Each of our farm sites offers something special, but the Farm on Ogden in North Lawndale is our flagship location. This incredible 17,000-square-foot facility features an aquaponics system, greenhouses, a year-round produce market, outdoor farm space, classrooms, and teaching kitchens. It also serves as a hub for workforce training, food distribution, and community engagement. You’ll witness a thriving food system operating all under one roof. 

Tour fees directly support our education and job training programs, helping individuals and communities thrive.

Who can participate? Tours at the Farm on Ogden are appropriate for all ages. Tours are primarily conducted in English. If your group would like a tour in Spanish, we will do our best to accommodate. Please contact wchtours@chicagobotanic.

Locations: Tours are primarily offered at the Farm on Ogden, 3555 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago. If you are interested in touring any of our other farm sites, please contact wchtours@chicagobotanic.

Dates & Times: Tours are available year-round at the Farm on Ogden on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 – 10 a.m. and 1 – 2 p.m.

Booking and Contact Information: Tours can be booked online at insert Galaxy link. Questions? For any questions not addressed on the website, please contact wchtours@chicagobotanic.

Group Tour Rates:

Admission: Payment is required at the time of booking. Tour groups must provide their own transportation.

Attire: Please dress appropriately for the weather and walking around a farm. Layered clothing and appropriate footwear (closed-toe shoes) are recommended. We also recommend bringing water to stay hydrated while on the tour.

Cancellation: Please notify us at least 48 hours before your scheduled tour to avoid any fees. If you don't show up for your tour and/or have not contacted us to cancel at least 48 hours in advance, a fee of 50 percent of the service cost will be charged. Tours canceled by Windy City Harvest due to weather or other factors that cannot be rescheduled will automatically be fully refunded. You’ll be notified of a cancellation 24 hours prior to the date of the tour. To cancel or transfer the tour, please contact customer service at (847) 835-6801.

Farm on Ogden Public Tours

Public tours of the Farm on Ogden are offered on Saturdays at 1 p.m. Preregistration is not required. Groups of more than 20 should call in advance.

Begin with a 45-minute guided tour of our innovative headquarters at the Farm on Ogden, where you'll explore the heart of our operations and learn about sustainable urban farming practices. Then, roll up your sleeves for two hours of hands-on farm work, led by our expert growers at one of our production farms.

Tour of the Farm on Ogden
Our 45- to 60-minute tours provide an in-depth look at our program’s history, job-training mission, community health initiatives, and sustainable growing practices. The Farm on Ogden in North Lawndale is our flagship location. This 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility features an aquaponics system, greenhouses, a year-round produce market, an outdoor production farm, classrooms, and teaching kitchens.

Hands-on Farm Work
Following the tour at the Farm on Ogden, participants will dive into two hours of hands-on farm work at Rodeo Farm, one of our two production sites. The tasks will vary based on the season to reflect the dynamic nature of farming:

• Spring: preparing garden beds, moving compost, and engaging in seeding and composting activities

• Summer: harvesting, weeding, watering, and planting

• Fall: clearing beds and preparing for fall plantings and season extension

Getting Ready for your Farm Experience
Participants should come prepared with the following:

• Proper footwear: comfortable boots or shoes suitable for getting dirty and/or wet; hiking shoes are ideal

• Sun protection: hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses

• Clothing: long pants to protect against bug bites and branch scrapes 

• Gloves: work or gardening gloves

• Hydration: reusable water bottles to stay hydrated

Who can participate?
Anyone ages 12 and up can participate in a farm experience. For every seven minors participating, at least one adult chaperone must be present.

Location: The tour portion of the farm experience takes place at the Farm on Ogden at 3555 W. Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL. The farm work portion of the experience takes place at Rodeo Farm at 2600 S. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, IL. Windy City Harvest does not provide transportation between the Farm on Ogden and Rodeo Farm.

Pricing:
10 – 20 guests: $500
20 – 30 guests: $800

Booking and Contact Information: Tours can be booked online here for members and here for nonmembers. Questions? Please contact wchtours@chicagobotanic.

Cancellation: Please notify us at least 48 hours before your scheduled farm experience to avoid any fees. If you don't show up for your farm experience and/or have not contacted us to cancel at least 48 hours in advance, a fee of 50 percent of the service cost will be charged.

Farm experiences canceled by Windy City Harvest due to weather or other factors that cannot be rescheduled will automatically be fully refunded. You’ll be notified of a cancellation 24 hours prior to the date of the farm experience. To cancel or transfer the farm experience, please contact customer service at (847) 835-6801.

Windy City Harvest offers enriching field trips for middle and high school students (grades 6 to 12) at the Farm on Ogden, located in the North Lawndale community. These hands-on experiences are designed to align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), providing students with a deeper understanding of sustainable urban farming practices.

The field trip begins with a 45-minute guided tour of the Farm on Ogden, where students will discover the heart of our operations and learn about the innovative methods we use to grow food in the city. Next, students will engage in a one-hour hydroponics challenge workshop, exploring alternative agricultural methods and applying their problem-solving skills to create sustainable solutions.

Tour of the Farm on Ogden
The Farm on Ogden is our flagship location. This 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility features an aquaponics system, greenhouses, a year-round produce market, an outdoor production farm, classrooms, and teaching kitchens. It serves as a hub for workforce training, food distribution, and community engagement. This one-of-a-kind space offers a glimpse of a thriving food system operating all under one roof.

Hydroponics Challenge Workshop 
The Hydroponics Challenge is a 60-minute workshop designed for students in grades 6 to 12 with the following objectives:

• Discuss and identify the variety of ways humans design systems to grow plants and supply them with nutrients

• Set up an experiment to compare two solutions for growing plants

• Identify a problem that hydroponic growing has been designed to solve and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
MS-LS2-4, MS-ETS1-1, HS-ETS1-1

Who can participate?
Students in grades 6 to 12, with up to 30 students per group. At least two responsible adults are required to attend to act as chaperones. Teachers must be present in the classroom throughout the workshop component.

Location: School field trips take place at the Farm on Ogden (3555 W. Ogden Ave, Chicago).

Dates & Times: Field trips are offered every Friday, September through May.

Pricing: For schools in zip codes 60623, 60624, and 60644, field trips are free. For all other schools, the cost is $140.

Booking and Contact Information: Tours can be booked online here for members and here for non members. Questions? Please contact wchtours@chicagobotanic.

Cancellation: Please notify us at least 48 hours before your scheduled field trip to avoid any fees. If you don't show up for your field trip and/or have not contacted us to cancel at least 48 hours in advance, a fee of 50 percent of the service cost will be charged.

Field trips canceled by Windy City Harvest due to weather or other factors that cannot be rescheduled will automatically be fully refunded. You’ll be notified of a cancellation 24 hours prior to the date of the field trip. To cancel or transfer the field trip, please contact customer service at (847) 835-6801.