Thank you!
10 years and we’re still growing! As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary and head into the holiday season, there is a lot to be thankful for – beginning with you.
We have accomplished amazing things together over the past 10 years, laying the foundation for the rebirth of a local food economy and culture in our region. Thousands of youth, adults and families participate in hundreds of workshops and field days that reconnect us with the land, farmers, and each other. And thousands of people in our urban centers are learning that skyscrapers aren’t the only things that grow in the city – there are tomato plants and kale, chickens and bees, and the well-being of neighborhoods.
Thanks to the growing awareness of urban and rural residents for local and organic produce, demand has spiked and we have an urgent need for more farmers who grow food rather than commodities. We’ve built a social network of more than sixty sustainable agriculture farmers dedicated to training the next generation of local and organic farmers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. With help from these experienced farmers, we’ve seen 23 new farms get started and grow fresh, fabulous foods for thousands of local families.
Through our common efforts – urban and rural, consumer and producer -- we are building a vibrant agri-culture and community. A community dedicated to rejuvenating the soil and soul. A community committed to a sustainable future.
As we look to the next 10 years, we know we are rooting our growth in solid soil. The innovations of the past years will nourish the next. We are in an exciting conversation with hundreds of diverse supporters and partners to outline a 25-year vision and plan. With your help, we will expand our current successful program initiatives and we look forward to announcing several new initiatives in the coming year.
This is a place of inspiring and practical real-world work that addresses the daunting challenge of how we as humans live responsibly in community on this finite planet. Now, as we face difficult and uncertain economic times, a gift to the Learning Center is more than just an investment in practical hope, it is an act of sacrifice and commitment. It is an act that helps to create close to home the kind of world we want to live in and hopefully enthuse in neighborhoods and communities around the globe.
Please give as you are inspired. Wishing you and yours a wonderful, joyful holiday season.
Angelic Organics Learning Center Turns Ten!
In October 1998, the idea for the Learning Center was born of the marriage of rural and urban. The proud parents were farmers and shareholders of the community supported agriculture initiative at Angelic Organics farm. For a week, a small group gathered in the living room of the Peterson farmhouse. We saw the possibility of the farm—as a community resource, a rich cultural connecting place, and a source of inspiration and practical learning—serving as a partnership of farmers and urban residents seeking to rebuild a healthy local food system and a better quality of life.
Read More >>