The Market Ready Training program is an opportunity for agricultural producers and entrepreneurs to learn more about reaching new markets, improving profitability, and developing better relationships with buyers.  Led by experts at The Ohio State University and ACEnet with panels of local producers, buyers, and practitioners, this training will help food producers and food businesses better prepare for both retail and wholesale markets.

Market Ready Workshop

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 from 9:00 – 4:30 pm

Mustard Seed Market and Café

3885 West Market Street in Akron

Cost: $75 per person and $25 for each additional person from the same business.  Breakfast and lunch provided.

Registration:  Contact Julie Moose at moose.14@osu.edu or by phone at 740.289.2071 ext.223

Program details can be found at: http://directmarketing.osu.edu/content/marketready.htm

This workshop is presented in partnership with the following; ACEnet, Center for Integrated Food Technology, Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition, Countryside Conservancy, Growhio, Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association, Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association, Ohio Proud, The Ohio State University, and the Ohio Wine Association.

Saturday’s Plain Dealer Editorial states “ Cleveland is growing, and what it grows should gain it more attention.  The oft-maligned buckle of the rust belt is becoming a green belt, as weed-spiked wastelands are turned into verdant community gardens.

U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, describes the transformation as “one of Cleveland’s best kept secrets.”

The city ranks second in the nation, after Minneapolis, in “local food and agriculture,” according to a 2008 SustainLane study.

And that was before the cataclysmic foreclosure crisis and subsequent bumper crop of vacant lots spurred Cleveland activists to create even more foodie ventures.

Local nonprofit Neighborhood Progress Inc. led the way in re-imagining Cleveland’s shift from cratered, garbage-strewn lots into sustainable civic investments and from inner-city food deserts into urban oases of grapevines, bean trellises and native plantings. Their innovative blueprint just won the 2012 American Planning Association’s National Planning Excellence Award for Innovation in Sustaining Places.

The city is going country — 215 community gardens, 36 for-profit farms, and growing. The benefits are economic (job creation) and life-changing (cheap, healthy, nutritious alternatives to the frozen, processed, deep-fried, sugared staples).

And it doesn’t just involve community development groups working in partnership with the city and other collaborators but also individuals with fertile imaginations — such as the dirt-loving do-gooders known as the Rid-All Green Partnership.

Three childhood friends — a corporate executive, a mechanical engineer and an independent businessman — returned to their old Cleveland neighborhood and shared their success by seeding a former illegal dump at East 81st Street and Otter Avenue with a gift that keeps on giving: hope.

Also, corn, collard greens, kale, four greenhouses with nearly 7,000 square feet of space to grow fresh organic produce and — the most amazing part — a tilapia fish farm.

They’ve reached out to kids with a street-flavored comic book series that features superheroes fighting environmental evil-doers. The comics are a hit. They’ve become the basis for a play that premiered Saturday at Karamu House.

The trio received a $100,000 grant Wednesday from the Walmart Foundation. They’ll use the money to expand their vision — building more greenhouses and a farmer’s market, while hiring three employees.

Beyond their other successes in life, Randell McShepard, Keymah Durden and Damien Forshe are now philanthropic agents of change who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

As neighborhoods blossom, the city will bloom, and the foreclosure crisis will have served a purpose unimaginable.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/01/urban_farm_among_three_groups.html

Tuesday January 17^th, 2012

7:30-8:30pm

Cleveland Heights Lee Road Library

Meeting Room A

2345 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights OH

**Refreshments provided**

 Guest Speaker: Nick Swetye, City Fresh

RSVP here

Right now, our country’s food system is broken. A few large companies, like Cargill and Monsanto, control every part of our food system, risking public health, driving out small and mid-sized farmers, and hurting the environment.

The good news is that we can make our food system work better for small farmers and our communities, and give consumers access to safer, more sustainable food.

This winter, Senator Brown has the opportunity to level the playing field for small farmers through the Farm Bill. Senator Brown is on the Agricultural Committee and we need to show him that Ohioans want him to stand up for small farmers, and local, sustainable food.

RSVP and come to the Fair Farm Bill Campaign Kickoff Meeting to learn how you can help! All are welcome– bring your friends!

