It takes a lot to run a farm. Make your Thursdays that much more fun by joining in and lending a helping hand! Each week you can exercise that green thumb and watch the fruits of your work, literally! On each given Farm Night a volunteer can expect to be doing the following: pulling weeds, planting, and harvesting, turning compost, spreading mulch, and anything else that may need to be done that day.
Water will be available, but please be sure to bring a water bottle to fill up. The OK Farm also has sunscreen, gloves, and any farm/garden tools we will need. Also, be sure to wear clothes that can get dirty, closed-toe shoes, and a hat is recommended.
Thursdays from April to October. 6-8PM* at the Knockout Farm. *Weather and optimal daylight may affect these times. Questions? Reach out to our Knockout Farm Coordinator, Harlow Righetti, harlow@opportunityknocksnow.org
OUR PURPOSE ON THE FARM IS TO LEARN, GROW AND CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY WHILE WE PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY VEGETABLES TO FEED OUR ENTERPRISES AND FUEL OUR WELLNESS PROGRAMS.
The Knockout Farm was conceived in late 2015 as a way to give the Warriors a role in the local sustainable food movement by creating a ‘seed to jar’ experience with our Knockout Pickle
production. The idea was to plant, grow and harvest the key supply requirements in order to produce a locally grown and locally made pickle.
The Farm was launched in April through a land partnership with our friends at Reuse Depot and a tremendous amount of support from many others in terms of volunteer hours,
landscape/garden supplies and equipment. In a short period of time, we turned a 2,500 square foot field off Madison Street into lush, handicap-accessible urban farm.
Of course, the Warriors were in on the action every step of the way. Teams from both Life Shop and After Opps shoveled dirt, planted seeds, watered, weeded and harvested crops throughout the summer and fall. A generous donation of crushed gravel enabled us to convert muddy alleys between beds into pathways that were handicap accessible and remained usable during rainy
periods. We also created 22-bed feet of raised boxes that provided crop access to participants in wheelchairs or with limited mobility.
Our purpose on the farm is to learn, grow and connect with our community while we produce high quality vegetables to feed our enterprises and fuel our wellness programs.
Growing from seed not only gives you a much larger selection of vegetables and flowers to choose from – including unusual varieties you’re unlikely to find at a garden center – it also lets you get a jump on the growing season by starting many plants indoors. Generally speaking, annual flowers and vegetables are the easiest to grow, and their seeds germinate quickly.
Knockout Farm received its first batch of Italian, varroa mite resistant bees. We worked with the ReUse Depot to strategize placement for the 10,500 busy bees installed in May. Bees will not produce honey during the first year, however, in the following season Warriors may be able to harvest our first small jars of honey to taste and wax to experiment with value-added products for the farm such as lip balm, candles, soaps, etc.
KNOCKOUT FARM COORDINATOR
With Us Since | 2019
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN COORDINATOR
With Us Since | 2023
PROGRAM - ENTERPRISE LEADER
With Us Since | 2022
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2015
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2017
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2017
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2018
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2018
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2020
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2022
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2022
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF & FARMER
With Us Since | 2023
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2023
KNOCKOUT KITCHEN STAFF
With Us Since | 2023
Despite the struggles of the nationwide pandemic, OK has worked tirelessly to provide a safe and sanitized environment in order to keep new big ideas underway
What is Community Supported Agriculture? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a production and marketing model whereby consumers buy shares of a farm’s harvest in advance. Consumers become CSA members by paying an agreed amount at the beginning of the growing season, either in one lump sum or in installments.
By paying at the beginning of the season, CSA members share in the risk of production and relieve the farmer of much of the time needed for marketing. This allows the farmer to concentrate on good land stewardship, growing high-quality food, and most importantly growing the Warrior Mission.
Knockout Farm received its first batch of Italian, varroa mite resistant bees. We worked with the ReUse Depot to strategize placement for the 10,500 busy bees installed in May. Bees will not produce honey during the first year, however, in the following season Warriors may be able to harvest our first small jars of honey to taste and wax to experiment with value-added products for the farm such as lip balm, candles, soaps, etc.
Farm Coordinator, Aniki Coates, became a certified beekeeper under the tutelage of the Chicago Honey Co-op Training Center. Beekeeping certification covers honeybee biology and life cycle, pests and diseases, foraging habits and beekeeping equipment and techniques. Coates also joined the Cook DuPage Beekeepers Association and a local west suburbs beekeeping group, Westside Apiary eXperience (WAX Bee Group). This has aided in growing KO Farm’s knowledge base and community partners. Over time, Knockout Farm has benefited from the support of the Dominican University Beekeeping Initiative (Ellen McManus – English, Tama Weisman – Philosophy, and Scott Kreher – Biology), the River Forest Sustainability Commission, and the Manaaki Foundation. Newcomers in beekeeping support, Matthew Bachnacki and Bruce Faland, also members of WAX, have been phenomenal and detrimental to our first-year effort.