Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:This project was designed to focuson theserve the southwest quadrant of Springfield, Ohio, an area marked by acute food insecurity. The area, which contains an identified Opportunity Zone, includes five Census Tracts (Clark County 2.00, 9.02, 10.00, 11.01, 11.02) with an average poverty rate of 30.3%, above the city's rate of 24.3% and more than double the Ohio rate of 13.9%. Two elementary schools, Fulton and Perrin Woods, serve this area. The Springfield City School District reports the low-income percentage of those schools to be 83% and 71%, respectively. Changes/Problems:Major Changes and Obstacles The COVID-19 pandemic was the primary obstacle during the first year, severely impacting all aspects of the project. The pandemic hindered in-person programming and delayed access to the house, which in turn affected our ability to offer on-site programming and utilize the garden effectively. The lack of access to essential facilities like water, bathrooms, and shelter further restricted our ability to invite the public, and advertising the site was postponed to protect the privacy of the house's residents. Despite these challenges, we made progress on developing our website, which is nearing launch. Additional obstacles included a disruption in funding for Opportunity for Change (OIC), which prevented them from building chicken tractors as planned. We hope to resume this work in the coming year. The shift to virtual education presented both opportunities and limitations, as it taught us new skills but restricted our ability to offer hands-on instruction and in-person cooking classes. During the pandemic, we reduced our farm stands from two to one to adhere to safety protocols but managed to re-expand in the summer. Ongoing challenges include: - The discontinuation of grant-funded afterschool programs at target elementary schools, which were a key entry point for collaborative efforts. - Difficulty engaging community volunteers for labor-intensive tasks such as gardening, carpentry, and fencing. - Challenges in consistently disseminating information to community members with limited or no internet access, including those who use only prepaid phones or choose not to use electronic sources. Unexpected staffing changes at Agraria also led to delays in work at Melrose Acres. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided??The project provided a wide range of educational and professional development opportunities to the community, focusing on gardening, food preservation, and nutrition. Key highlights include: - Greenhouse and Gardening Education: Weekly seed-starting sessions in the greenhouse taught participants about botany, seasonal plant care, and season extension techniques. An average of six people attended each week, with participants harvesting winter greens and gaining hands-on experience in plant care. - Porch Garden Project: Volunteers assisted in distributing container gardens to over 90 south side residents, learning about plant care and community engagement. This project was coordinated with two other nonprofit groups, involving 21 volunteers. - Food Preservation Classes: A five-week series covered canning, fermenting, pickling, freezing, and jam making. Held at a neighborhood church, these hands-on sessions were attended by eight people on average. Surveys indicated that 100% of participants learned something new, with 88% likely to apply the knowledge. - Zoom Into Gardening: A monthly virtual gardening program in partnership with the local library focused on seasonal gardening topics and cultural history through interviews with African American residents. About 10 people attended each session. - Food Films Series: A three-month virtual series highlighted the connections between food quality and health, followed by discussions. Each session attracted an average of six participants. - Collaborations with CSUE and School of Innovation: The project included nutrition education, diabetes awareness classes, and hands-on food preparation sessions, benefiting both community members and students. - Regenerative Farmer Fellowship Program: Two neighborhood women participated in a 25-week program, gaining skills in sustainable farming practices, greenhouse management, and business development. This program emphasized education for underserved groups. - Summer Internships and Youth Programs: Interns and students in the Summer Youth Employment program gained exposure to gardening, social justice issues, and light construction skills, such as building a chicken tractor. - School Engagement: Garden Science kits were provided to Fulton Elementary's afterschool garden club, engaging students in hands-on activities like transplanting and observing garden ecosystems. These opportunities not only enhanced participants' knowledge and skills but also fostered community involvement and supported the project's goals of increasing access to locally grown food. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Summary of Publicity Efforts This year's publicity for the Melrose Acres project faced challenges due to the need to respect the privacy of previous residents and the impact of the pandemic. Key points include: - Restricted Publicity: Efforts to publicize the project were limited initially due to the delayed relocation of previous residents, which lasted until mid-October 2021. - Spontaneous Opportunities: The project was featured in the Clark County Library's "Springing Up" series on YouTube, and updates were included in the Zoom Into Gardening videos on the library's Facebook page. - Media Coverage: The project received attention from local media, including an interview broadcasted on WYSO 91.3 FM and features in the Agraria Journal. Agraria has also supported the project with additional funding and regional partnerships. - Personal Communication: Direct interactions with community groups, church groups, and nonprofits helped share information personally, though more slowly. - Digital Presence: A Facebook page and website for Melrose Acres are under development and have been used for updates. The project also utilized the School of Innovation Community Learning Center's communication channels. - Community Engagement: Participation in events like the Southeast Neighborhood Association meeting and the Healthy Eating, Active Living event helped increase community contacts. Overall, the project has leveraged both digital and personal communication methods to raise awareness and engage with the community despite initial limitations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Project Summary: Final Report on the Springfield, Ohio Community Food Production and Education Center Goal 1: Build community resilience and control of food production assets through acquiring and developing property for food production, education, and distribution. Objective 1.1: Acquisition and Development of the Site - Property Acquisition: Successfully purchased a 7.46-acre parcel and adjoining house in April 2021. Central State University Extension (CSUE) assisted in planning the site layout for food production and community engagement. - Initial Challenges: Use of the house was delayed until November 2021 due to difficulties in relocating residents, worsened by the pandemic's impact on housing. Despite delays, garden beds were reclaimed, vegetable production for neighborhood stands started, and two orchard plots were initiated. Objective 1.2: Increase Vegetable and Fruit Production - Vegetable Production: By the end of the third year, vegetable/flower garden covered 0.52 acres. - Orchards and Raspberries: Two orchard plots were developed, contributing 0.33 acres. A separate area for raspberries covered 0.21 acres. Objective 1.3: Construction of Infrastructure and Community Engagement - Chicken Tractors and Hoop House: Initial plans were delayed by funding and pandemic issues. Students from The Dome designed and built the first chicken tractor, with chickens installed, producing eggs. Hoop house construction, begun in the second year, was near completion by the third year. - House Renovation: Significant renovations funded by Kettering Family Philanthropies included repairs and creating a separate apartment for a resident caretaker, now overseeing property maintenance and community programming. - Site Development: Total production space increased to 1.16 acres. Bee hives and robotic moisture sensing equipment were added to enhance pollination and irrigation. Goal 2: Create a learning community focused on broad-based agricultural literacy. Objective 2.1: Develop Sustainable Farming Practices - Educational Programs: Virtual and in-person programs, including "Zoom Into Gardening," had a 92% positive response rate. These programs provided practical knowledge on sustainable farming. - Internship Program: Wittenberg University interns contributed to site development and learned about sustainable agriculture, integrating social justice and community farming. - Regenerative Farming Fellowship: Two local women participated, gaining skills in sustainable farming, soil health, and business development. Objective 2.2: Animal Husbandry and Bee-Keeping - Chicken and Bee Programs: Activities included building chicken tractors and installing bee hives. Participants gained practical skills in animal care and beekeeping. - Youth Engagement: The Summer Youth Employment program and Fulton Elementary School's garden club introduced young participants to animal husbandry and gardening. Objective 2.3: Cooking, Food Preservation, and Agri-Business Development - Workshops: Offered classes in cooking and food preservation, including canning, fermenting, and freezing. Participants averaged 7 per session, learning practical food safety and nutrition skills. - Food Film Series: The Melrose Food Film series, in collaboration with the library, discussed food systems and sustainability, using films like "Dirt: The Movie." - Partnerships: Collaborations with Upward Bound and community events broadened outreach and provided pre-college experiences in farming. Overall Learning Community Development - Holistic Approach: The project connected soil health to human health and agri-business through hands-on experiences and educational workshops. - Expansion of Opportunities: Partnerships with local institutions enhanced educational offerings, including virtual classes, on-site workshops, and community events. Goal 3: Increase Accessibility to Locally Grown Food Objective: Increase accessibility through various methods and points of access. - Preparation and Infrastructure: Developed logistics for transportation, storage, and distribution. Farm stands resumed, with plans for an additional stand near Melrose Acres. - Community Engagement and Partnerships: Formed a Food and Farm Advisory Group, renamed the project "Melrose Acres," and initiated sub-teams for disabilities, house oversight, and business incubation. - Educational and Volunteer Opportunities: Collaborated with Springfield City Schools and supported a resident caretaker. Volunteers engaged in greenhouse work, seed starting, and produced over 200 flats of seedlings. - Farm Stand Operations: Operated three stands for 12 weeks, distributing about 7,800 pounds of produce. Work shares provided free produce in exchange for labor. - Funding and Support: Secured additional funding for house repairs and a golf cart for visitor mobility. This summary reflects the project's progress, emphasizing achievements in site development, educational programs, community engagement, and food accessibility.