The deadline to apply is Friday, January 20, 2012.  Please see full job description at:

http://www.yndc.org/news-media/yndc-seeks-candidates-farm-managersite-coordinator-position

To apply please submit a cover letter and resume to ibeniston@yndc.org. For more information or questions, please contact Ian Beniston, YNDC Deputy Director via email at ibeniston@yndc.org [1]. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE! Thanks!

Also, worth noting is that at least three of the winners won because of their commitment to local food and environmental issues – this is a great sign that we are truly becoming a Green City on a Blue Lake.

Check out Mike and the others by following this link:

http://clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Article+Archives&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=6A2F0F2742C540E1934E2CF95CB02C44&exe=Y

Starting next week and through the month of January we are accepting your 2012 plant buy order forms for the 2012 growing season. Please include payment with orders.

Download PDF of the order form here: http://reimaginingcleveland.org/files/2011/12/2012-plant-buy.pdf

Above link not working for you? You may need an update. Download Adobe Reader here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Please Note: I will be on vacation from January 5th -11th. I will gladly answer any questions before or after those dates; however if you need immediate assistance during  the 5th-11th, please contact Lilah Zautner (LZautner@npi-cle.org).

Plant orders are expected to come in around the end of May. Please keep that in mind when ordering cold season crops (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, etc.).

Thank you!

Christa Ebert | Sustainability Fellow

216.453.1448 | cebert@npi-cle.org

Cleveland State University’s Campbell-Steinbacher Fellowship

Neighborhood Progress | Investing in city life.

1956 West 25th Street, Suite 200 | Cleveland, Ohio 44113

You can also read the Plain Dealer’s related article here: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/the_rot_of_decomposing_housing.html

Tell us what you think!

Click here to read more about this exciting project!

Please follow the link for the full press release of this exciting news!!!

“The new Reimagining Cleveland sustainability vision aims to reinvest in dense urban neighborhoods, build “catalytic infrastructure,” and turn vacant, abandoned lots into green open space, commercial and residential farms, even vineyards.” …

“To “water our food deserts” and provide healthier food alternatives, Cleveland has totally revamped its codes on urban agriculture. Vineyards, orchards, and bee hives are now acceptable, along with small-scale and large, commercial urban farms. One 6-acre site is farmed by refugees, while a 26-acre “urban agriculture innovation zone” is in the works with USDA and local universities acting as key partners. One 5-acre indoor, worker-owned cooperative greenhouse will be put up in a low-income neighboorhood in an effort to create green jobs. Farmer’s markets are sprouting up everywhere.”

Read the rest of the article Here:

http://dirt.asla.org/2011/10/27/cleveland-gets-serious-about-fixing-its-problems/

Thanks for looking!

Reimagining Cleveland & Neighborhood Progress Inc. (NPI) are giving you the opportunity to purchase plants collectively & receive bulk rates from AJ Boyert Greenhouse for the 2012 growing season.  Attached is a detailed 2 page pdf order form (The link will take you to a website to download the program, Adobe Reader). If you need me to send you another format or a physical copy, please contact me and I will gladly send one.

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE ORDER FORM HERE: 2012 plant buy

After hearing extremely positive reviews of AJ Boyert’s plants we decided to stay with the family owned farm and organize a group buy for next year.  Last year, flats were purchased with Reimagining grant money. Funding is not available this year; however we are giving you & your neighbors the opportunity to buy collectively to receive discounted rates. Plants are available for $7.50 a flat, each flat contains 12 plants. The plant list was created in partnership with the local vendor and a handful of helpful grantees.

Again this is a co-op buy: everyone putting their funds together, getting a discounted price & one central pick up location. You will be notified of the pickup location in the spring (somewhere centrally located in Cleveland). Please fill out & turn in the order form with complete contact information, your desired plants & full payment between January 1st & 31st, 2012. If you need a receipt for grant reporting purposes, let us know and we will gladly provide one.

