MARIE'S URBAN FARM
At the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry
835 N. Highland Ave Aurora, IL

The Kitchen

The Entertainment Space

The Aviary

Charity Blooms has been proud to manage this amazing property since 2018 through the generosity of the City of Aurora and the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry. The Farm has become our Homestead.
This half-acre property was once occupied by 5 houses. Those houses were torn down in 2014 and turned into green space. Since 2018, we have worked with hundreds of volunteers to turn it into a community space that now benefits thousands. Our goal is to grow dozens of varieties of food including fruit, vegetables and herbs. This produce is then donated to the Marie Wilkinson Food pantry. As of 2021 we had won 28 awards for our produce at the Sandwich County Fair!
This property is also a social space. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to learn, help and play. The property now includes a 500 square foot greenhouse, solar power, a large outdoor kitchen, entertainment space with seating for 32, an aviary, a monarch butterfly education area, pollinator gardens with bee hotel, self-paced activities and automated composting. We teach classes for all ages, host private gatherings and public events almost all year long.
Events on the calendar are all open to the public unless otherwise stated.
If you'd like to visit the farm or volunteer, let us know. We are always interested in meeting new friends, building new partnerships and sharing the love of what we do. We are often described as one of the best kept secrets in Aurora. Stop by and see why!
PLAYFUL LEARNING EXHIBIT
The amazing folks at Playful Learning, in cooperation with the Chicago Children's Museum, installed this exciting exhibit in the Spring of 2021. The focus is to teach early elementary math skills in a fun and exciting way. It is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year.



POLLINATOR GARDENS
Without pollinator insects, we wouldn't have vegetables. This was a lesson learned early on at the Farm. Since 2018 we have strived to include Pollinator habitats into our projects. Come see the Pollinator Hotel and many other ways we incorporate these essential insects into our gardens.
SUMMER COOKING SERIES
2025 Calendar
April 26 Waubonsee Volunteer Day 10-12
+Private Event+
May 10 Network and Grill
Community outreach day
May 17 Fox Valley Garden Club Plant Sale
Come see us at West Plaza!
May 18 Donor appreciation Brunch 11am
+Private Event+
May 24 Women's Club Planting Day
+Private Event+
June 13 Garlic Breath Farm Demo 5-7
Open to the Public
June 21 Pollinator Class 12-2
Make your own pollinator hotel
*reservation required*
July 11 Garlic Breath Farm Demo 5-7
Open to the Public
July 19 Adult Cooking Class 12-2
Topic TBD
*reservation required*
Aug 8 Garlic Breath Farm Demo 5-7
Open to the Public
Aug 16 Kids Cooking Class 12-2
Healthier after school snacks
*reservation required*
Sept 13 Family Cooking Class 11-1
Harvest recipe TBD
+reservation required+
The Greenhouse

The Summer Cooking Series was such a big hit in 2021 that it has become an annual program.
This year we will have multiple chefs from all backgrounds teaching culinary techniques and recipes. In the Hands-On series, students are able to pick their own ingredients from the farm, learn to prep and cook them right on the spot. There will be 12 cooking stations where 24 students will cook in pairs. Thanks to very generous grant from Conagra, classes are FREE and available on a first come first serve basis. Students MUST reserve a spot on the form on the Summer Cooking Series page to attend any classes on the Calendar labeled as +reservation required+.
The Pollinator Gardens

Fall Fest

Cooking Classes
