Very cool program starting to take hold in the inner city of Cleveland...

[WCGreen]

As people try to revitalize an urban wasteland...

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/07/cultivating_central_cleveland.html#modg_smoref_face

Used to be the only lettuce on the streets of Cleveland's Central neighborhood was the kind that bought trouble. But the sustainability strategy championed by Mayor Frank Jackson and embraced by grass-roots activists and well-heeled nonprofits has seeded this urban wasteland with the real green.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are taking root in a food desert.




And this one from a while back about a Friend of mine...

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/a_man_for_his_times_mansfield.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On a bright May morning in Cleveland, on a vacant lot bordered by broken concrete and shaded by abandoned homes, an improbable vineyard took root.

Muscled young men worked an auger into the freshly tilled earth, drilling lines of crop holes, as women in sun hats lowered seedlings and called for manure.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

1. This will be very cool indeed if it goes well.

They're doing the same thing here albeit on a much smaller scale.

With the past problems that Central Cleveland had, this is just the type of project that the community can get behind and help so many people in so many ways.

Fresh food will be just one of the benefits that this will produce for those involved. Community involvement and a feeling of belonging to something that benefits so many people can go a long way to improve self esteem and prove that one person can make a difference.

Thanks for posting this. I will bookmark it so that I remember to keep up to date on the project.

[SpiralHawk]

3. This sort of thing is happening all over North America

"The Millennial Agrarians profiled in The Call of the Land are leading the way to this kind of change. They represent dozens upon dozens of models that can — and need to be — emulated widely and swiftly, because they can make the difference. One vibrant node in the emerging network of 21st Century Agrarianism is the venerable and trustworthy Rodale press, in particular their online magazine New Farm. Earlier this month the magazine observed that Multiple-farm CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) bring a needed efficiency to the farmer-consumer connection."

http://thecalloftheland.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/crude-awakening-agrarian-apocalypse/

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. Wouldn't it be great if the factory farms could be marginalized by community involvement?

Thanks for the link, I only have time to scan it right now, but I added it to my favorites so that I can peruse it in detail later.

It looks as though it has a lot of good information.

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Awesomeness. Thanks to you both! :)

:hi:

[Hannah Bell]

2. ...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Those are great stories!

Thank you, Chris, for posting them.

This is the kind of energy that inner cities need in order to rise up anew. We need this energy in Los Angeles. I haven't seen it here, not yet.

Recommended.

[Tsiyu]

7. Gardening has always been a big American pastime

it's heartening to see so many people try it who have never gardened before, in places bereft of gardens.

I'm also amazed at the numbers of DUers who garden and share their produce with neighbors and community.

THIS is how we create local sustainability.

K & R

[FedUpWithIt All]

8. Gardening heals IMO. I loved this story because i truly love that city.

Thank you.

:hi:

[woo me with science]

9. Just saw a special on "Common Threads,"

a program started in 2003 or 2004 by one of the Obamas' favorite chefs, Art Smith.

The program teaches inner-city kids to cook healthy and nutritious meals using actual food from gardens and such. It would be a natural match with initiatives like this.

http://www.commonthreads.org/Pages/Home

[blm]

10. Cool news. Hey, WC, how is THK's healthcare project going in Parma? I heard Parma was one of the

cities chosen by Heinz Foundation as part of their pilot program to prove that full access to healthcare for poor and working class will result in overall savings for healthcare system. Basically, Teresa's Heinz Foundation is funding pilot programs for universal healthcare.

Parma was one of the lucky cities.

I hear one of the pilot cities, Newark, NJ, Rx program is going well.

BTW...thanks for another nice view of Cleveland.
I love the good stories.

[WCGreen]

13. I don't know right off but I will look to see if I can't find something about it

Here in the local press....

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. great topic. Going to read this.

[blondeatlast]

12. GREAT IDEA! Love it. k/r

[mdmc]

14. 1