This is open to all who are interested! If you are a member of a community garden, please feel free to share an order form & buy together! Not sure what to do with 12 plants? Find someone to split the flat with you & buy with a buddy.  It would be greatly appreciated if you pair your orders & payments when possible. One check per group is preferred.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I am in the office Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Christa Ebert
Sustainability Fellow
Cleveland State University’s Campbell-Steinbacher Fellowship
Re-Imagining Cleveland
Neighborhood Progress Inc.
1956 W. 25th Street. Suite 200
Cleveland, Ohio  44113
Phone: 216-453-1448
cebert@npi-cle.org

The Urban Farm Business Plan Handbook  provides a framework for any organization or community interested in developing an urban farm on cleaned brownfields or vacant sites to help address neighborhood blight, food access, or community development challenges.  The handbook provides guidance on how to assemble marketing, operating, and financial strategies to communicate your urban farm project to potential partners and funders.  Questionnaires related to each section as well as financial spreadsheets are also included in this toolkit.

Brownfields and Urban Agriculture: Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices presents a process and set of recommendations for developing agricultural reuse projects on sites with an environmental history. Potential gardeners, state environmental agencies and regulators can use this process to determine how to address the risks inherent to redeveloping brownfields for agricultural reuses while being protective of human health. This document can be used as an interim guideline until research can provide more definitive standards and policies for agricultural reuse on these sites. Although the guide was developed in the Midwest, it may be used to benefit tribes and communities throughout the country wishing to utilize urban agriculture on brownfield sites and vacant properties.

We encourage you to read, use, and share these reports and supplemental materials found on the OBLR Urban Agriculture webpage at: www.epa.gov/brownfields/urbanag.

Also, remember to navigate over to the Resources page of ReimaginingCleveland.org to access other publications and resources regarding urban agriculture!

Presents

“Foods For Life” Cooking Class Series 2011

Please  join Chef Ahmeet and take your taste buds on a journey, trying new and exciting vegan recipes from distant lands. The healthy cooking classes are inspired by Chef Ahmeet’s new book “Mother Earth’s Cuisine” Vegetarian Recipes From Around The World.

This cooking class series will encourage everyone, from the health conscious hippy to the meat and potatoes man, to try new and fun recipes that not only look good, but taste great as well! Please join Chef Ahmeet for this eight week series of great cooking, good socializing, and weekly raffles.  All classes are free and open to the public so come out and bring a friend.

Where: Langston Hughes Branch Library

When: Every Thursday beginning August 25, 2011

Time: 5:45 – 6:45 p.m.

Admission : Free and open to the public!

For more information please contact Chef Ahmeet at (216) 231-4119 or email heretolive7@hotmail.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES flyers 09-12-11

The better question may be to ask, “Why exactly do we like seeing farms in urban settings and what does it contribute?”

It’s a great thing to be able to have a slice of pastoral splendor right next to the hustle of an urban milieu. The ability to juxtapose the two scenes is endlessly interesting and it works to illustrate the connection rural and urban areas have always had-even if we have traditionally thought of them as separate spheres.

Seeing an urban garden behind Riverview Towers communicates openness to mixed-uses and coincidently openness to a variety of entrepreneurial spirits. It tells a story of a city that has overcome legalities to allow for what were once thought of as incompatible sectors to mesh and collaborate. And most importantly, it portrays an urban economy that is diverse with business, industrial and agricultural markets in one fell swoop.

Cleveland is not the only city to recognize these draws to urban agriculture.Read how Detroit, Philadelphia and Seattle have incorporated agriculture into their changing city scape and decide if it is the task of an urban farm to save a city…and of course consider along the way what it has done for Cleveland.

Read the article here.

Access the full article here.

Join us for a FREE workshop on Proposal Writing Basics provided by the Cleveland Foundation Center!

Who: Open to all. Reimagining Cleveland participants are strongly encouraged to attend!

What: For those new to proposal writing, this class will cover:

• How the proposal fits into the overall grant seeking process
• What to include in a standard proposal to a foundation?
• Tips for making each section of your proposal stronger
• What funders expect to see in your proposal and attachments
• Tips for communicating with funders during the grant process
• Additional resources on proposal writing, including sample proposals
• Basic budgeting techniques

When: July 19^th from 6:00pm-8:00pm

Where: The Foundation Center Cleveland, 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1600. Classroom.

PLEASE SEND RSVPs BY JULY 11^TH to Erika Meschkat (216)830-2770 or eem@neighborhoodprogress.org

Spring Planting and Clean-Up Day
Come alone or gather friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family to lend a hand at a garden near you.

