People like the Cowart family, arriving at the Waukegan Park District’s Urban Ag Lab during harvest time each Tuesday, find produce for dinner picked less than an hour before they take it home.
Jennifer Dumas, the Park District’s recreation manager for general and special recreation, said volunteers arrive around 5 p.m. each Tuesday to start harvesting the ripe fruits and vegetables, getting them ready when the Harvest Stand opens at 5:30.
Brian Cowart arrived before 6 p.m. with his wife Kate and daughter Lucille. They began giving their selections of produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to one of the volunteers who bagged them.
“This is from the ground to our kitchen in less than an hour,” he said. “This is better than a farmers market,” he added, noting they were at the farm, not a market. “It’s great, and there’s no charge.”
The Urban Ag Lab Harvest Stand will be open from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday, potentially through mid-October, at the greenhouse and garden in Bowen Park, offering free produce and flowers to the public.
“We want to grow healthy people,” Dumas said. “Some people come into the garden and pick their own. We’re doing this for the community.”
Rena Mikkila, a long-time Waukegan resident, said she likes the opportunity to get fresh produce, marveling that it was picked less than an hour before she tasted it.
“It’s pretty amazing right here in Waukegan,” she said.
Starting as the Waukegan Park District Volunteer Garden Club around 2019, Dumas said an older greenhouse was renovated to grow flowers and food. Indoor planting starts with seeds in the greenhouse in March.
By May, the first round of plants is ready for the Park District’s annual plant sale, which includes flowers and some vegetables. Dumas said the proceeds from the event help fund related programs like the Urban Ag Lab and a variety of activities aimed at youngsters.
“Some people come to the garden sale to buy plants for their own garden,” Dumas said.
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The planting of vegetables, fruits and some flowers outside the greenhouse starts in May and continues into June. Dumas said the Harvest Stand — which is visible from Sheridan Road — opens in early July with herbs and leafy greens.
“We have cucumbers and lettuce by mid-July,” she said. “Tomatoes and peppers are ready in late July or early August. We have a wide variety of tomatoes. We have melons too. We have flowers through the entire season. The flowers are very popular.”
Education is part of the program. Dumas said the more people know about the benefits of fresh, healthy food, the more likely they are to develop good eating habits. Once individuals develop a taste, they often start their own gardens at home.
“We want them to feel like they’re eating healthy,” she said. “Part of the experience is feeling good about where the food is coming from so they can feel good about it.”
Crowds are not particularly large. Dumas said between 10 and 15 people arrive at the Harvest Stand each week. Rarely is anything left over. Some volunteers continue harvesting after patrons arrive, while others help people with their selections.
Sheryl Streicher joined the club five years ago and was helping with the Harvest Stand operation on Tuesday. She said it is a way she is able to help people in Waukegan by growing, harvesting, and providing them healthy food.
“I am grateful to be able to help the community and give back to the people,” Streicher said. “I’m grateful to be able to do it. This is a community initiative and an important event. I get a kick out of seeing children eat something new and smiling about it.”