We grow it, give it to those in need and compost the rest.
380 OLD GREEN BAY ROAD, GLENCOE
THE GLENCOE COMMUNITY GARDEN
Glencoe Community Garden
The Glencoe Community Garden is a sustainable, organic-practicing, food producing mini-farm and compost collaborative, established in 2012 by Am Shalom as a service and educational project. Built and cared for by volunteers, the Garden’s mission is altruistic, educational, and exploratory.
Each season, approximately 3,000 pounds of fresh food is harvested and donated to local social service organizations that share the dream of food security for all and the mindfulness for our environment. With the Garden’s community composting initiative and use of drip irrigation, solar power and rain collection, the 5,000 sq foot area is zero waste to landfill.
GCG offers a myriad of educational, social action and community-building opportunities for individuals and groups in a beautifully accessible space open to all ages and abilities.
The Garden sends abundant gratitude to Am Shalom, the Village of Glencoe, the Glencoe Park District and our many friends for their continued support of our mission to provide our community with this special place where we can connect, learn, give and reflect.
HARVEST
The Garden is harvested and maintained on a weekly basis from the beginning of June through October.
Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to join in the harvest.
No experience necessary.
COMPOST
Composting recycles garden and kitchen waste
into rich fertilizer for growing food and flowers.
Volunteers at the Garden started an active composting initiative that inspired a
community-wide following. Due to an overwhelming amount of waste brought for composting, the Garden partnered with
the Village of Glencoe and Lake Shore Recycling
to commercially compost kitchen waste brought
by Glencoe residents. All are encouraged to join
this vast effort by regularly dropping off kitchen waste at the centrally located bins on
Temple Court in Glencoe.
Harvest
100% of the Garden is built, planted and harvested by volunteers. 100% of GCG's crops are donated to provide food to those in need.
Each season, the Garden partners with social service agencies to distribute the fresh bounty, delivered by volunteer drivers direct from the Garden. By providing fresh, organic foods, we contribute to food security and health education initiatives in the Chicago area.
We have worked with the following agencies for several years and are confident that the Garden's produce is enjoyed fresh and flavorful throughout Chicagoland.
Food Partners
Composting
The Garden’s compost initiative began robustly in 2014 under the leadership of a few creative and inquisitive volunteers who believed in the power of redefining food scraps as a valuable resource. Healthy soil is the basis of the Garden’s and all food production.
Save the planet One Bucket at a Time!
Overwhelming participation inspired us to partner with the Village of Glencoe and
Lake Shore Recycling to create a centralized pick-up of your kitchen scraps all year long.
Drop off anytime:
Coffee grounds, Egg shells,
Veggie and fruit scraps,
Tea bags & Plant clippings
Please NO: Meat, Fish, Corn cobs/husks, Fruit pits,
Bread, Rice or Paper
on the south side of the Public Works Service Building
on Temple Court in Glencoe
All are encouraged to get involved in composting!
At least 40% of food in the U.S. goes to landfill or incinerators, where it generates methane,
a major contributor to climate changing greenhouse gases.
Composting allows community members to make gold from trash!
Volunteer & Help
100% of our garden is built, harvested and managed by volunteers.
Seed. Plant. Harvest. Deliver. Build. Spread the Word.
All Ages Welcome! Simply Drop-in!
Grow your ideas too!
Inquire about scheduling a Service Opportunity Day for your school, team, club, community group or business organization.
Volunteer Harvest Hours
Tuesday 7:30AM - 9:00AM
Thursday 7:30AM - 9:00AM
Saturday 10:00AM-12:00PM
Contributions are welcome to help maintain the Garden's mission, and may be sent to the GCG Capital Fund c/o Am Shalom, 840 Vernon Avenue, Glencoe, IL 60022.
Hydroponics and Vertical Gardens
The Garden is a model for various ways of growing food. 2015 marked the Garden’s first successful hydroponic crop inside the unheated greenhouse. Currently three hydroponic systems produce bountiful harvests of herbs, micro-greens and larger vegetables available for community members to learn from.
