The 5th organization that I am supporting this year through my 1% for the Planet contributions is Urban Growers Collective.

Urban Growers Collective works closely with more than 33 community partners. Their goal is to build economic opportunity for youth while mitigating food insecurity and limited access to high quality, affordable, and nutritionally-dense food. They operate eight urban farms on 11 acres of land, predominantly located on Chicago’s South Side. The farms are production-oriented but also offer opportunities for staff-led education, training, leadership development, and food distribution. Each farm utilizes organic growing methods, intensive growing practices, and year-round production strategies to best maximize growing space.

Since, my family started composting (with WasteNot Compost) I have become more aware of the amount of food we waste. Since we collect all the food that would normally be thrown in the trash and place it in a bin to be composted, I get to see how much we collect. It's nice to know that now that food is being composted and not left to sit in a landfill. It makes me sad to think about the amount of food we did not rescue. Composting has given me a new appreciation for food and where it comes from, how it is grown and who benefits from growing it and/or making it.