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Melrose Acres (formerly McCain Acres) serves the southwest quadrant of Springfield, Ohio, an area marked by historical food apartheid. The area, which contains an identified Opportunity Zone, includes five Census Tracts (Clark County 2.00, 9.02, 10.00, 11.01, 11.02) with an average poverty rate of 30.3%, above the city's rate of 24.3% and more than double the Ohio rate of 13.9%. Two elementary schools, Fulton and Perrin Woods, serve this area. The Springfield City School District reports the low-income percentage of those schools to be 83% and 71%, respectively. Changes/Problems:Unexpected staffing changes at Agraria resulted in delayed work at Melrose Acres. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Food Film series focused on higher level food system information and touched on larger cultural issues about soil, connecting with food quality, and associated environmental impacts. The films were offered for free virtual viewing through the library, and a virtual discussion group was held for each film. Film clips were offered with related discussion questions, guided by a community volunteer and a librarian. CSUE agricultural division implemented the first year of a 3-year beginning farmer program that takes students through the basics of botany, garden planning, composting, varieties and growing methods for all seasons, business planning and marketing considerations. Agraria's Regenerative Farmer Fellowship session in February 2023, held in collaboration with Springfield Ohio Urban Plantfolk/Melrose staff, focused on season extension with hands-on learning in the greenhouse and with smaller season extension structures in the garden. Approximately 10 people were in attendance. CSUE again held food and nutrition classes, hosted at the Springfield school district's School of Innovation. Seven weekly sessions allowed 7-8 high school students to engage in hands on, age-appropriate, food-based activities. Information was provided in a manner that matches the realities of students' lives as they relate to availability of food, utensil use, methods of cooking and preparation, recipes, and nutritional benefits. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Agraria published articles about Melrose Acres in its publication, Agraria Journal and featured it during presentations and on its social media sites. Agraria has also sought and received additional funding for the development of Melrose Acres and identified Melrose Acres as a key partnership project in discussions with regional partners about efforts to strengthen the regional food system. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Further development of the Melrose Acres site • Expanded partnership with CSUE Continued provision of education to the community • Potential continuation and expansion of education programs •Continued support of underserved and BIPOC farmer programs, providing space, tools, plants and seed • Continued collaboration with regional partners on training and educational programming • Continued inclusion of residents in the production of seedlings in the greenhouse • Initiation of classes centered around basic information about bees and chickens and their care, for participants who care for them on site, or choose to have them at their home • Exploration of ag business opportunities for residents and potential business incubation support for them as needed Expanded food access for the community •Exploration of local food system to increase availability of local food within the community and provide income to small farmers • Begin planning and set up for vegetable box program • Continue to offer work shares for work done on site in the garden, at the neighborhood farm stands, and at the greenhouse
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Melrose Acres Urban Agriculture Center is designed to bring multifaceted opportunities to grow, eat, purchase and learn about fresh food to the south side of Springfield, an area marked by food apartheid. Around 50% of residents in these neighborhoods live below the poverty line. The focus of the project remains on food access, nutrition education, and food production. The center continues to identify needs and provide programming that matches the needs, resources, experience level and knowledge base of the community while serving as a food system partner in Agraria's work as a bioregional learningcenter focused on regeneration of the Miami Valley. The work accomplished this past year has built upon the activities of year one and two. Our first objective included the acquisition and development of the