Nena Ramirez, founder of Chicago Vegan Test Kitchen—a vegan pop-up in Chicago—is launching a weekly vegan farmers market called Vegan Paradise at The Plant (a research and production facility comprising a collaborative community of small food businesses). The market will take place every Sunday from 11am to 5pm starting August 2nd and goes until September 6th.
CVTK events having been postponed, Nena told VegOutChicago,”I had toyed with the idea of a virtual market, but that still didn’t seem like the right move that would support the vendors financially. I’ve always wanted to bring CVTK outdoors and when the opportunity arose with The Plant, I jumped on it. I needed a place that would be safe, while offering the same vibe that CVTK brings to the community.”
The Plant— the venue for Vegan Paradise—is located in the Chicago Stock Yards of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Nena expressed,“My hope is that the market will bring accessibility to veganism in an area of Chicago where you wouldn’t typically find it. I’m excited to be hosting this market in Back of the Yards considering it’s notorious history as the infamous Chicago Stock Yards of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. The book was so influential it sparked a vegetarian movement, so my hope is that this market will spark change in the way folks approach food as a whole. I feel it’s important to recognize the cruel conditions that animals and more importantly humans face in food production overall. Chicago Vegan Test Kitchen has always taken an intersectional approach towards veganism and we want to show people that being plant based isn’t something for affluent folks.”
The farmers market is free to attend and you can catch Ste Martaen, Libby’s, Vegan Street Food (a VegOut favorite), Cheeze & Thank You, and more. Nena plans to bring back Chicago Vegan Test Kitchen’s in its original format once it’s safe to gather in large groups indoors. Follow their social media for updates.
