About the Corps Program

Windy City Harvest Corps employs 30 to 40 justice-involved individuals and veterans in closely mentored, full-time, paid transitional jobs and supports them in finding full-time, long-term employment each year. Crew members work on Windy City Harvest farm sites Monday through Thursday, gaining hands-on technical training. On Fridays, crews participate in Roots of Success and Job Club. Windy City Harvest staff supports each crew member in developing a resumé and cover letter, preparing for interviews, and searching for jobs. Crew members also receive weekly feedback from their crew leader on Fridays to help develop workplace readiness skills. Each year, Windy City Harvest Corps offers two cohorts and recruits from February through June. Graduates work in many fields, including food service, commercial food handling, urban agriculture, and more. Windy City Harvest Corps is offered in partnership with the Department of Family and Support Services. .

Corps crew members have the opportunity to earn the following:

ServSafe Food Handler’s Certificate
OSHA 10 General Industry
Roots of Success Certificate in Environmental Literacy
Certificate of Completion from the Chicago Botanic Garden

Windy City Harvest Corps Program at Work
Ronald James
WCH Corps, 2024
Before starting the WCH Corps program in 2024, Ronald James was at a difficult point in his life. He had just come back to Chicago, had nowhere to stay, and little money. He heard about the Corps program and was curious about growing food.
Through the program, Ron gained invaluable skills in farming, plant care, and networking. He was struck by the difference in taste between farm-grown food and store-bought produce. Ron describes his experience as "brain therapy".
“Being around the plants in a stress-free environment and having good people to work with that are willing to help you and give good advice gave me the opportunity to learn new skills and traits from people that bettered myself,” he said.
His success in the Corps led to the WCH Production Assistant Pathway and then the WCH Urban Agriculture Apprenticeship. After completing the apprenticeship, Ron plans to join the WCH Incubator program to eventually start his own farm, focusing on produce and livestock. He also aims to publish two books and start a business, possibly a car wash or laundromat.
"In less than a year, I went from nothing to owning three cars and having my own apartment,” he said. “If I can do it, so can others. The WCH Corps Program gave me the opportunity to succeed."

Artema Plunkett
WCH Corps, 2018
“The Corps program gave me stability and took my mind off my problems. Before I came to Windy City Harvest, I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. They helped me in areas I didn’t even know I was weak in. They helped me out with computer literacy and job-searching skills. I started out on the construction crew for the aquaponics system at the Farm on Ogden. I had never heard of aquaponics, never knew what it was, so building that system and working with all the different tools was extremely interesting and educational. I also learned how to build raised beds, how to run a garden, how to grow vegetables in many ways and anywhere. I think I have accomplished what they wanted someone to accomplish from this program: being a successful person, changing my eating habits, learning more about sustainable agriculture. Besides giving me a job and a steady source of income, it gave me training in so many new skills. This program worked for me tremendously. It has been life-changing for me.”
Laquantis Davis
WCH Corps, 2018
Laquantis Davis sees his journey with Windy City Harvest as not just a career, but a way of life and a path to dreaming big. Completing the Corps Apprenticeship and Incubator programs reshaped his understanding of food and sparked a passion to uplift his community by sharing knowledge that leads to better health. Today, Laquantis runs his own farming business, growing fresh produce on a modest ⅛-acre plot through the Windy City Harvest Incubator program. But his vision doesn’t stop there—his ultimate dream is to create a farm-to-table café, where every dish is made from locally grown produce and herbs nurtured in an innovative aquaponics system. Laquantis also envisions building a halfway house and launching a curriculum inspired by Windy City Harvest, designed to introduce veterans and Muslim communities to the transformative power of farming and healthy eating. Through his work, Laquantis is not only growing food—he’s planting the seeds of hope, health, and opportunity in his community.
Terrance Armstrong
WCH Corps, 2019
Terrance Armstrong is driven by a powerful vision: to share his newfound passion for agriculture by starting his own farm and using it as a platform to educate and inspire others. As a mentor at UCAN, he’s passionate about teaching the youth he works with the valuable skill of growing their own food. For Terrance, urban farming isn’t just a job—it’s a transformative opportunity to create employment, strengthen communities, and pass down essential knowledge on how food production can empower people. When he entered the Corps program in 2019, Terrance had no prior experience in farming, but the journey was nothing short of “awesome.” Gaining this new skill set opened his eyes to a field he now loves and sees as his long-term future. He is unwavering in his determination to build his own farm, ready to take "however many steps and however long it takes," so that he can pass on the lessons he’s learned through Windy City Harvest to the next generation of urban farmers. Terrance’s commitment to growth—both personal and communal—will help cultivate a future where knowledge, opportunity, and sustainability flourish..

Windy City Harvest Corps Program at Work
Ronald James
WCH Corps, 2024
Before starting the WCH Corps program in 2024, Ronald James was at a difficult point in his life. He had just come back to Chicago, had nowhere to stay, and little money. He heard about the Corps program and was curious about growing food.
Through the program, Ron gained invaluable skills in farming, plant care, and networking. He was struck by the difference in taste between farm-grown food and store-bought produce. Ron describes his experience as "brain therapy".
“Being around the plants in a stress-free environment and having good people to work with that are willing to help you and give good advice gave me the opportunity to learn new skills and traits from people that bettered myself,” he said.
His success in the Corps led to the WCH Production Assistant Pathway and then the WCH Urban Agriculture Apprenticeship. After completing the apprenticeship, Ron plans to join the WCH Incubator program to eventually start his own farm, focusing on produce and livestock. He also aims to publish two books and start a business, possibly a car wash or laundromat.
"In less than a year, I went from nothing to owning three cars and having my own apartment,” he said. “If I can do it, so can others. The WCH Corps Program gave me the opportunity to succeed."

