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The Farm

Marie's Urban Farm    835 N. Highland Ave  Aurora, IL

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The Kitchen
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The Entertainment Space
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The Aviary
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The Greenhouse
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The Pollinator Gardens
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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 have 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!

THE SCAVENGER HUNT

Come alone or bring your team and hunt around The Farm at your own pace while learning fun facts about vegetables.  Start by choosing your path color; EASY, MEDIUM, OR DIFFICULT.  Then go to the barn and scan that colored QR code for your first clue. The QR codes you find will give you part of a phrase, in parenthesis, along with the next task.  At the end of the hunt, tell us the completed phrase for a special prize.  Do not go out of order or you will miss part of the phrase!

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.

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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

The Summer Cooking Series was such a big hit in 2022 that we've decided to continue into 2023.
This year we will have multiple chefs from all backgrounds teaching culinary techniques and recipes.   Students are able to pick their own ingredients from the farm, learn to prep and cook them right on the spot.  There will be 8 cooking stations where 16 students will cook in pairs. Thanks to very generous grants from the Zini family and the Rotary Club of Aurora, classes are FREE and available on a first come first serve basis.  Students MUST reserve a spot through the EventBrite link below the Class Schedule.  Guests are encouraged to arrive 30 minutes before posted class start time.  A reminder email will be sent to students the day before the class.

Class Schedule

June 16  Homemade Strawberry preserves 6pm-8pm
June 17  Cooking with mint 9am-11am

June 24 Healing herbs 2pm-4pm
Learn about healing properties of common herbs taught by resident dietician Deepa.
June 28 Seared salmon with asparagus and squash with Chef Jerald 6-8pm
July 15 Chef Wendy 11am-1pm

July 15 Couples dinner night with Chef Shelley. Bacon wrapped Steak 6p-8p 
July 21 Chef Cooley. 6pm-8pm Pasta with mushrooms and spinach
August 5th Omelettes with Chef Shelley 10a-12p

September 2 Cooking with kids 10am-12pm  Tortilla pizzas
September 9 Chef Shelley 10am-12pm Omelettes


Reserve your spot here!  Space is limited.
www.eventbrite.com/cc/cooking-classes-in-maries-garden-kitchen-2206709

2023
May 20 Sunrun Volunteer Day
**private event**
May 27 Volunteer appreciation Day
11
a-2p cookout or volunteers
June 16 Summer Cooking Series
Homemade Strawberry preserves
**reservation required**
June 17 Cooking with Mint
9am-11am. Hosted by Chef Wendy
June 24 Summer Cooking Series
Healing Herbs
**reservation required**
July 15 Cooking class 6-8pm
Hosted by Chef Shelley
June 28 Cooking class 6-8pm
Hosted by Chef Cooley
June 30 Rotary Club meeting
**private event 7pm-9pm**
July 15 Cooking Class 
Hosted by
 Chef Wendy
July 21 Cooking Class with Chef Cooley

July 22 Amazon volunteer day
August 5th Cooking Class 10a-12p

Omelettes with Chef Shelley

*reservation required*
August 19 Annual Harvest Dinner 6pm-10pm.  Ticket required
September 2 Summer cooking series
Cooking with kids *reservation required*
September 9 Summer cooking series
Omelettes *reservation required*
September 21 Lions Club tour 11:30am
October 21   Fall Fest 10-2
Our annual pumpkin giveaway event

Fall Fest
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Cooking Classes
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