Permaculture Garden At Naper Settlement Gets Boost From $21K Grant

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naper Settlement's permaculture garden project recently got a boost from DuPage Foundation with a grant of $21,000.

The permaculture garden is set to open in 2025 and will grow beans, corn and squash and other native plants that were grown in Illinois by indigenous groups. Naper Settlement plans to use the garden as an opportunity to prompt research and education related to environmental sustainability.

The produce grown in the permaculture garden will be donated to food banks throughout the area.

“Thank you to the DuPage Foundation for their continued support of Naper Settlement and the permaculture garden project. It is an important addition to telling Naperville’s agricultural history and will engage students and visitors alike with hands-on learning that will have a lasting impact on how we understand our local environment and sustainability,” Rena Tamayo-Calabrese, president and CEO of Naper Settlement, said in a statement.

Naper Settlement was one of 56 local organizations that received grants totaling more than $580,000 from DuPage Foundation at the end of 2024.