The Urban Canopy is pioneering the local food cycle to create a more sustainable and equitable food system in Chicago. They are growers, distributors, composters and community members who seek to positively impact our city’s environment, people’s health, and local economy. They strive to make healthy produce accessible to all, reduce the miles fresh food travels, keep food waste out of landfills, and create and maintain local jobs.

To achieve this, they structure our business into seven Branches: Compost Club, Indoor Farm, Outdoor Farm, Local Unified CSA (LUCSA), Farmers Markets, non-local Distribution and Processing. These branches each work in their own way to change the way our food is grown, distributed, and wasted.

312 Aquaponics is a Chicago company developing indoor, vertical farming systems for schools, restaurants, and corporate offices.

This market exemplifies economic sustainability in that vendors sell used items to buyers. Families come to buy the inexpensive merchandise which ranges from CDs to clothing to hardware.

The building is 1/3rd vertical farm, 1/3rd research and education and 1/3rd business.

This is a tenant of The Plant. Alex has created an extensive edible rooftop garden using many reused materials that grows food for local CSAs and farmers markets.