12:30 pm – Picnic Lunch will be provided
1 pm to 4 pm – planting, painting, etc
Event will be held Rain or Shine

Register today to be part of a City-wide volunteer blitz. Volunteers will be teamed up and assigned to ReImagining Garden sites across the City. Please bring garden gloves and your own garden tools if possible.
No experience is necessary— All are Welcome!

Register today!  Call or email Stephen Love at Neighborhood Progress (216) 830-2770 ext. 223 or sml@neighborhoodprogress.org
Please register no later than Memorial Day—Monday, May 30th, 2011
ReImagining Cleveland June 4th Garden Volunteer Day Flyer

Who: This workshop will be free and open to the public. Re-imagining Cleveland program participants strongly encouraged to attend.

When: Thursday, May 26^th from 6:00 pm to 8:00pm

Where: Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization 6516 Detroit Avenue

*Workshop will be held downstairs of the arcade in the Community Room, parking available in back of building off of W.65^th in the Gordon Square Arts District. Signs will point you through the central arcade to the downstairs room!

RSVP REQUIRED seating is limited: contact Erika Meschkat at 216-830-2770 X243 or email eem@neighborhoodprogress.org

“Target Area Planning: Strategies, Stakeholders and Steps to Implementation”

Please join us for THE LAST Learn Over Lunch series. The events is free, parking is free and there will be plenty of time for discussion!

This series is perfect for new staff, students, interns or anyone new to Cleveland or the Community Development industry interested in community planning, urban design, place making, neighborhood stabilization and sustainable land reuse.

Join us next week, Wednesday May 18th at Slavic Village Development from 1130am-130pm for a presentation and discussion with:

Wayne Mortensen-- Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow at Neighborhood Progress Inc.

James Downing- Development Officer at the City of Cleveland’s Department of Community Development.

Please spread the word about this opportunity and have a great weekend! – Stephen Love

-RSVP to Stephen Love (sml@neighborhoodprogress.org) for the May 18^th Learn Over Lunch! – Please see the flyer below or attached to this email for more details!

*Lunch will be provided*

*Also view the Resources page of the ReImagining Cleveland website to see additional materials from previous Learn Over Lunch sessions!

“Neighborhood Stabilization-Strategies to Prevent Blight and Abandonment Part II”

Back by popular demand, please join us for another upcoming Learn Over Lunch series on neighborhood stabilization strategies! The events is free, parking is free and there will be plenty of time for discussion!

This series is perfect for new staff, students, interns or anyone new to Cleveland or the Community Development industry interested in neighborhood housing, foreclosure prevention, property acquisition, data management, program funding requirements and partnerships.

Join us next week, Wednesday May 11th at Slavic Village Development from 1130am-130pm for a presentation and discussion with:

Justin Fleming Program Associate-Neighborhood Progress Inc.

Matt Velotta-Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People

April Hirsch-Research Assistant, MSASS

Please spread the word about this opportunity and have a great weekend! – Stephen Love

-RSVP to Stephen Love (sml@neighborhoodprogress.org) for the May 11^th Learn Over Lunch! –

View the flyer for more information-Learn Over Lunch May 11th Stabilization Flyer

*Lunch and refreshments will be provided*.

*Also view the Resources page of the ReImagining Cleveland website to see additional materials from all previous Learn Over Lunch sessions!

“Sustainable Land Reuse-Urban Farming and Reimagining Cleveland”

Please join us for this upcoming Learn Over Lunch series. The events is free, parking is free and there will be plenty of time for discussion!

This series is perfect for new staff, students, interns or anyone new to Cleveland or the Community Development industry interested in sustainable land reuse, Reimagining Cleveland, urban farming, planning and policy

Join us next week, Wednesday May 4th at Slavic Village Development from 1130am-130pm for a presentation and discussion with:

Lilah Zautner– Sustainability Manager at Neighborhood Progress Inc.

Morgan Taggart– Program Specialist at OSU Extension

Robert Brown– Director of the City of Cleveland Planning Commission

Please spread the word about this opportunity and have a great day! – Stephen Love

-RSVP to Stephen Love (sml@neighborhoodprogress.org) for the May 4^th Learn Over Lunch!

