CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADI0) -- Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood is sprouting a new urban garden Saturday.
It's part of a community development initiative called "Paradise Garden - Food is Medicine Project."
"We took an entire block that was all boarded up," said Developer Kurt Cargle.
"We worked to transform it into a model to better serve the community of Woodlawn."
The initiative has been revitalizing the 600 block of east 67th Street. The initiative has helped start a wellness center, a laundromat, an education center, and a restaurant on the block.
The restaurant will now serve farm-to-table, with produce grown from the urban farm, which was developed through a $37,000 donation from Aetna Better Health of Illinois.
“At Aetna, we invest in urban farms who provide locally grown produce to communities with less access to grocery stores and produce markets," said Rushil Desai, CEO, Aetna Better Health of Illinois.
"Additionally, these farms provide employment training opportunities for people to work on the farm and develop valuable job skills.”
Cargle said he hopes the project inspires other neighborhoods to take action.
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