Resources to help you grow
Join a community of growers and participate in the local food system this season, and grow for your household and for your neighbors in need.
Go to Resource Section, by Topic
Organic Gardening Guides
University of Illinois Organics Guides
The University of Illinois Extension website has lots of information about best vegetable growing practices tailored specifically for Illinois. Below is a list of particularly helpful pages for Illinois gardeners.
FOOD GARDEN PLANNING
The GardenWorks Project is proud to be supported by Gardener’s Supply. Their website is a fantastic resource for those interested in food growing in raised bed gardens. Following a square foot gardening model, the Kitchen Garden Planner is a great way to try out square foot gardening for a prolific harvest. Below is a list of helpful pages on their site!
Crop-Specific Guides
Press Coverage
- How the Gardenworks Project in Wheaton Helps Neighbors-in-Need Grow Their Own Food February 2, 2023, Daily Herald
- TO GIVE TO INSPIRE | The GardenWorks Project July 3, 2022, Glancer Magazine
- Mobile App Connects Kane Growers with Food Pantries to Address Food Insecurity August 27, 2022, Kane County Connects
- ‘Carecrows’ add a charitable touch to Cantigny Park’s fall decor October 6, 2012, Daily Herald
- The Gardenworks Project partners with Hines VA Hospital to expand fresh food options for veterans May 17, 2020, West Suburban Journal
- The GardenWorks Project Chicago Region Food System Fund
- Planting Seeds of Hope: The GardenWorks Project June 3, 2017, Naperville Community TV Channel 17
- GardenWorks Project to open new resource center in West Chicago January 13, 2017, Suburban Life
- New resource center opens in West Chicago for families in need November 18, 2016, Daily Herald
- Planting the Seeds of Hope March 27, 2015, Naperville Community TV 17
- The Pollination Project Grant Announcement March 5, 2013
- Interview with Tina Koral, founder of Illinois-based The GardenWorks Project Food Tank, December 21, 2013
- GardenWorks helps needy families grow produce Daily Herald, June 19, 2013
- GardenWorks DuPage: Passion Becoming Advocacy Handpicked Nation, March 29, 2013
- Green Gleanings HandsOn Suburban Chicago blog, January 23, 2013
Members of the press with media-related inquiries, please reach out to us via email.
Food Insecurity Research
While DuPage County is one of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation, with a median income of over $77,000, there are still residents who cannot afford even the most basic human need – food. According to the West Suburban Community Pantry, “Over 95,000 people in DuPage County go to bed hungry every night. Of those, over 45,000 are children.” Over 45,000 are children.
We believe that everyone deserves healthy, organic food, not just those who have the means to afford it.
- How Central Ohio Got People to Eat Their Leftovers New York Times: Headways, January 1, 2023
- 2022 Impact DuPage Community Assessment Community Profile on health status, quality of life, and risk factors for 2022
- The Impact Of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity Feeding America, March 9, 2021
- Food Insecurity & Hunger in the US: New Research Children’s Health Watch, 2014-1026 newsletters
- Healthy Food Research from UI Extension, University of Illinois, on-going extensions
- More poor in US suburbs than cities, report says Chicago Tribune, May 21, 2013
- DuPage County Faces Rising Child Poverty Chicago Tribune Local, March 1, 2011
- Poverty Increases in DuPage County Northern Illinois University, September 19, 2010
- Elmhurst in Depth: Poverty in DuPage Elmhurst College, Spring 2010