. *Lunch will be provided*.

See the flyer below for more details:

Learn Over Lunch May 4th Sustainable Land Session Flyer_5_4_2011

*Also view the Resources page of the ReImagining Cleveland website to see additional materials from previous Learn Over Lunch sessions!

http://www.communitiestakeroot.com/

CDCs and the emerging shrinking city movement

Rhizosphere Event Flyer

“Taking Urban Agriculture to Market: A Market Garden Training Session”

Morgan Taggart of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Food Policy Coalition and Kristen Trolio of Tremont West Development Corporation will cover topics pertinent to taking Cleveland urban agriculture to market, including:

• City urban agricultural zoning
• The general framework for starting a farm stand and/or getting involved in a farmers market
• When to open a farmers market, join an existing one or sell on-site as a single producer/seller
• A comparison of farm stands v. farmers markets
• Local public permitting and state registration- Permits and licenses for farmers markets and on-site sales
• A briefing on accepting food stamp/assistance programs (WIC, Ohio Direction Card) at your selling site

Who: This workshop will be free and open to the public. Re-imagining Cleveland program participants strongly encouraged to attend.

When: Thursday, April 7^th from 6:00 pm to 8:00pm

Where: Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, 6516 Detroit Ave, in the downstairs meeting room

*Parking along Detroit Road and in the lot behind The Capital Theater off of W. 65^th St

RSVP REQUIRED seating is limited: contact Erika Meschkat at 216-830-2770 X243 or email eem@neighborhoodprogress.org

Save the Date….

Ohio State University Extension presents:

“Love Your Soil”

Healthy soil is the key to healthy plants. In this workshop you will learn basic soil science, soil test interpretation, and sustainable soil management practices.

Who: This workshop will be free and open to the public

When: Saturday, April 16^th from 10:00am to 12:00pm

Where: Ithaca Court Community Garden, across from 550 Ithaca Court, Cleveland 44102

RSVP Required: contact Michelle at 216-429-8224 or email key.46@cfaes.osu.edu

Visit the OSU Extension site at http://cuyahoga.osu.edu/events/love-your-soil

“From Farm to Table Vegetable Symposium”

Get ready for the growing season by attending Garden to Table our annual spring seminar sponsored by Master Gardeners of Cuyahoga County. Learn the techniques and brush up on the latest vegetable gardening information.

Who: Registered participants. Registration fee $32.00 ($37.00 after 4/15/11)

When: Saturday, April 30^th from 9:30am to 3:00pm

Where: Cuyahoga Valley National Park-Happy Days Lodge, 500 W. Streetsboro Road (Route 303), Peninsula 44264

To register access registration form online at http://cuyahoga.osu.edu/events/from-farm-to-table-spring-seminar or contact Greg Cada at 216-429-3148

While critics in urban planning  argue that “de-densification” and the embracing of smart decline is an acceptance of defeat in the growth of our cities, members of the community development industry are focusing in on growth outside of the physical “bricks and mortar” paradigm.

Read the original article here.

Beautiful and healthy lawns, landscapes, playing fields and public spaces do not need to rely on toxic pesticides and herbicides.

Address issues of adopting safe and affordable natural turf care, organic turf methods for homes and public spaces, integrated pest management, and the broader implications of pesticide reduction to human and ecosystem health.

• Barry Zucker, Executive Director, Beyond Pesticides Ohio
• Chip Osborne, CEO of Osborne Organics and nationally known horticulturist and trainer
• Alec McClennan, President, Good Nature Lawn Care
• Andrew Pratt, Grounds Manager, Cleveland Botanical Garden

·  Cynthia Druckenbrod, Director of Horticulture, Cleveland Botanical Garden

3.5 Professional development continuing education hours available through the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education SystemT.

1 Point for accreditation available for Certified Grounds Managers (CGM) and Certified Grounds Technicians (CGTs) through the Certified Grounds Management Society.

(Other professional development opportunities may also be available. All professionals intending to receive continuing education credits should present their affiliation information upon registration to receive proper credential for their attendance.)

Parking and light morning refreshments included.

Location: Cleveland Botanical Garden 11030 East Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44106

Barry Zucker, Executive Director, Beyond Pesticides Ohio

Barry discusses why reducing our dependence on lawn chemicals benefits

the health of people, pets and the ecosystem.

