Since the first seeds broke through the soil, the Homan Rails Farm has inspired collaborations for work, education, and healthy eating. The latest partnership has developed as Gardeneers becomes the new manager of Homan Rails Farm. Gardeneers is a Chicago nonprofit providing full-service, customized school garden programs. Their partnership with DRW College Prep has earned a $40,000 grant from The Noble Network of Charter Schools that will be used to provide a farm to table food program for the North Lawndale community.
With this support, Gardeneers will develop and implement with DRW a curriculum focused on food production and entrepreneurship. Students will help harvest fruits and vegetables and provide affordable, healthy food options to the North Lawndale community through a farm stand and community workshops facilitated by Gardeneers.
”We will increase programming and use the Homan Rails Farm as an integral part of the DRW science curriculum,” said May Tsupros, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Gardeneers. “This grant helps us to activate this very large farm space across the street from the school for students to grow thousands of pounds of food for the school and the community each season.”
A farm stand managed by DRW students and a Gardeneers Farm Manager opened this Fall. Produce will be made available for community members for free once a week after school until the end of the Fall harvest.