Angelic Organics Learning Center was founded in 1998 by biodynamic farmer John Peterson and a group of Chicago-area residents. As members of the Angelic Organics farm, our founders knew first-hand how a farm could help people renew relationships with land, farmers, and community. Angelic Organics is a community-supported agriculture farm, commonly known as a CSA. Families buy a "share" of the harvest and, in return, receive weekly deliveries during the growing season. Today, more than 1,400 families in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin get their fresh produce from Angelic Organics, making it one of the largest CSA farms in the country. In 1999, the Learning Center was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization and a partner to the Angelic Organics CSA. Since then we've become a regional leader helping urban and rural people build local food systems. We transform Angelic Organics into a living classroom for hundreds of kids, adults, and families each year. Graduates of our training programs now lead dozens of new local farms. And from urban gardens to farmers' markets, we're preparing leaders in Chicago and Rockford to make positive food system changes in their communities.

Angelic Organics Learning Center empowers people to create sustainable communities of soils, plants, animals and people through educational, creative, and experiential programs. The Learning Center, a nonprofit organization, is the educational partner to Angelic Organics, a vibrant biodynamic community supported farm.

Angelic Organics Learning Center helps urban and rural people build local food systems. We offer opportunities to grow healthy food and a better quality of life, connect with farmers and the land, and learn agricultural and leadership skills. The Learning Center, a nonprofit organization, reaches more than 4,000 people each year through our programs at partner farms and urban growing sites in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Our Approach: 1. Build Partnerships: We believe that partnerships between farmers and area residents are the cornerstone of a healthy local food system. Since our founding in 1998, the Learning Center has linked diverse communities with sustainable farms and urban gardens. 2. Grow Good Food: We help people understand and adopt organic and Biodynamic farming practices. 3. Learn from Experience: We offer hands-on opportunities that engage the whole person and provide a deeper understanding of food, farming, and the environment. 4. Strengthen Community Leadership: We offer learning experiences and practical resources that prepare people to create positive change in their communities. 5. Advance Healthy Food as a Human Right: We are working for a world in which everyone has access to healthy food and a connection with farmers and the land. All of our programs reach communities with limited resources. Our Initiatives: Our Urban Initiative works with Chicago and Rockford communities to build local food systems. We develop community based projects that increase access to fresh, healthy food and improve quality of life. We offer hands-on learning at urban growing sites to increase local food production and connect urban families with the land. Our On-Farm Initiative offers hands-on learning at Angelic Organics, the community supported farm featured in the award-winning film The Real Dirt on Farmer John. We engage the body, heart, and mind to experience life on a vibrant working farm. We offer tours, skills workshops, and custom learning opportunities for individuals, families, and groups. Our Farmer Training Initiative works to train our next generation of sustainable farmers. We help urban and rural people learn directly from our region's best farmers and begin growing for market. Led by the experienced farmers from the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT), we offer business planning, on-farm training, and mentoring.