OUR MISSION

Wood St. Collective is dedicated to environmental efforts so that Chicagoans may benefit from local food, urban tree cover, and clean rivers & lakes. 

OUR STORY & PROGRAMS

Our story: Wood St. Collective began as a community garden on Wood St. and 65th St. on the South Side of Chicago, and during our first year in 2019, we planned events such as Open Mics, Community Conversations, Garden Actions, and Neighborhood Market days, all taking place at the Wood St. Garden. Our hyper-local approach was very visible to the neighborhood, and the community engagement was tremendous. One resident, in their front yard that borders the garden, built a “take a book, leave a book” library. After just one summer, it was obvious to the community and our team; the garden was more than a green space; it was a hub for activity. Over the past years, we have grown into an established nonprofit which hosts mutual-aid, educational, and leadership development programs.

In 2023, the City of Chicago announced that Wood St. Collective was a winner of the inaugural Community Growers Award!
  • Urban Farm & Food Access
  • City Forestry Programs
  • Community Events
  • Great Lakes Habitat Restoration
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Wood St. Collective Urban Farm

Opening in March 2025! Follow our story here!

Wood St. Collective Market Stand

Wood St. Collective owns and operates a half-acre urban farm, growing USDA Organic produce for both free, community distributions and for sale at the various Englewood street fests, farmer's markets, and events. We accept cash, credit + debit, and LINK.

​Block Beauty Projects

Block Beauty Projects are a platform for people to build and maintain green spaces. In our efforts to organize a garden network and promote local food, we transform lawns, back yards, and empty lots into arable land. Get inspired and activate green space at  your residence, school, business or organization today!

Plant 1,000 Trees Campaign

Wood St. Collective is partnering with residents, schools, churches, youth centers, and community stakeholders  to plant 1,000 trees in multiple South and West Side Chicago communities. 
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Improved tree cover is sorely needed to reduce the health harms caused by environmental racism and create health equity.
Peer reviewed studies report a desperate environmental situation on the South and West Sides of Chicago:
  • ​In Southwest Chicago neighborhoods, many census block groups are between 2% and 12% tree cover. Northwestern reports 32% higher pollution in Southwest neighborhoods than the rest of city. This translates to an elevated heat disparity of +5 to +11 degrees Fahrenheit, i.e. pollution hotspots.
  • Worse still, Chicago has historically placed its industrial zones in neighborhoods comprised of predominately low-income Black or Latinx residents. This is a dire health issue as it correlates to disproportionate rates of asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses.
Trees are critical infrastructure that, planted in mass, will clean the air, reduce the temperature, and remove metric tons of CO2 from the air annually.

Family Garden Days

 Once a month from May-October, the garden is activated with programming and activities for community members. Food, music, games, raffles, prizes,  and conversations; the garden is a space to relax and voice your love for the community. See our gallery for all our past events.

First Annual Summer Englewood Book Fest

In June 2025, Wood St. Collective will host the First Annual Summer Englewood Book Fest that will promote a love of reading, distribute children's books, platform literary organizations and Chicago's art scene, and host a book seller vendor market.

Funded in part by DCASE.

Great Lakes Restoration Program

The northeastern region of Illinois and the Lake Michigan coast are important ecosystems that need our help to flourish. We organize outings from Englewood to Chicagoland beaches for ecological restoration, wildlife and plant conservation, and clean ups. 
​About Us
Learn more about us and our team, Board, and partners!
TAke ACTION
Check out our upcoming events!
​Donate Today!
​Support our urban agriculture site with a donation!