By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

CLEVELAND, Ohio — In many instances, new development swallows fertile farmland. But in Cleveland, small tracts of land are being overtaken by urban farmers willing to turn vacant, unwanted lots into an economic opportunity involving new jobs, beautification and fresh, local produce.

The Ohio State University’s extension in Cuyahoga County has received more than $840,000 in grants to help new farmers get started on these small tracts of land, with a special focus on training for women, minorities, refugees, immigrants and limited-resource adults with developmental disabilities.
“Here in Cleveland things continue to be on a decline as population goes, and there are roughly 10,000 homes that will eventually come down,” said Marie Barni, director of the Cuyahoga County extension office. “We’re looking at urban farming as the new type of economic development within the local economy.

“It’s a great way to redevelop the vacant land. Projects supported by the grants will address several key city issues at once, including urban blight, food deserts and unemployment.

“We have very few grocery stores in the city and this is supplemental. For a lot of these people it’s not easy finding a job, let alone one that will support a family,” she explained.

The Beginning Entrepreneurs in Agricultural Networks (BEAN) and the Urban Agriculture Innovation District (UAID) projects will turn vacant tracts into lush, productive gardens and farms. The USDA provided $740,000 for BEAN while the Ohio Department of Agriculture provided $100,000 for UAID.

“Many people in our county live without ready access to fresh produce. Infusing agriculture throughout our county provides healthy foods in our neighborhoods,” Barni said. “Perhaps most importantly, these projects target people most in need of work and economic opportunity.”

The BEAN project will work with about 35 beginning farmers annually, providing training on intensive, sustainable agriculture, direct marketing and small business development. The UAID project will support the clustering of 20 market garden sites in an emerging “Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone” as an effort to realize economies of scale for hard costs of these projects.
This includes water infrastructure, fencing, tool sheds and “hoop house” greenhouses, and the potential for cooperative marketing of produce. The training for the 35 individuals begins at the end of January.

Barni admits it’s a huge undertaking, even though partners in the project include the city of Cleveland, International Services Center, the local Community Development Corp., Cleveland Catholic Archdiocese, Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities and agencies that serve the immigrant and refugee population.

“Because of the volume we’re undertaking we’re working closely with the city of Cleveland to create an agriculture district, one with multiple parcels,” Barni said. “Right now we have some tracts that are as big as 3.5 acres, right in the heart of the city.”

According to Barni, the BEAN and UAID projects build on collaborative efforts already under way, including the Re-Imagining Cleveland Grant Program, Cleveland’s Gardening for Greenbacks, an extensive Community Gardening Program and the work of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition.