GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS PROGRAM 2015 2016 REPORT Sponsored by CoBank, AgriBank, & Farm Credit Mid-America
CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS In the summer of 2008, the City of Cleveland introduced and passed legislation which created the Gardening for Greenbacks Program that provides grants up to $3,000 to businesses, merchants, or local farmers that operate a for-profit urban garden in the City of Cleveland. In 2012, representatives from CoBank, AgriBank, and Farm Credit Mid- America, came to Cleveland to view the efforts and successes of the City s Gardening for Greenbacks Program. One of the strengths of the program is that each recipient reports annually on product sold, by weight and by dollars. The combined organizations made a pledge of $135,000 over a 5-year period to support the continued success of the Program. With their added support, Cleveland was able to increase the grant from $3,000 up to $5,000 per qualified applicant. In 2015, there were four new urban farmers and in 2016, three farmers were awarded grants at $5,000 each for a total of $30,000. Participants are required to contribute a minimum of 10% equity into their project. 2015 and 2016 Grant Recipients Recipient Location City Assistance Total Project Cost Jobs Created Maggie s Farm (2015) Eat to Live Farms (2015) North Coast Farms (2015) Mobite Products (2015) Good Earth (2016) Upcycle Farm (2016) 3164 W. 61st St. $5,500 $5,500 1 E. 82nd St. and Higbee Ave. $5,000 $6,000 1 14119 Miles Ave. $5,000 $7,200 1 2949 East 82nd St. $5,000 $5,500 1 9600 Madison Avenue, $5,000 $5,500 1 8421 Detroit Avenue., $5,000 $5,500 1 Page 2
URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS Overview There were three unique but different projects that were approved in 2014. Two of the grants went to minority-owned entrepreneurs. Endeavors that were undertaken included: production of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits; beekeeping for the production of local honey; raising of local fish; and production of fresh, local cultured mushrooms. The grant from CoBank, AgriBank and Farm Credit Mid-America helped to financially support and sponsor the Gardening for Greenbacks Program. This has allowed the City of Cleveland to continue to assist entrepreneurs in offsetting costs related to expanding or establishing urban farms while also creating job opportunities and providing fresh food throughout the community. Eat to Live Farms 2015 Grant Recipients Eat to Live Farms is a family managed, minority-owned urban farm operating on the sixacre Kinsman Farm at the corner of East 82nd St. and Higbee Avenue. Kinsman Farm acts as an incubator for small, start-up urban farmers providing a safety net as these farming entrepreneurs grow their operations. Roosevelt Robinson, Akila Muhammad and Ha na Muhammad are using this safety net as they build their farming operation. The urban farm specializes in organic produce and is marketing their fresh vegetables to seniors, local restaurants and farmers markets across the city. Eat to Live Farms was able to start their operations with the financial assistance of the City s Gardening for Greenbacks Program. The City funds helped them purchase equipment, tools, an irrigation system, fencing and other miscellaneous materials. Eat to Live has plans to expand their farm in the coming years to include a small CSA program. Their initial crops include various leafy greens, tomatoes, green beans, okra, peppers and squash but in their second year they plan to erect a cold frame to extend their growing season. In addition to their farming operation, the family has plans to hold demonstrations on how to properly prepare, juice and combine the fresh vegetables to address health concerns and promote a healthy lifestyle. Page 3
CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Maggie s Farm This female-owned urban farm started small but has steadily gained momentum. In 2010, the entire operation was housed on one city lot. Today, Maggie s Farm manages 18 lots throughout the Clark-Fulton neighborhood and sells produce to specialty shops, restaurants, and farmer s markets. As the business has grown, Maggie s Farm has increased its commitment to providing healthy, sustainable food to those in need. They are a partner in the grassroots program, Let s Grow! Summer Youth Gardening, participate in Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition s Produce Perks, and work with Cleveland Child Care to teach students about growing healthy food. In addition to working with their community, Maggie s Farm is committed to sustainable farming. They partner with local organizations (including Groundz Recycling, Tri-C, and various restaurants) to create compost from food waste that they then return to their soil. As part of the Gardening for Greenbacks grant Maggie s Farm set up a new rain capture system that will help their farm water their crops more responsibly. Maggie s Farm also installed two new high tunnels, trellises for beans, cucumbers and tomatoes, and a new fence. The Gardening for Greenbacks grant was integral to help the garden increase yields and assisted with their mission to build a healthy sustainable food system in Cleveland. Page 4
URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS Mobite Products Mobite Products is a female and minority owned small business operating an independent catering company specializing in vegan soul food and a small urban garden on the Kinsman Farm. Ella Mitcham, the sole member of Mobite Products, grew up in the Kinsman area and wants her farm to focus on producing quality ingredients for the local community. Ella has been a vegan for over 20 years and enjoys sharing her passion for healthy eating with her customers. Mobite Products delivers healthy foods through a variety of services including cooking classes, workshops and personal chefs. The City supported Mobite Products through a Gardening for Greenbacks grant to help the urban farm side of their business purchase equipment and materials for an irrigation system and vents for a hoop house. The farm was also able to purchase tools such as a rake, tiller, hoes, and pitch forks. Mobite Products sells their goods to local caterers and restaurants. They also have booths at local farmers markets where they feature different vegan and organic dishes every week. Page 5
North Coast Urban Farms CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS North Coast Urban Farms (NCUF) mission is to leave a legacy of awareness about healthy, sustainable foods and healthy eating to Cleveland s youth. Fred Hardman is making this vision a reality on two urban farms in Ward 1. His first site, the Garden Site, is used as an outdoor classroom and regularly hosts workshops for local school children. The second site acts as the business engine where produce will be sold for profit to help support the primary mission of building healthier communities through urban farming. Produce grown on the Farming Site will be marketed and sold to local restaurants and at farmers markets within the neighborhoods of Cleveland. Increased yields on the Farming Site in addition to honey and wax produced by North Coast s bees will help support the educational and outreach activities of NCUF. The City recently supported the expansion and growth of NCUF through a Gardening for Greenbacks grant. Funds will be used to assist with the construction and installation of a new fence around the property. Page 6
URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2016 Grant Recipients Good Earth Good Earth is located on the near west side at 9600 Madison Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102. This 14,000 square foot urban farm grows fruit and vegetables sold to local restaurants and at farmers markets. Owned and operated by Jeanette Toms, funding from the Gardening for Greenbacks Program will be used to expand her farming operation through the creation of a farm stand at the farm location. Toms takes pride in growing high quality, nutritious produce at affordable prices. You can visit her farm stand on Madison Avenue from 3 pm 7 pm on Thursdays yearround. Or, during the growing season (May October), catch her on Mondays from 3 7 pm or Saturdays from 12 4 pm. Page 7
The Refugee Response CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS The Refugee Response ( TRR ) is a not-for-profit organization that provides employment and valuable job and life skills training to refugees with an existing agrarian background through its Refugee Empowerment Agricultural Program ( REAP ). In 2016, TRR received two grants, one for the Ohio City Farm and the other for a new partnership with Urban Community School. Both projects serve TRR s mission to empower refugees to become self-sufficient and contributing members of their new communities. Urban Community School Partnership In July 2014, TRR launched a new partnership with Urban Community School (UCS) where UCS established learning and commercial gardens on school property that The Refugee Response manages. This partnership provides for curricular connections with the children at the Urban Community School, along with gainful opportunities for REAP trainees for new skills training and responsibilities. The $5,000 Gardening for Greenbacks grant will be used to acquire a BCS machine a piece of walk-behind farm equipment. Farm operations are currently dependent on the use of hand tools, which limits overall productivity. The new machine will help the urban farm increase yields and assist with the mission to building a healthy sustainable food system in Cleveland. Ohio City Farm Since 2011, TRR has subleased 1.5 acres at the Ohio City Farm; in 2016, they increased their plot size to 2.25 acres. As a refugee job training and placement program, TRR s REAP program creates new jobs in Cleveland s local economy by leveraging an existing skill set of the refugee community. Program trainees are refugees who have all resettled in the United States within the last 5 years or less and participate in the program for approximately 1-3 years. They are paid a livable wage to work on the farm and attend ESL training and educational seminars throughout the year. The produce cultivated at the farm is sold at an on-site retail stand staffed by refugee trainees, purchased by a host of local restaurants and institutions, distributed weekly to 130 CSA members, donated to Hunger Centers and made available to the trainees families. Page 8
