City Farm sells produce to high-end restaurants, runs a CSA program, has a market stand (7 June to 11 October), trains homeless folks in agriculture, will help you convert one of Chicago’s 11,000 abandoned lots into a garden, sells (among other things) Power Ranger cards, printer paper by the inch (thick), bubble wrap: http://cityfarmchicago.org/
The Experimental Station in Woodlawn runs a bike co-op, community garden, community buying club, lots more: http://www.experimentalstation.org
(do you know of a buying club in the Burns Park area?)
Shopping bags are simply different here. In nearly all supermarkets, you are expected to bring your own. Simple plastic bags cost about €0.09; cloth bags are usually sold for €1.50 or so. The plastic bags aren’t our flimsy Kroger versions; they’re more like the sturdy plastic totes you’d get from the Library. And there certainly isn’t anyone waiting to bag your foodstuffs for you. The odd thing, though, is the lack of paper bags. I’ve only seen them at department stores. Shopping carts also require a deposit, usually between €0.50 and 2.00.
And this isn’t a problem at all, because grocery shopping trips aren’t expected to fill more than two totes. It seems that most people walk or take mass transit to their grocery store (citation required!). Most all neighborhoods have one within short walking distance; I have 2 + a produce store and 3 bakeries within 5 minutes. This means grocieries are bought when they’re needed. I like this system.
