Mozart Community Garden

Mozart Community Garden is a neighbor-run garden in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL – the result of concerned neighbors coming together to reduce violence in the area, creating a safe and inviting space.

The history of Mozart Community Garden is a story all too familiar to Chicago residents.  Once a playground, it fell into disuse, attracting graffiti, loitering, drug dealing and gun violence.  In the summer of 2012, 13 shootings occurred in the immediate vicinity.  Humboldt Park – one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago – remains plagued by distrust and division.  Our community organized to counter the violence and intimidation with positivity and creativity.  We began the garden as an exercise in community.  Anyone – from any background – can learn to grow food!

Members pay a yearly fee for a box to plant in. They participate in work days to maintain the garden, keep the vicinity clean, maintain compost and remove snow from the sidewalks. Mozart Community Garden helps encourage local residents to participate in growing food and flowers, helping to beautify the neighborhood while sharing knowledge about urban gardening.  We offer opportunities for children to learn about gardening and hope to eventually offer art classes in the garden. We have leased our corner plot (at Mozart and Walton) from the Chicago Housing Authority with help from Neighbor Space and Open Lands.

Other future plans to support the community include: construction of a watershed and pergola, kids craft classes, cookouts, and informational sessions on topics including nutrition and composting. We will continue to raise funds via garage sales, raffles, and other events for the continued maintenance of the garden.