site. We gained access to the house in November 2021. A grant from Kettering Family Philanthropies provided funds to renovate the house for educational programming and to house a resident caretaker. Work included major infrastructure repairs and upgrades.Volunteers and staff cleaned and painted all rooms, made minor repairs, and secured furniture and appliances. The house has a separate two-bedroom apartment for a resident caretaker, shared kitchen, laundry and office space, and 3 rooms dedicated to community programming. A resident caretaker has moved into the apartment with responsibility for regular upkeep of the property, including chicken care, trash, cleaning, and light gardening. Site development progressed as well. The 60' x 60' beginning farmer plot for Central State University Extension's (CSUE) FasTrack program was plowed and cultivated for use by CSUE's first beginning farmer class and improved. A growing space was plowed and planted with raspberries for a Central State project. Continued work was done on the orchards,and construction of a hoop house began as part of a three-part workshop given on site by Dayton Urban Grown.Production space totals on the site: raspberry plot, .21 acre; beginning farmer plot, .08 acre; orchard #1, .19 acre; orchard #2, .14 acre; vegetable/flower garden, .52 acre; hoop house, .02 acre. Our second objective was focused on creating a learning community to support agricultural literacy. In year one and two Melrose's Food Film series, done in collaboration with the public library, included: Dirt: The Movie, What the Health, and Kiss the Ground. Sessions were done virtually and included discussions with 5-6 participants in each. Exploratory meetings were held with the Partners for the Environment Food Team but they have not yet resulted in programming or collaboration. A 3-hour workshop in conjunction with Agraria's Regenerative Farmer Fellowship (RFF) program, held in February at Melrose Acres and SOUP's greenhouse, focused on season extension. A new collaboration with the Upward Bound program, held in the summer at Wittenberg University, provides students who are disadvantaged a residential pre-college experience. Students participated in two sessions that presented both small urban organic production methods alongside the issues encountered in larger mid-size rural farms. Harvesting from the Melrose garden and cooking on site completed the experience. The Summer Youth Employment was again able to use the Melrose Acres site and the greenhouse for employment and learning opportunities. These activities ran for two six-week sessions and employed 2-3 students with a mentor. A volunteer with disabilities, in supported living in the community, also came to work at the Melrose site and at one of the farm stands for six weeks this summer. CSUE again provided food and nutrition classes at the School of Innovation, a high school level project-based learning environment in the south side of the city. This dovetails well with a teacher at the school whose class is engaged in food system and agricultural issues and whose activities are also community based. Other smaller events that enhanced our contacts within the community included sharing information about Melrose Acres at the Southeast Neighborhood Association and participating in the Healthy Eating, Active Living event that was hosted by the Community Health Foundation. Collaboration with a local potter, who interned at Melrose Acres during the first year, resulted in a combined art and food class. Over the course of 3 sessions, 12 participants were guided through creating their own casserole dish and then filling it with a summer squash casserole that was baked on site and taken home to share with their families. Summer food preservation classes focused on canning, dehydrating, freezing, fermentation, and jam production, with an average of 7 participants in each of 5 weekly classes. The after-school garden club at Fulton Elementary was able to use materials provided by Melrose Acres and visited Melrose Acres for a field trip. Seven students were able to explore the garden, hold young chickens, and plant grow bags with vegetable plants to take home and tend there. Our third objective was focused on increasing the accessibility of fresh food within the target area. In year two, work in the greenhouse engaged 6-7 volunteers inseed starting and transplanting work. Over 200 flats of seedlings were produced for SOUP and Melrose projects, as well as for other regional and local programs that did not have resources to do the same. Volunteers were also able to start seedlings for their home gardens and take home winter greens grown in the greenhouse. Porch Garden Project was held in early June in collaboration with 2 other nonprofit groups. South side families were able to request and receive up to 5 grow bags, each planted with a vegetable seedling. Approximately 130 families were served with small, mobile vegetable "porch gardens" free of charge complete with growing instructions. Weekly neighborhood farm stands were continued this past year, running for 12 weeks, June through September. A third farmstand was opened last summer in partnership with Gammon House, a local Black history site that contains a restored home that was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The farm stands were staffed by 4 women, and part time by the volunteer with developmental disabilities. An estimated 7800# of produce was distributed through the 3 neighborhood farmstands. The practice of work shares has continued with volunteers at the SOUP greenhouse, the Melrose garden, the farm stands and Porch Garden Project. Work shares have been in the form of winter greens, summer vegetables from the farm stands, and seedlings from the greenhouse. Approximately 7 greenhouse volunteers, 4 farm stand workers, 3 garden workers, and 12 Porch Garden volunteers received free shares in exchange for their engagement.