CHARITY BLOOMS
A non-profit grower
The Farm
Marie's Urban Farm 835 N. Highland Ave Aurora, IL
The Kitchen
The Entertainment Space
The Aviary
The Greenhouse
The Pollinator Gardens
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 way. It is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year.
POLLINATOR GARDENS
Without pollinator insects, we would have no 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.
COOKING CLASSES
This summer we are hosting an on-site bimonthly cooking class. Classes are from 6pm-8pm. Only 8 cooking stations are available per class. Participants will be cooking alongside Chef Connor in pairs. Class reservations are now closed.
Classes are FREE thanks in part to the Illinois Farmers Market Association and Kane County.
Chef Connor McKenna has enthusiastically accepted our offer to host this season's Summer Cooking Series! He found a passion for cooking at West Aurora High School and completed his culinary degree at the College of DuPage. He currently works as a Sous Chef at a fine dining restaurant in Naperville. He has a special interest in cooking foods people don't see every day. He has personally chosen the selections for this season's 6 class series.
July 13
Pasta salad with chicken
July 27
Maple, beet & kale salad with shrimp
August 9
Scallops with lemongrass and dill beurre blanc
August 30
Cajun chicken pasta
September 14
Ratatouille
September 28
Butternut ravioli
Fall Fest
