The success of the Windy City Harvest program depends, critically, on the Chicago Botanic Garden’s broad institutional commitment and working collaborations with other public and private agencies, community organizations, educational institutions, and businesses. Examples include NeighborSpace, which holds title to two Windy City Harvest operating sites; Brinshore-Michaels, the Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Alderman Pat Dowell, who together enabled the Legends Farm; the Lake Country Forest Preserves and its Preservation Foundation; McCormick Place and its food service operation, Savor…Chicago; and business partners like Midwest Foods and FarmedHere, which buy produce and/or hire Windy City Harvest Transitional Jobs and Apprenticeship graduates. It takes a network of enlightened partners to make the kind of impact that Windy City Harvest is having on Chicago’s food hub and the farmers and entrepreneurs who are being trained to help it grow.

Collaborating Organizations

• Bon Appétit Management Company at University of Chicago Dining
• Brinshore-Michaels Development
• Cabrini Green Legal Aid
• Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
• Chicago Public Schools
• City Colleges of Chicago, Daley College/Arturo Velasquez Institute
• Cook County Commissioners
• Forest Preserves of Cook County
• Hilton Chicago
• Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago
• Lake County Health Department
• Lawndale Christian Health Center
• Liberty Prairie Foundation
• McCormick Place—Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, SMG, and SAVOR…Chicago
• Midwest Foods
• NeighborSpace
• Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves
• Proviso Partners for Health
• Roots of Success
• Sodexo

Land-use Partners

• Brinshore-Michaels Development
• Chicago Park District
• City Colleges of Chicago, Daley College/Arturo Velasquez Institute
• Lake County Forest Preserves
• Lawndale Christian Health Center
• McCormick Place—Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, SMG, and SAVOR…Chicago
• NeighborSpace
• Proviso Partners for Health

Healthcare Partners

• Esperanza Health Center
• Lawndale Christian Health Center
• PCC Community Wellness Center
• Proviso Partners for Health
• UIC Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion