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Englewood Farm Offers Free Weekly Vegetables Deal

 The 2014 season for Wood Street Farm in West Englewood begins May 7, 2014.
Wood Street Farm
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WEST ENGLEWOOD — When the Wood Street Urban Farm in West Englewood opens Wednesday customers who use a LINK card to make purchases will have their orders doubled, up to $10.

The two-year old incentive program was designed as a way to encourage low-income shoppers to buy more vegetables, said Sonya Harper, a spokeswoman for the farm, which is owned by Chicago nonprofit Growing Home.

"This incentive is actually a push from the federal government, which is why it is restricted to LINK card customers only," Harper said, adding that "we don't have a lot of LINK card customers."

The 2014 season for the farm, 5814 S. Wood St., runs until October and is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays only. All vegetables, such as greens, carrots, cucumbers, and onions, sold at the farm are grown on-site.

"I guess you can say our vegetables are hyperlocal and did not have travel across the country to get to you," Harper said. "And people should know that our farm is the only USDA-certified organic farm in Chicago."

Free cooking demonstrations and nutritional and workshops are also offered at the farm, which opened in 2007.

Fred Daniels, 30, said he has worked at the farm as a crew leader for the past four years and loves it.

"I have lived in Englewood all my life and I enjoy the kind of work I do. Working here has been a rewarding experience for me," Daniels said.

And even though the weather has been brisk the past few weeks, the farm began growing vegetables in February since it has an indoor as well as an outdoor garden, Harper said.

"By us having an indoor facility the cold weather has not been a factor for us," she said. "In fact, we continue growing vegetables indoors until about December."

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