Unique designs for vertical gardening and hydroponic systems are a hallmark of the Garden. In addition, home hydroponic and vertical systems have been developed for personal use as a means to help support the Garden.
Free Educational Programming
In partnership with the Glencoe Park District, the GCG hosts free seminars and events year-round. The Garden also partners with other groups for community programming, such as the Glencoe Public Library, the Sustainability Task Force and Friends of the Green Bay Trail. If you or your group has an idea for a great speaker or partnering opportunity, please contact us.
The Power Tower - The Power of Us!
The Power of Us demonstrates how we all can take a positive role in helping
to save our planet from the effects of climate change. The mission of the exhibit
is to actively and visually demonstrate the necessity of acting now, with suggestions of
what to do, before we reach the point of no return.
The 15-foot-high tower will demonstrate three alternative energy sources: wind, solar and human power. A vertical axis wind generator, adjustable solar panels and a
stationary bicycle driving handmade generators will be used to power the exhibit.
Please consider becoming a docent for The Power of Us, by contacting
Annie Goodman at anniegood41@gmail.com or Herb Brenner at herbbrenner@gmail.com
Docents will be trained to host groups in 2 hour shifts,
with a minimum of 4 hours per month.
What's Happening
Join us for an event or enjoy the quiet space of our Garden anytime. The Garden’s meditation circle was specially designed as a nature enjoying quiet spot. All are welcome.
The Glencoe Community Garden partners with the Glencoe Park District to provide FREE educational programs throughout the year. Please check here for new events and updates.
For more information, click the button to contact the Garden or refer to the Garden’s Facebook page. "Follow Us" on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
COME FARM WITH US!
Volunteer Harvest Times:
Thursday 7:30AM - 9:00AM
Saturday 10:00AM-12:00PM
Drop-ins welcome! No experience necessary!
PUMPKIN SMASH!
GCG’s 6th Annual Pumpkin 🎃 Smash
Goal: 1,200 pumpkins smashed, crushed and diverted from landfill
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Also, toss your pumpkins into GCG's dumpster outside GCG's South gate from October 30th through November 13th.
Thank you to our partners Village of Glencoe, Glencoe Public Works and Lakeshore Recycling!
THE POWER TOWER
Power Tower, the new climate change exhibit located at the south end of the Glencoe Community Garden, 380 Old Green Bay Road, is now open on weekends only. The exhibit, which is geared to children and pre-teens, is only able to accommodate a few people at a time due to its size and reservations are therefore required. To make a reservation, you will need to access the website, power-tower.org
and click on Reserve Time Now.
The exhibit is also looking for docents who are willing to make a minimum time commitment of up to 4 hours per month.
If you are interested, please contact Lorri Fishman at lorri.fishman@gmail.com or
Ann Goodman at anniegood41@gmail.com.
OWL HOUSES!
Huge thanks to Louis Zaransky (and mom Lynn) one of GCG’s creative and thoughtful young volunteers who crafted, designed and built 2 of them and 1 Kestrel house in hopes of attracting a natural predator for small critters that snack on the Garden’s root crops.
To follow Louis' blog go to:
https://gcgowlhouses.blogspot.com/2021/04/it-all-started-with-vole-some.html
COMPOST ALL YEAR LONG!
Don't send your food scraps to landfill.
Contribute them to the community's composting bins
on the south side of the Public Works Service Building
on Temple Court in Glencoe. It's an easy drive by and dump!
Please, do not drop off any scraps in the Garden!
Vegetable and Fruit scraps, Plant clippings, Eggshells, Nutshells, Bones Paper tea bags, Coffee grounds, Meat, Fish, Dairy, Breads, Pastas, Rice
Please do not contaminate the bins with plastic bags, including "biodegradable" bags. Use only Compostable bags, such as Kraft paper bags.
Glencoe Community Garden
380 Old Green Bay Road
Glencoe, IL
contact@glencoecommunitygarden.com
847-975-7025
We are located between the Green Bay Trail and the train tracks; right next to Phil Thomas Park in Glencoe.
a sustainable, organic practicing mini farm and compost collaborative
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @glencoecu!