map of Chicago from 1910, via Forgotten Chicago We are pretty obsessed with urban studies over here, whether it involves reading up on the history of Beverly for a new meadery project or finding out about native plant species in Illinois. We thought we’d share some of our favorite Chicago-centric blogs with you, especially those that […]
Environment
July Garden Update:
We’ve had a wonderful summer so far in our Byron loft garden. We’ll keep it short here and just encourage you to look at the gorgeous gallery of photos below, taken by our resident permaculturist and photographer, moss Co-Founder Laura.
Our first CSA of the year from Peasant's Plot
One more reason to anticipate the sweet, ever too brief, arrival of a Chicago summer is the start of CSAs in earnest: weekly batches of organic vegetables delivered to your house or farmers market, all set aside for you and ready to yield to creative culinary magic. Our CSA is Peasant’s Plot, run by former […]
An Open Letter to Alderman Pawar: We're a Lakeview Business and We Support the Ashland BRT
Dear Alderman Pawar, I write this with the support of my colleagues of the 47th Ward Green Council. As a business owner and resident of Lakeview, I pledge my full support to the construction of the Ashland Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. My studio is located three blocks from Ashland, a street I typically avoid when biking or […]
June Garden Update: native plants and summer strawberries
Our second garden update of the season takes place at the moss office garden, awash with plants native to Illinois and thus requiring little water or maintenance. Two patches out front are filled with native hummingbird and butterfly attracting plants, most of which are from the University of Illinois Extension.
May Garden Update: little urban gardens in Chicago
For the first garden update of the Spring, I’ll be posting just a few pictures of what’s happening in my backyard. Our next update will feature the plant life in our office/home garden here at moss, with lots of native species goodness.
Your Kitchen is Good for Your Health
Kitchens are not just holding pens for packaged food-like stuffs, but should be places for us to enjoy the company of family and friends and engage with the act of preparing and eating real food. In a New York Times Op-Ed, KidsHealth.org founder Neil Izenberg worries about the merging of his newly remodeled kitchen with […]
Veg Out Chicago: restaurants, recipes and cooking
image source: http://www.adashofcinnamon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/heirloom-tomatoesS.jpg April 22-28 is Veg Week, where people are invited to take a vegetarian challenge and eschew meat for seven days. We wanted to take this opportunity to talk about some great places to get vegetarian and vegan meals in the city, as well as share some recipes. As a former vegetarian, I also […]
How to start an urban garden in Chicago: a round-up
After the threat of winter frosts are well and truly behind us (anyday now), it is time to begin Spring planting, then eagerly anticipating blooms and produce throughout the summer. Participating in the local food movement via an edible garden of your own is a great way to enjoy organic, non-GMO crops, have fun experiencing the rainbow of […]
A Look into the Architectural Process: Wild Blossom Meadery
Our new project, Wild Blossom, will be Chicago’s first meadery. Believed to be the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage, mead is a drink made by fermenting honey with yeast. Read more about mead at Wild Blossom’s website and then engage with this great interactive display on how mead travels from bee to bottle at Maine Mead Works. […]
Local Illinois Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is soon and we can already feel the city slowing down, preparing to curl up for a gloriously languid nap – after partaking in the iconic meal of course. Thanksgiving is a treasured American holiday, we suspect because it involves two things everyone can agree on: the benefits of a heartfelt “thanks” and the […]
moss' Parklet in Inhabitat
Our parklet is featured in Inhabitat! See the article here. Check out our project progress report here from just last week.