Upcycle Farms URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS Another urban pioneer has claimed a vacant lot with plans to transform it into a gorgeous, productive garden. UpCycle Farm is owned by Mariah Hayden and is located at 8421 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102. She has rallied community members and friends to help convert the vacant parcel into a home for her chickens and fresh vegetables. Hayden completed the Market Gardener training program in 2015 and applied for funding from the Gardening for Greenbacks Program to help expand farm production and improve farm conditions through landscaping. Produce and eggs are sold through a CSA program and also at local farm markets, including the Battery Park Farmers Market. Page 9
CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Collaborations and Partnerships Many collaborations have been forming between local retail businesses and Gardening for Greenbacks recipients, which are creating opportunities for new sales and growth. MetroHealth Medical Center s Farm Stand In June 2016, MetroHealth Medical Center joined the community of Cleveland hospitals offering more than just quality medical care by opening their first Farm Stand. Operated, staffed, managed, and sourced by an outside vendor, MetroHealth sought out a partner to help supply healthy food to the approximately 4,000 patients and employees that step foot on the main campus on a daily basis. Open three-days a week, the Farm Stand increases access to healthy foods for many people living in the food deserts of Cleveland. A small minority-owned business, Healthy Living Kitchen, operated the market through September. Certified holistic personal chef, Yolanda Ramos, and certified holistic health coach, Rhonda Sharpley managed the Farm Stand offering live cooking demonstrations and free recipes for the fresh produce offered. They were also responsible for sourcing the local fruits and vegetables; 60 percent of which are grown in the Greater Cleveland area, and all of which are raised without pesticides or GMO additives. One of their local farms includes Maggie s Farm, one of the City s Gardening for Greenbacks grant recipients. The Farm Stand was started as a 12-week pilot program and was funded by a 2015 Think Tank competition managed by MetroHealth employees. Next year, MetroHealth is looking to partner with Max S. Hayes High School s senior construction students to build a permanent physical structure for the Farm Stand. Page 10
URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Jamel Rahkeera in the News Local West is a proposed sandwich and beer bistro which is taking the place of a former fast food restaurant. The bistro will feature craft sandwiches with local ingredients. Jon Mavrakis, the owner of the bistro, will purchase produce from Gardening for Greenbacks recipients. The bistro s name, Local West, pays homage to the fact that the business located on the west side of Cleveland, will use locally harvested and made products including meats and cheeses. The bistro opened February 2015 and will be a partner in supporting urban farming in the City of Cleveland. Platform Beer Company & Cleveland Brew Shop Paul Benner, a 2013 Gardening for Greenbacks recipient, opened a brewery with business partner and real estate developer Justin Carson. The brewery is a purchaser of hops that were grown as part of the Gardening for Greenbacks grant. As the yield increases, the hops will also be sold in the Cleveland Brew Shop, which recently relocated to a storefront across the street from the Platform Brewhouse. These two businesses along with The Grocery, are clustered within a few blocks of each other, are helping to rebuild a neighborhood and support local urban agriculture. It is fitting that these business are in the Ohio City Neighborhood which bills itself as Cleveland s artisanal neighborhood. Page 11
CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Market Gardener Training Program The Market Gardener Training Program is offered by the Ohio State University Extension located in Cuyahoga County. The twelve week program provides a foundation in urban agriculture and small business development while preparing participants to start their own enterprises growing produce and other agricultural products for market. Participants who complete the program can receive the following benefits: Issuance of an OSU Certificate of Completion; Eligibility to apply for a plot on the Kinsman Farm; Eligibility to apply for a Gardening for Greenbacks grant from the City of Cleveland. In this training, participants will gain a strong foundation in urban agriculture, soils, nutrients, crop selection, food safety, small business development, writing a business plan, market research, farmers markets, restaurants, community supported agriculture, and direct marketing. Since starting the program 8 years ago, 215 participants have graduated. Those graduates have gone on to start 57 market gardens with fruit and vegetable production and 35 individuals have started other urban agriculture enterprises. Additionally, 22 new markets for produce have been established, including new farmers markets, farm stands, restaurants and CSA s (Community Supported Agriculture). Page 12
URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Topping national lists Cleveland was listed as one of the top 10 cities in the country for urban farming. Inhabitat.com ranked the city at number 4 due to our.. http://www.cleveland.com/cooking/index.ssf/2016/01/ cleveland_on_top_urban_farm_li.html http://ocj.com/2016/07/high-tunnels-bringing-hope-to-urban-cleveland/ Sharing our local flavor with the RNC Downtown Cleveland s urban farm received plenty of attention during the RNC. Having pigs, chickens and bees right outside the media center made an impression on national reporters and illustrated the City s support of the local food movement. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/04/ why_are_there_chickens_outside.html http://abcnews.go.com/politics/touring-urban-farm-convention-center-cleveland-rnc/ story?id=40666931 http://fusion.net/story/327865/cleveland-republican-convention-refugees-makingamerica-great-again/ Site, summary, etc http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/ohio-city-farm-tacklesunique-challenge-of-drought-on-an-urban-farm Page 13
CITY OF CLEVELAND GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Locations of Urban Gardens Funded in 2013-2015 Benefits of Local Food // Directory of local markets?? Buying locally-grown foods is healthier, more environmentally friendly, and more economically beneficial than buying imported foods. When grown locally, the crops are picked at their peak of ripeness versus being harvested early in order to be shipped and distributed to your local retail store. Locally grown food has a shorter time between harvest and the table and it is less likely the nutrient value has decreased. The money that is spent with local farmers and growers stays, is recycled and reinvested within the community. Local Food Cleveland (LFC) is a great resource that has assisted with connecting farmers to buyers of local foods. The community can experience the many benefits from buying locally grown foods. LFC provides a list of restaurants that are interested in purchasing local produce, as well as community boards for market gardeners, chicken/bee keepers, and aquaponic farmers to discuss best practices and support each other in their business endeavors. Page 14
URBAN AGRICULTURE GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Gardening For Greenbacks Program Report 2015 Recipients Type Pounds of Produce Value of Produce Grown Maggie s Farm Produce 2,570 $15,557 Eat to Live Farms Produce 365 $471 North Coast Farms Produce 91 $705 Mobite Products Produce 221 $998 TOTAL 3,026 $17,731 Gardening for Greenbacks Data Report The table (listed above) details the amount of produce grown and the value of goods sold by the recipients of the Gardening for Greenbacks Program who have received a grant in 2015. The requirement to report the amounts of produce grown and sold is essential. This information is not only useful for the City s purposes, but it can also prove to be a source of data for other interested parties and community leaders. The table (listed below) provides the totals for grant recipients in 2014. The totals contain data for 2015 and 2015 where applicable. The Gardening for Greenbacks Program in 2014 and 2015 has assisted urban farmers with producing 5,806 pounds of local foods representing a value $25,363. Recipients Previous Grantees Type Pounds of Produce Value of Produce Grown Kai s Kultured Mushrooms (2014 & 2015) Mushrooms 420 $1,890 Jamel Rahkeera (2014 & 2015) Produce 1,543 $2,956 Harvest in Christ (2014 & 2015) Produce 817 $2,786 TOTAL 2,780 $7,632 Page 15
GARDENING FOR GREENBACKS 2015 Contacts OSU Extension Amanda Osborne Community Development Educator, OSU Extension 216.429.8200 x 212 osborne.414@osu.edu Website: www.cuyahoga.osu.edu City of Cleveland Department of Economic Development Contacts Website Tracey Nichols Director, Department of Economic Development 216-664-3611 tnichols2@city.cleveland.oh.us Kevin Schmotzer Executive Small Business Development 216-664-3720 kschmotzer@city.cleveland.oh.us Anthony Stella Project Coordinator 216-664-4363 astella@city.cleveland.oh.us Stephanie Phillibert Administrative Officer 216-664-3627 sphillibert@city.cleveland.oh.us Susan Vincent Project Intern Assistant 216-664-3684 svincent@city.cleveland.oh.us www.rethinkcleveland.org