Chicago's Farm Girl Organics: Sustainability on Their Own Terms

We met Kate Rowe and Katie Williams, the owners of Farm Girl Organics, at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. Intrigued by the young farmers, their bountiful organic harvest, and their exuberant smiles, we asked them about how they started their business and what it entailed.

Farm Girl Organics Factoids:

• Established early 2007
• Located in Grayslake on 5 acres of leased farm land
• Runs a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. New members welcomed.
• Sells produce at Green City Market, Lincoln Park, to chefs and the general public
• Summer harvest: organic cooking greens, broccoli, corn, summer squash, winter squash, eggplant, beets, radishes, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, melons; and sunflowers and a few edible flowers.
• Contact: farmgirlorganics@gmail.com

Kate and Katie met and worked at a CSA organic vegetable farm in the suburbs. They both loved farming and decided it was something that they could do themselves. Both live in Chicago and wanted to provide their friends, neighbors, and community with local organic vegetables. They also wanted to keep it affordable for their demographic (people in their 20s and 30s who lived on a budget). In addition, they had serious ideas about the environment and both felt the desire to use strong sustainability guidelines to farm and distribute their own produce.

They learned how to run a business from the CSA they worked for, and learned, in time, about how to grow, harvest, and process vegetables. They also took a seminar at Angelic Organics, which has a program to help people learn about business plans, budgeting, and avoiding mistakes in establishing and running a farm. They met a lot of great people who have helped them with their business. To help them get started, they took out small loans from their parents to help buy a truck for the farm and to cover the cost of the seeds at the beginning of the season. A big part of their goal is to remain debt free, so they plan to pay off both loans before next season.

Kate and Katie decided to form their CSA by first contacting family and friends and informing them about their goals, what they wanted to grow, and the structure of the CSA. The members pay a subscription at the beginning of the season, and, in return, they buy a share in the farm for 15 weeks (they receive a grocery bag of produce every other week). Farm Girl Organics uses the money to cover the initial operating expenses of the season. As part of the CSA, members are invited to visit the farm and see how organic vegetables are being produced, and members are allowed to help out if they wish.

What are their dreams for the future?

"It would be beautiful to be part of a community where we could donate the vegetables and food, and other members could donate their services. It would be nice to work with a school and provide an educational component about farming and growing vegetables. That would be very nice in one of the neighborhoods in Chicago that's deprived of grocery stores and fresh vegetables. It would be nice to have the kids work outside.

"In farming, we are really trying to nurture the soil, water, animals, and all of the different life forms and ecosystems that are necessary and a part of our growing system. We are doing it as responsibly, carefully, and compassionately as we can."

Amy A. Rudberg is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher. She recently created ArtStyle Blog, A Voice for Artists in Chicago, focusing on the arts, culture, and lifestyle in Chicago.