Giving back to the community

In 2014, a few years after the Rid-All Green Partnership was formed in a part of Cleveland known as “The Forgotten Triangle,” we had the chance to stop by and see what it was all about. More than a simple community garden, the partnership was formed to create an urban farm that would nourish and educate the people living in the surrounding area, and help them to live healthier lives. You can see our initial coverage here.

I had the opportunity to visit the urban farm in June 2017 with a few colleagues, and was impressed with the progress that the folks at Rid-All had made over the past three and a half years since the last time the Produce Grower staff stopped by. The drive to the farm winds you through a few rundown areas of Cleveland, but once you arrive, the feel is completely different. The farm, along with the recently renovated city park across the street, exudes peace and is a literal breath of fresh air. Where a makeshift dump site used to be, there are mounds of fresh wood chips, ready to be used to detoxify the soil; compost piles about to be turned into nutrient-rich soil and sold; and clear, clean paths where there once were stacks of tires, debris and even dead bodies. Fruit trees and perennials surround the farm’s hoophouses, where the organization is producing everything from tilapia to root vegetables to tomatoes and herbs. You could almost forget that you’re in the city, save for when the rapid transit line train rumbles by the property every so often. It’s a whole new world in the former “Forgotten Triangle,” now known as an “Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone.” Learn more about how the Rid-All Green Partnership has transformed both itself and the area around it, starting here.

Also keep an eye out for a 2019 documentary about Rid-All entitled “Soil Brothers.” Wasted Talent Media, a Northeast Ohio-based media production company, is producing this film. GIE Media, Produce Grower’s parent company, is proud to be a production partner. You can find out more at soilbrothersfilm.com

We’re also debuting a new Urban Agriculture series this month. Each article is written by members of the Resource Management in Commercial Greenhouse Production Multistate Research Project team, a veritable who’s who of horticulture researchers. This month, Celina Gómez and Rosa Raudales get back to basics about urban agriculture starting here.

kvarga@gie.net | (216) 393-0290

Twitter: @Karen_GIE