Chip Osborne, President, Osborne Organics

A Systems Approach to Natural Turf Management:  We do not have to rely on toxic chemicals to have healthy and beautiful landscapes. Chip, a nationally know horticulturist from Marblehead, MA , developed A Systems Approach to Natural Turf ManagementT, and will give a broad overview as well as very specific tools on how to construct and implement natural lawn and landscape practices including organic weed and pest control. Chip has assisted homeowners, businesses, schools, parks, and municipalities across the nation in transitioning to natural and affordable organic methods and he will share these models with greater Clevelanders.

Alec McClennan, President of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care

How Organic is your Lawn Care Provider?

Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, Alec will provide specific questions to ask to determine if the materials or company you use are genuinely organic. He will demonstrate that going organic can actually save you money.

Andrew Pratt, Grounds Manager, Cleveland Botanical Garden

IPM at the Garden: Learn from our grounds manager how we use Integrated Pest Management at the Garden to maintain healthy plants, reduce costs and harmful runoff.

Cynthia Druckenbrod, Director of Horticulture, Cleveland Botanical Garden

Good Bugs Bad Bugs: Determining which bugs to remove and which ones to leave alone doesn’t have to be difficult. A nationally know entomologist, Cynthia will discuss the most common insects you’ll encounter in our ares and how to tell the good from the bad.

Friday, April 29

8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Fee: $25/member; $35/nonmember

Please register in advance on line or by calling 216-721-1600 x 100

www.cbgarden.org/Events/LawnsLandscapeswithoutchemicals.html

Rid–All Green Partnership invites Will Allen, CEO, Growing Power to Visit Cleveland – March 18-19, 2011

Will Allen is the CEO of Growing Power, a national not-for-profit organization supporting the development of community food systems.  He has over 50 years of experience in farming, marketing and distributing food, and is known as an innovator and creator of food systems.

 On Friday, March 18^th, Mr. Allen will give a keynote lecture at 7:00 pm. at Case Western Reserve University’s Ford Auditorium, located in the Allen Memorial Medical Library (corner of Euclid Ave. and Adelbert). The lecture will be followed by Q&A and a meet and greet reception.  Admission is $35.

On Saturday, March 19^th, Mr. Allen will lead a workshop on aquaponics & vermiculture from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.  The location of the workshop will be the Rid-All Green Partnership/Growing Power Regional Outreach Training Center located at 8129 Otter Road (Off East 81^st and Kinsman Road) in Cleveland, Ohio.  The price of the workshop will be $75 per person and will include lunch.  Combined tickets for the keynote on Friday and the workshop on Saturday are available for $100. Please call (330) 273-8877 to register or for more information.

Fertile Ground For Ideas

ReimaginingIdeasToAction_ResourceBook

Also please join us this Thursday, February 17th from 4pm-7:30 pm for the Re-imagining Cleveland Vacant Land Reuse Forum and Photo Exhibition at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs.  Learn from community members who have actually created gardens, orchards, vineyards and farms on vacant land.  The forum is free and open to the public.  Registration can be found at http://urban.csuohio.edu/forum/events/register/02_17_11_register.html.

Check out their website for more information:http://www.tunnelvisionhoops.com/

By Melinda Fulmer of MSN Real Estate

Across the river from Cleveland’s shrinking downtown, a thriving business has sprouted in a gritty neighborhood few expected to bloom.

Called Ohio City Farm, it’s filled with dozens of varieties of heirloom fruit and vegetables to supply local restaurants, the community and, soon, Cleveland’s historic West Side Market, a hub for gourmet food.

In years past, this industrial city probably wouldn’t have embraced such a back-to-basics business as beets and beans. But after decades of heavy job and population losses — and a particularly rough ride in the foreclosure crisis — this six-acre urban farm on a former public housing tract has become symbolic of the many imaginative ways a shrinking city can reinvent itself when heavy industry leaves.

“I think urban farms like this one will reposition the way people think about Cleveland,” says Eric Wobser, the site’s manager, after giving a tour to another interested local restaurant owner. “The local food movement has really caught on fire here.”

