3.11 Harry Rhodes

Growing HomeSocial Enterprise and Transitional Jobs

Growing Home’s mission is to operate, promote, and demonstrate the use of organic agriculture as a vehicle for job training, employment, and community development.

Growing Home was founded in 1992 by Les Brown, Director of Policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

He wrote that “Homeless people are often without roots. They’re not tied down, not connected, not part of their family anymore. Our organic farming program is a way for them to connect with nature – to plant and nurture roots over a period of time. When you get involved in taking responsibility for caring for something, creating an environment that produces growth, then it helps you build self-esteem.”

Growing Home operates an employment training program through three USDA Certified Organic farm sites.

Growing Home’s Les Brown Memorial Farm – Marseilles, IL

Su Casa Market Garden – Back of the Yards, Chicago

Growing Home’s Wood Street Urban Farm - Englewood, Chicago

Growing Home’s Newest Farm:

Wood Street Urban Farm Extension Site

Job Training: Growing Home’s program targets individuals who have major barriers to employment, including having been previously incarcerated, homeless, and/or having a history of substance abuse.

Job skills: Program participants gain specific skill sets in farming, customer service, and horticulture, as well as, job readiness skills like resume writing, interview etiquette, and other employment skills.

Opening of the Farm and Training Center, August 2009

"Plants are like people. Or people are like plants. They need nurturing, and help... to become stronger and to stand on their own.” – 2011 Program Participant, Lisa R.

Participants are paid for their time in class and working. Their hours are split evenly between time in classes—including courses in soils, plant identification, pruning, math at the market—and time working on the farms and at the farmer’s market.

"Since I've been [at Growing Home] ... I'm more peaceful. It's like I'm in a totally different world, I'm still in Chicago and Illinois, but my mind goes elsewhere because there is something about the soil that's just calming.”

- 2010 program graduate, Latoya W.

Community Outreach

Mayor Daley with our community outreach coordinator, Seneca Kern, and program interns

Community Open House at the Wood Street Urban Farm, May 2011

"I was so ready to be done with the bad parts of my life. I wanted it behind me, and I wanted to be clean. Growing Home has helped. It's peaceful here. And its an indescribable feeling: to get up every day and make a conscious decision to focus on the positive.”

- 2009 program participant, Jasmine E.