Visit The Green City Market And The Museum
Hit the farmers' market and a food exhibit this Saturday
The official start of spring eating is nigh: Saturday, May 4, is opening day for Green City Market's outdoor season.
For the three Saturdays between now and then, the market will continue in its indoor location at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park–where a new food exhibit provides extra incentive to plan an indoor market visit and museum tour.
The museum ($9 admission) has an 18-and-under slant, but Food: The Nature of Eating features thought-provoking information for eaters of all ages.
The exhibit begins by tracing food production in the Midwest from the earliest settlements through the advent of large-scale monoculture. Small plaques and displays highlight some of today's compelling local businesses and projects, like Kinnikinnick organic farm in Caledonia, Illinois, the Gary Comer Youth Center's rooftop garden, and Peterson Garden Project gardens throughout the North Side.
We found the bright, artistic video about modifying food for shipping especially compelling, and were happy to see the local nonprofit Fresh Moves, which brings produce to food deserts in a converted CTA bus, featured in a video and stand-alone display.
After a cruise through the exhibit, hit the market to stock up on early spring greens from Kinnikinnick and another regional innovator, Growing Power.