The Edible Treasures Garden is an organic vegetable garden located on The Field Museum’s West Terrace. Started in 2012, the garden is tended by museum staff, volunteers and interns who benefit from learning how to garden in an urban setting. A representative from The Peterson Garden Project provides guidance and know-how to the volunteer team, now 130 members strong. Working in the garden connects these employees with their food and their cross-disciplinary workplace community. It also demonstrates to visitors that gardening can happen anywhere, even at one of the country’s largest natural history museums. For those looking to get started with their own urban garden, The Peterson Garden Project is a fantastic resource.
The garden is made possible by a partnership between The Field Museum, Jewell Events Catering and The Peterson Garden Project. It was designed by Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects and installed by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA) and funded by a Cook County Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant in Conjunction with the US Department of Energy.
Roosevelt University Sustainability Studies major Laura Miller Hill spent time during her 2015 summer internship working in the garden. You can read her insightful description of the experience.
Visit the Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project to see a visual representation of all of Chicago's urban agriculture and community gardens, including the Edible Treasures Garden.
The Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) are a great resource for information. The AUA is a coalition of individuals, organizations and businesses working to support and expand sustainable agriculture in the Chicago area, from home- and community-based growing to market gardens and small farms. AUA's Google Group, with over 1,800 members, is open to the public and a great way to connect with Chicago’s urban agriculture community!