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.
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.
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!
February 2, 2023, Daily Herald
July 3, 2022, Glancer Magazine
August 27, 2022, Kane County Connects
October 6, 2012, Daily Herald
May 17, 2020, West Suburban Journal
Chicago Region Food System Fund
June 3, 2017, Naperville Community TV Channel 17
January 13, 2017, Suburban Life
November 18, 2016, Daily Herald
March 27, 2015, Naperville Community TV 17
March 5, 2013
Food Tank, December 21, 2013
Daily Herald, June 19, 2013
Handpicked Nation, March 29, 2013
HandsOn Suburban Chicago blog, January 23, 2013
Members of the press with media-related inquiries, please reach out to us via email.
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.
New York Times: Headways, January 1, 2023
Community Profile on health status, quality of life, and risk factors for 2022
Feeding America, March 9, 2021
Children’s Health Watch, 2014-1026 newsletters
University of Illinois, on-going extensions
Chicago Tribune, May 21, 2013
Northern Illinois University, September 19, 2010
Matt Tansley is a Land Use Planner with the Kane County Development and Community Services Department. He provides staff support for the implementation of various county long-range and strategic plans, including the Kane County 2040 Plan, the Growing for Kane Report, and the Kane County Food Hub Feasibility Study. He also coordinates the activities of the Kane County Planning Cooperative, an interdepartmental working group of planning practitioners representing the Departments of Development, Health, and Transportation, as well as publishes the group’s monthly newsletter. Matt holds a B.S. in Political Science from Bradley University and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For the past four years, Matt has served as Secretary on The GardenWorks Project’s Board of Directors. Matt can be reached at matt@gardenworksproject.org
