Farmer Spotlight: How Green Acres Farm Grows 12 Varieties of Greens Year-Round

Marcus Green started Green Acres Farm in 2018 with 1,200 square feet of raised beds on a formerly vacant lot in Chicago's South Side. Today, the operation spans three lots totaling nearly half an acre, employs six full-time workers, and produces 12 varieties of certified organic greens year-round — including rare varieties like Osaka purple mustard, mizuna, and bronze fennel fronds.

"People kept telling me the season was too short," Marcus told us, perched on a crate in his propagation greenhouse. "But I never believed that. With the right infrastructure — row covers, high tunnels, soil prep — you can grow beautiful food in Chicago 11 months of the year." His hoop houses, which he built himself over three winters, extend the growing season dramatically, keeping soil temperatures 15–20°F above ambient air in February and March.

Green Acres Farm was one of Community FarmTable's founding farm partners when we launched in 2024. Marcus describes the partnership as transformative. "Before, I was spending 8–10 hours a week on logistics — deliveries, invoicing, pickups. Now I just grow. The FarmTable platform handles the rest, and my harvest goes directly to families in neighborhoods I care about." Today, Green Acres supplies produce to over 200 CSA subscribers across North Lawndale, Humboldt Park, and Pilsen.