EEC is part of a team of volunteer Garden Leaders running the Vedgewater Community Garden, a Neighborspace Garden, on land donated by Loyola.

We are growing The Commons in 6 beds and creating other educational and fun workshops and events!

The Commons is an EEC initiative at Vedgewater maintained by the community for the community. Anyone is welcome to garden and harvest from these plots after going through the garden’s orientation. 

The EEC Commons plots include:

• Beds of natives with plants donated from Loyola's Urban Agriculture Program

• Bed of edibles from Loyola and Chicago Community Gardeners Association Donations and distributed to volunteers as well as the Edgewater Mutual Aid Network's weekly free food distribution

• An apothecary herbal medicine, ecofeminist garden plot

We actively encourage people who use the Edgewater Mutual Aid Network’s free food distribution to garden with us in the Commons.

We welcome everyone, for whatever reason, doesn’t grow in a rental plot, to join us and benefit from the Commons. All members of the community are welcome to tend to the commons.

Edgewater Mutual Aid Network is a grassroots effort aiming to provide critical relief and engage in mutual aid practices with those in our community. This is an autonomous mutual aid network, not a state-based charity effort. Website: https://edgewatermutualaid.org/

Harvests from the Commons are collected from 11-11:45 am on Saturdays from roughly June to October and provided to the free food distributions.

We also help tend to the community garden, with tasks including trash pick-up in common areas, weeding around the perimeter, and spreading wood chips / compost.

If you are a new gardener and interested in a plot please complete this waitlist form.

To join our volunteer mailing list, complete this form. 

Contact vedgewater.garden.leader@gmail.com for any questions about the garden registration, plot rentals, and/or general administration. 

Workdays

Tasks: planting, harvesting, watering, and caring for our EEC Commons and Grow To Give Food Pantry beds; trash pick up; stewarding our natural communal beds; cutting down and bagging up weeds and overgrowth; organizing communication station; cleaning tools and watering cans; connecting hoses, water troughs, and rain barrels.

What to bring: gardening or construction gloves (we have extras handy); loppers, heavy-duty snips, or other favorite garden tools (we have some, too); water to drink; layers of clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

If you'd like to garden with us for free and contribute to the commons, please reach out!