Village Farms
Englewood Village Farms (EVF) is a network of urban farms led by a collective of Black and Brown farmers, including Cedillo's Fresh Produce, DuSable City Botanical Farms, Getting Grown Collective, and Sistas in the Village. The network is growing a local food system that further builds farms, producers, and a range of food-related businesses across the 59th Street corridor.
Englewood Nature Trail & Englewood Agro-Eco District
The Englewood Nature Trail (ENT) will be a 2-mile linear park that transforms a vacated rail corridor into a naturalized space for residents to enjoy and use to connect deeper with nature. The vision to transform vacant lots into an urban agriculture zone and green space has matured into the Englewood Agro-Eco District, the first of its kind in the nation. The Trail will anchor the Agro-Eco District and serve as a connector between Englewood's growing network of farms and foster local food access, community health and wellness, and business and job development.
Click here for up-to-date info about the Englewood Nature Trail and Agro-Eco District.
Englewood Village Plaza & Market
Grow Greater Englewood is proud to gather community at the Englewood Village Plaza. As a former vacant lot located on the southwest corner of 58th and Halsted Streets, the Plaza now serves as the entry point to the Englewood Nature Trail and home to the Englewood Village Market. The farmer’s market runs on select Saturdays June through October and connects residents with Black-owned businesses selling locally-grown produce and goods.
Click here for up-to-date information about the Englewood Village Market.
We connect with residents and developers to create sustainable food economies and green businesses to empower residents to create wellness and wealth.
Englewood Food Sovereignty Network
The Englewood Food Sovereignty Network (EFSN) is a collective of partners focused on building a hyper-local, sustainable food system that supports food sovereignty in our community. We work to create access to fresh and healthy foods, goods, and resources for Greater Englewood residents.
Read the current EFSN Newsletter and get healthy eating recipes, info & resources for your family here!
Urban Earth Corps
GGE will be launching its first Urban Earth Corps cohort to empower residents to build skills to access pipelines to jobs, health, advocacy and leadership – ultimately improving quality of life in Greater Englewood. Cohort members will learn about:
Environmental science, landscape architecture, construction, gardening and agriculture
Wellness and mental health advocacy through social-emotional skills building, and regular exercise classes like yoga and walking groups
Resume writing, social media, presentation skills, and data literacy
Public policy and advocacy and its impact on the community
Entrepreneurship and financial literacy to help members start a business or better support businesses in the community
We protect our community by ensuring that all residents have the opportunity to live safe, happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives – now and into the future.
Englewood Community Land Trust
The Englewood Community Land Trust (ECLT) is a platform for Englewood residents to directly shape equitable development in their neighborhood through collective stewardship of land. ECLT will work to stimulate and support the reuse of vacant land in Englewood for urban farming, affordable housing, open spaces, and other community needs. It will serve as a vehicle for collective opportunity and community control over the land and resources in Greater Englewood.
Learn more at www.englewoodclt.org.
Ujima Hive
The Ujima Hive will be one of the first Community Resiliency Hubs in Chicago. GGE is reinventing the concept of a community center to serve as a thriving hub offering community gardens, well-utilized public spaces, a state-of-the-art emergency preparedness center, a robust food pantry, and a nutrition dense meals program, while also providing an incubator space that bolsters local and Black-owned businesses. Learn more at ujimahive.org.
About GGE
Learn more about us and our dynamic stewards, Board, and partners!
News & Resources
Read up on current news and information, and connect to community resources.
Events & Action
Check out upcoming Englewood events and sign up to volunteer. We can’t grow without you!