Artema Plunkett
WCH Corps, 2018
“The Corps program gave me stability and took my mind off my problems. Before I came to Windy City Harvest, I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. They helped me in areas I didn’t even know I was weak in. They helped me out with computer literacy and job-searching skills. I started out on the construction crew for the aquaponics system at the Farm on Ogden. I had never heard of aquaponics, never knew what it was, so building that system and working with all the different tools was extremely interesting and educational. I also learned how to build raised beds, how to run a garden, how to grow vegetables in many ways and anywhere. I think I have accomplished what they wanted someone to accomplish from this program: being a successful person, changing my eating habits, learning more about sustainable agriculture. Besides giving me a job and a steady source of income, it gave me training in so many new skills. This program worked for me tremendously. It has been life-changing for me.”
Laquantis Davis
WCH Corps, 2018
Laquantis Davis sees his journey with Windy City Harvest as not just a career, but a way of life and a path to dreaming big. Completing the Corps Apprenticeship and Incubator programs reshaped his understanding of food and sparked a passion to uplift his community by sharing knowledge that leads to better health. Today, Laquantis runs his own farming business, growing fresh produce on a modest ⅛-acre plot through the Windy City Harvest Incubator program. But his vision doesn’t stop there—his ultimate dream is to create a farm-to-table café, where every dish is made from locally grown produce and herbs nurtured in an innovative aquaponics system. Laquantis also envisions building a halfway house and launching a curriculum inspired by Windy City Harvest, designed to introduce veterans and Muslim communities to the transformative power of farming and healthy eating. Through his work, Laquantis is not only growing food—he’s planting the seeds of hope, health, and opportunity in his community.
Terrance Armstrong
WCH Corps, 2019
Terrance Armstrong is driven by a powerful vision: to share his newfound passion for agriculture by starting his own farm and using it as a platform to educate and inspire others. As a mentor at UCAN, he’s passionate about teaching the youth he works with the valuable skill of growing their own food. For Terrance, urban farming isn’t just a job—it’s a transformative opportunity to create employment, strengthen communities, and pass down essential knowledge on how food production can empower people. When he entered the Corps program in 2019, Terrance had no prior experience in farming, but the journey was nothing short of “awesome.” Gaining this new skill set opened his eyes to a field he now loves and sees as his long-term future. He is unwavering in his determination to build his own farm, ready to take "however many steps and however long it takes," so that he can pass on the lessons he’s learned through Windy City Harvest to the next generation of urban farmers. Terrance’s commitment to growth—both personal and communal—will help cultivate a future where knowledge, opportunity, and sustainability flourish..
Eligibility
Live in the city of Chicago
Age 18 and above
Provide rap sheet from the state of Illinois or state where crime was committed; proof of non-violent/ non-sexual criminal background
Provide a DD-214 to document military service—honorable/dishonorable discharge
Provide a Social Security card, birth certificate, and a valid state ID/driver’s license (proof of Chicago address required upon hire
Be available to work full-time Monday through Friday
Demonstrate a real interest in a full-time job
Demonstrate ability and willingness to work a manual labor job in all weather conditions
Commit to the Windy City Harvest standards of full-time employment performance. Absences and tardiness are not tolerated.
Application Process
Attend an information session at the Farm on Ogden, 3555 W. Ogden Ave. Information sessions are held on Mondays from February – June 2025 (excluding major holidays).
Complete an interview and work shadow day. Work shadow dates and times are announced at the information sessions.
Provide Windy City Harvest staff with a copy of your city of Chicago Rap Sheet and/or DD-214 and complete an ADP background check through the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Eligibility
Live in the city of Chicago
Age 18 and above
Provide rap sheet from the state of Illinois or state where crime was committed; proof of non-violent/ non-sexual criminal background
Provide a DD-214 to document military service—honorable/dishonorable discharge
Provide a Social Security card, birth certificate, and a valid state ID/driver’s license (proof of Chicago address required upon hire
Be available to work full-time Monday through Friday
Demonstrate a real interest in a full-time job
Demonstrate ability and willingness to work a manual labor job in all weather conditions
Commit to the Windy City Harvest standards of full-time employment performance. Absences and tardiness are not tolerated.
Application Process
Attend an information session at the Farm on Ogden, 3555 W. Ogden Ave. Information sessions are held on Mondays from February – June 2025 (excluding major holidays).
Complete an interview and work shadow day. Work shadow dates and times are announced at the information sessions.
Provide Windy City Harvest staff with a copy of your city of Chicago Rap Sheet and/or DD-214 and complete an ADP background check through the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Contact Information

For questions regarding the Windy City Harvest Corps Program, please contact Maya Morris, workforce development manager.

This program receives support from the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.

Department of Family and Support Services

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Corps crew members have the opportunity to earn the following:

Windy City Harvest Corps Program Success Stories

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Ronald James

Artema Plunkett

Laquantis Davis

Terrance Armstrong

Ronald James

Artema Plunkett

Laquantis Davis

Terrance Armstrong

How to Apply to Windy City Harvest Corps Program

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