After years of chasing smokestacks, many cities with a greatly reduced population and a huge supply of vacant properties — including Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Buffalo — are through with waiting for the next corporate savior. They’re trying to figure out ways to better use those properties to improve their landscape, ease the burden on city services and better their chances of keeping and attracting residents.

Planners in Cleveland emphasize that they’re not giving up on growth, even though the city of 431,000 has about half the population it did in the 1950s. They’re just not betting everything on it.

Link to full article here.

As ReImagining a More Sustainable Cleveland continues to grow, a movement toward sustainable land reuse is being formed. ReImagining is transforming from an idea, study and pilot projects to a social movement characterized by diversity and driven by innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship and stewardship. The 2019 Working Group on Vacant Land looks forward to supporting this movement through increased community engagement, capacity building and promotional activities.

To learn more about the ReImagining Cleveland pilot projects please explore this site. Make sure to listen to the Oral Histories. The stories are truly inspiring

http://reimaginingcleveland.org/more/oral-histories/

To learn more about the upcoming Sustainable Cleveland 2019 Summit follow this link

http://www.gcbl.org/2019/summit-2010

To learn more about ReImagining a More Sustainable Cleveland 1.0 and 2.0 visit the GreenCityBlueLake website.

http://www.gcbl.org/reimagining

To download a printable version of the ReImagining Cleveland Vacant Land Study and Pattern Book visit the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative website

http://www.cudc.kent.edu/shrink/landlab.html

(From Channelise – see below for link.)

In July I traveled to Cleveland to conduct a workshop on design and branding in community development at the GLUE (Great Lakes Urban Exchange) conference. GLUE’s Sarah Szurpicki is spearheading a rust belt renaissance by connecting people who want to revitalize post industrial cities. GLUE collaborated with ReImagining Cleveland, a group of organizations implementing solutions for vacant land and strategies for sustainable land reuse, to develop innovative ideas to re-imagine a more sustainable Cleveland. The conference functioned as a weekend think tank to iterate project ideas about putting vacant land to socially and environmentally responsible use.

The conference was kicked off by Reimagining Cleveland’s Bobbi Reichtell of Neighborhood Progress and Terry Schwarz of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative. They reported that Cleveland is adding an astonishing 100 to 150 acres of vacant land each year. This poses a major problem, decreasing property values and the overall quality of life for residents. In an effort to find the best solutions, ReImagining Cleveland is running 56 projects on a total of 120 land lots. These organizations and communities have set out to solve the immense problem of shrinking budgets but growing land.

Cleveland has been defined as a post industrial city, overwhelmed with social and environmental problems—especially since the subprime mortgage crisis—and it’s struggling to lift itself up in the best way possible. I was inspired by the creative revival taking over the city; I met many young entrepreneurs working to realize their version of a new Cleveland. A low cost of living makes their ideas much more realistic than they would be here in New York. At the conference I met many young Clevelanders who’ve recently moved back home to recreate their lives and the city together.

There are so many projects with the ability to scale up and pose as good models for other urban communities, but here are a few particularly notable ones:

We visited Urban Growth Farms in the west side of Cleveland and spoke with Peter McDermott & Virginia Houston. Urban Growth is a team of young farmers who believe in good food, good cities, and good soil. They created a small urban market garden that sells to a variety of local farmers markets. They plan to expand their lot next year as vacant land pops up nearby. They working to find the sweet spot of profitability, ecological sustainability, and community health.

The Cleveland Colectivo is a member group of Clevelanders that invests in community by collective giving. To be a voting member and part of choosing which projects to support they ask for a donation of $400 dollars annually. They dole out small grants for neighborhood projects from $500 to $5,000 dollars. One of their grantees is Larchmont PorchFest where over 20 neighborhood porches transform into stages for music performances.

Passport Project is an arts education center that provides educational experiences to support communities and encourage mutual respect in culturally diverse places. A community arts center holds art classes and music and dance performances from all around the world.

Zerolandfill (a project of BeeDance) The organization up-cycles materials used by the creative community, like fabric, tiles, and rubber flooring samples to develop community jobs projects and classroom art initiatives.

From a recent blog. For the complete link, see:  http://channelisenyc.com/uncategorized/re-imagining-post-industrial-cities/