Chicago Market deeply values our region's amazing farmers. They steward soil, water, and air for all of us. And, as we learn in this guest blog post from farmer Marty Travis of Spence Farm, they are also preserving flavor, crop diversity, and history through tenacious care for heirloom crops.

Chicago Market deeply values our region's amazing farmers. They steward soil, water, and air for all of us. And, as we learn in this guest blog post from farmer Marty Travis of Spence Farm, they are also preserving flavor, crop diversity, and history through tenacious care for heirloom crops.

Chicago Market General Manager Dan Arnett sits down with Marty Travis of Down at the Farms to get his take on the question, "What is regenerative agriculture?"

Are you tired of the traditional grocery shopping experience? Looking for a way to support local farmers and businesses while also enjoying fresh and organic produce? If you're a Chicago resident searching for a change, joining a grocery co-op might be the answer you've been looking for. Let’s explore five compelling reasons why joining a grocery co-op — Chicago Market, in fact — can benefit you, your community, and the environment!

Chicago Market Owners are not sitting on the sidelines. They are active participants seeking solutions for climate change, sustainability, food system development, and more. We asked Meghann Beer, Owner #176, to tell us about her recent Terra.do course experience:

In 2005 I attended my first climate protest, planted my first veggie garden, and joined my first food co-op. I had recently returned from working with farmers in Kenya who were already being impacted by changing rain patterns. Unfortunately, since then we have seen the climate crisis continue to intensify with too little action.

Our Owner and Uptown Farmers Market photographer Rick Baer and his wife Candace visited one of our market farms recently. Here's his report back from Andrew's Heirlooms, along with some beautiful photos in the slider above.

When we think of co-ops, it’s usually food or grocery cooperatives like Chicago Market that come to mind. But cooperatives can be any type of business, really—the key characteristics are adherence to the seven international cooperative principles centered around common values pursued through jointly-owned, democratically-controlled enterprises.

Behold, the Chicago area’s newest co-op: Collective Resource Compost Cooperative! A familiar name, Collective Resource has been around for thirteen years and an active Chicago Market Business Owner for much of that time. On July 1st, the company became a hybrid co-op owned by its workers, customers, and supporters.

Our Owner and Uptown Farmers Market photographer Rick Baer and his wife Candace visited one of our market farms recently. Here's his report back from Los Rodriguez Farm in Eau Claire, MI, along with some beautiful photos in the slider above.

Candace and Stephanie

One of the many fantastic things about cooperatives is that we as Owners get to decide what our community-owned business values.

Last year, the Chicago Market Board of Directors undertook a process to create a value statement to reflect the Co-op’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The result is a recently approved addition to our list of Values: Justice.

We're excited to announce we've found a new, permanent home for the Uptown Farmers Market!