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Urban Growers Collective

Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded under the leadership of Erika Allen in 2017. Allen worked closely with community partners to demonstrate the development of community-based food systems. Her work also supports communities in developing local systems to grow, prepare, and distribute food within the community itself.

UGC operates 8 urban farms totaling 11 acres primarily located on the South Side of Chicago; a 30-acre peri-urban farm in Chicago Heights established in 2024, and is a strategic partner in the 9-acre Green Era Campus renewable energy facility and hub for urban agriculture in Auburn Gresham. These farms are production-oriented, growing over 23,000lbs of produce each year available farmers markets, in our Collective Supported Agriculture program, and via our Fresh Moves Mobile Market buses. They also serve as spaces for UGC staff-led education, training, leadership development, healing and creativity.

While farming is the foundation upon which we grow, helping people thrive is our emphasis and the motivation for our work. We work towards building stronger, healthier communities through a variety of programming centered around Food Access, Job Training & Education, and Community Engagement. Through our programs, we provide training and education on urban agriculture and food systems; offer skill building experiences, jobs, and economic opportunities to youth; identify and lift up community priorities and needs; and use evidence-based practices to create safe and beautiful places for communities to convene, create, heal, and transform.

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Urban Growers Collective

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