Photo by Emily Cikanek
Fresh produce is just one of many benefits of the rooftop garden Breanne Heath and Dave Vondle planted atop the Dill Pickle Food Co-op in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Hundreds of plants, ranging from tomatoes to hops, also help soak up rain – one of the only truly free resources we enjoy, but which unfortunately all too often becomes a costly nuisance when overwhelmed sewers overflow. Read the May edition of What Our Water’s Worth to learn more about how Breanne and Dave rigged up a system of rain barrels to irrigate their garden – and how their ingenuity can be replicated to help reduce stormwater runoff and flooding in communities across metropolitan Chicago.
What Our Water's Worth is an ongoing campaign led by MPC and Openlands to raise awareness about the value of water in northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. From Lake Michigan to the Fox River, how we use our water resources—including what we conserve, how much we waste, and what we choose to invest in water quality—is up to each of us. This is our water—and it's worth more than we know. Learn more at www.chicagolandh2o.org.