Who: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, Southside Blooms, Chicago Eco House, and South East Chicago Commission

What: Washington Park Flower Farm Grand Opening

Where: 5211 S. Prairie St., Chicago, IL

When: 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 26

Speakers:

• Quilen Blackwell, President, Southside Blooms
• Alderman Pat Dowell, 3rd Ward
• President Kari K. Steele, President of the Board of Commissioners, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
• Kimberly Neely Du Buclet, Board of Commissioners, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
• Ghian Foreman, President and CEO, Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative
• Diane Burnham, Executive Director, South East Chicago Commission
• Yaacov Delaney, Program Coordinator, Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative, Office of Lt. Governor of Illinois
• Michael D. Woods, Division Manager, Illinois Department of Agriculture

A new solar powered flower farm enhanced with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) EQ Compost will be unveiled at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 26 at 5211 S. Prairie St., Chicago.

Earlier this summer, the MWRD delivered 278 tons (21 truckloads) of compost to enhance the soil. Flowers are grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers and are sold to the public with every purchase directly contributing to job creation for at-risk youth and young adults in some of Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods.

Southside Blooms is a project of Chicago Eco House, a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission of using sustainability to alleviate poverty. 

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