Chicago Rarities Orchard Project

NEWS: Although construction for the orchard site has yet to begin, CROP is keeping busy in Logan Square.

The Department of Housing and Economic Development (formerly the Department of Zoning and Land Use) is still in the process of assessing the traffic study of the slip lane on the northwest edge of the future orchard site. Although this process can be slow and tedious and dependent on multiple factors, we are confident the city will move forward on construction as soon as possible. See this site and subscribe to our mailing list for the most recent updates!

Due to the relocation of the Chicago Honey Co-op in the next few months, the potted baby fruit trees that are 1- 3 years old will be moved to a temporary location. Our trees have had a comfortable life at the Co-op and we are looking forward to moving them to another temporary location before permanent planting in the orchard space.

Currently, our board is working on an educational lecture series focusing on urban agriculture, heirloom fruits, sustainable urban planning, and the importance of garden and wellness education in our schools. Be on the lookout for our press release and email blast about the lecture logistics. Someday soon, we'll be able to hold these lectures under the fruit trees!.

Chicago Rarities Orchard Project is a non-profit organization founded to establish community rare-fruit orchards in Chicago. These orchards, designed for reclaimed spaces, are dedicated to preserving a few of the thousands of varieties of tree fruit that aren't commonly commercially grown, while providing open space and educational opportunities to Chicagoans.

It'll still be a long time before we're all sitting in the shade, eating apples. In the meantime, we've been working closely with NeighborSpace, the City of Chicago's Department of Zoning and Land Use to acquire our first orchard site.

Here's a rough sketch of what we have in mind:

Our design is intended to balance accessibility, careful management, and beautiful garden design. An open landscaped plaza along Logan Boulevard activates the intersection of Logan and Milwaukee. Continuing along Milwaukee, a community managed orchard will be open to the public during volunteer hours throughout the week, through public special events, and programmed in coordination with the Farmer's Market.

For more information on what we've been thinking about, please see our information sheet about this site (pdf).