As the first day of spring approaches, OKT is growing food plants at the Blandford Farm greenhouses. In May, we will distribute these food plants to the families and individuals enrolled in our residential food gardening program—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 video shares one of OKT’s 2014 gardener’s experience.

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.