In relation with October Exhibition –
Black and Indigenous Futures
work by Akira Iyashikei, bee rodriguez and Keshia Talking Waters De Freece Lawrence
October 5 – 29, 2023
featuring guest artwork by Kathleen Spirit Dancer Mann Crippen and Janey Hecht
On View Sundays
11 A – 2 P
A leisure event with workshops on starting land relationships.
Dried flower bundling and jewelry making
Intro to natural dyes and teas and more!
Homestead products made by –
Chicago Patchwork Farms
Chicago Patchwork Farms is a vegetable farm dedicated to transforming contaminated city land into bio-diverse community space while improving accessibility of healthy food to our neighbors.
We remediate vacant land on Chicago’s south and west sides; neighborhoods that are economically deprived and environmentally distressed, providing space in the community for outdoor gatherings, native pollinator habitat, and food crops. The farm’s diverse operation produces an extensive variety of vegetables, as well as eggs, medicinal herbs, preserved foods, honey, cut flowers, and a compost drop-off program. We host a high-demand 50 member sliding scale CSA subscription, and a pay-what-you-can farm stand – with the majority of our visitors walking or biking to the farm.
Local herbalists sharing their creations from their love of land –
Freedom Fighter Herbs
I’m Peregrine (pronouns in order of preference: they/siya/she)
I am a pinxy artist and herbalist living in my birthplace, so-called Chicago; descended from mountains, ocean and raspberries, and humans whose creative inclinations led them to be teachers, entrepreneurs, caregivers, land tenders, excellent cooks and culture bearers.
My creative practice takes many forms engaging land-based relationships, collective care, and contemplation. In 2023-2024 I am illustrating the second in a series of educational coloring zines about medicinal and culinary “weeds”.
I am founder and co-steward of Freedom Fighter Herbs, a care network and food sovereignty project in Chicago.
The plants teach me so much, and I love to share local and kitchen-accessible herbal remedies in my shop, and hold spaces for collective medicine making and storytelling.
Herb Botanicals
Britni Austin is a multifaceted herbalist, community organizer, and lover of all things science and herbs.
With a background in Biological & Chemical Sciences, Britni’s passions include bridging the gap between health disparities experienced in Black and Brown communities as well as educating people on the plethora of ways herbs can be worked into your daily routine.
While herbs have always been a part of her family’s lineage, her journey with herbalism began in 2012 when she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome(PCOS). Britni began using herbs to help mediate the symptoms that came along with PCOS due to them aligning more with her lifestyle and desired to get formally trained in this field to be able to teach others about plants.
Since then, Britni has completed the Spiritual Herbalism Apprenticeship under Master Herbalist, Karen M. Rose and launched her[b]otanicals.
The name her[b]otanicals was inspired from the founder’s love for science and passion for herbal medicine and the desire to bridge the gap between the two. In 2020, we began what we did not know at the time was the start of our first line, reclamation.
her[b]otanicals centralizes bioregional herbalism practices where we encourage a lense that centers land and allies that grow near you to support a sustainable impact.