009: A chat with Angela Taylor.

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Angela's heaven here on earth.

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Have you ever noticed how ivy grows?  Or any vine?  It shoots and spurts and curves.  I relate to this mode of travel.  And living!  I recently attended Connecting Chicago Community Gardeners' 2nd Annual Gathering at Navy Pier.  I went with my friend, Matthew Stephens, who introduced me to lots of wonderful people there... one of whom, was Sam Taylor... who is the husband of a force of nature -- Angela Taylor.

Angela agreed to have me over for a visit, and recorded conversation.  She is a person of interest for many inspiring reasons.  Below are links to where she and her work have been featured in the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune.  And you can even see a video of then Mayor-Elect Rahm Emanuel lending a helping hand in the Fulton Street Flower + Vegetable Garden that is adjacent to her Garfield Park home.

We talk inside the large and sprout-filled greenhouse that is just besides a healthy bee-hive that gave 10 pounds of honey in its first year, and we're also very near a chicken coop that's been giving about 6 or 7 eggs a day.

This is another field interview, so you will hear a mixture of sounds that come with a progressive urban garden:  crowing chickens, singing birds, and the rumbling green line 'el train rolling by every few moments.

Like Angela, the sound-backdrop is very real and genuine.  Fiery faith and fresh food is what she's serving up.  Prepare to be inspired, as you hear how she closed out a successful career of service, and moved into the calling of her life.

Relevant and/or mentioned resources in this episode:

• Chicago Sun-Times' article, "What started as one Garfield Park garden blooms into so much more." (August 17, 2013)
• Chicago Tribune's article, "Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden." (May 14, 2011)
• Christy Webber Landscapes
  
• Millennium Park's Cloud Gate, also known as "The Bean"

Next week... Permaculture Principle #3:  Obtain a yield.

What did you take-away from listening to Angela?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

A few of the eight chickens you hear crowing in the background during our interview.

At 10:30 see (then Mayor-Elect) Rahm Emanuel lend a helping hand in the Fulton Street Flower + Vegetable Garden that is adjacent to the Taylors' home.