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Melrose Acres (formerly McCain Acres) serves the southwest quadrant of Springfield, Ohio, an area marked by historical food apartheid. The area, which contains an identified Opportunity Zone, includes five Census Tracts (Clark County 2.00, 9.02, 10.00, 11.01, 11.02) with an average poverty rate of 30.3%, above the city's rate of 24.3% and more than double the Ohio rate of 13.9%. Two elementary schools, Fulton and Perrin Woods, serve this area. The Springfield City School District reports the low-income percentage of those schools to be 83% and 71%, respectively. Changes/Problems:Problems that are persistent for our program implementation are: Discontinuation of grant funded afterschool programs in our target elementary schools. These programs provide a point of entry for our collaborative efforts, as it doesn't require interruption of the instructional day for students. Engagement of community volunteers for labor intensive portions of the work, including gardening, carpentry, and fencing. Reliable and consistent dissemination of information to the community with special consideration to those who do not have consistent internet access, who only use prepaid cell phones, who use cell phones only for internet and email access, and those who choose to not use electronic sources at all. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Food Film series focused on higher level food system information and touched on larger cultural issues about soil, connecting with food quality, and associated environmental impacts. The films were offered for free virtual viewing through the library, and a virtual discussion group was held for each film. Film clips were offered with related discussion questions, guided by a community volunteer and a librarian. An average of 5 people attended each session. These events did not appear to attract many residents that were in our target area. CSUE agricultural division implemented the first year of a 3-year beginning farmer program that takes students through the basics of botany, garden planning, composting, varieties and growing methods for all seasons, business planning and marketing considerations. This is supplemented with hands-on experiences at the Melrose and greenhouse sites. Five students are in the process of completing their first year in this program. Agraria's Regenerative Farmer Fellowship session in February 2022, held in collaboration with Springfield Ohio Urban Plantfolk/Melrose staff, focused on season extension with hands-on learning in the greenhouse and with smaller season extension structures in the garden. Approximately 10 people were in attendance. The Upward Bound program, hosted at Melrose Acres and a rural produce farm, was held in two sessions. The first session engaged participants in harvesting basil from the garden and making pesto at Melrose Acres. Information was shared about organic gardening practices and basic botany, as well as preparation and cooking practices. The second session was held at a mid-size rural produce farm to highlight some of the issues relevant to larger scale production. CSUE again held food and nutrition classes, hosted at the Springfield school district's School of Innovation. Seven weekly sessions allowed 7-8 high school students to engage in hands on, age-appropriate, food-based activities. Information was provided in a manner that matches the realities of students' lives as they relate to availability of food, utensil use, methods of cooking and preparation, recipes, and nutritional benefits. The initial chicken tractor project completed by the students at the Dome was implemented as both a design and construction experience and resulted in an attractive and sturdy coop. The students received basic requirements of a chicken tractor and used the information to design and build the tractor. They received instruction in light construction skills with both conventional and plastic lumber. Students in the Summer Youth Employment program learned gardening and prevocational skills at both the Melrose Acres and greenhouse sites. The program ran for two six-week sessions and employed 2-3 students with a mentor in each session. Food preservation classes taught basic value-added production and preservation skills. Canning, dehydrating, freezing, fermentation, and jam production topics were covered, using a variety of vegetables and fruit available in season and produced locally whenever possible. Participants took home samples of the products from each session. Melrose Acres provided Garden Science tubs with complete interactive lesson kits about botany to Fulton Elementary staff for the afterschool garden club. The 7participating students were given hands-on experiences with the resident chicks, did guided spring observations in the garden, and learned transplanting skills as part of their field trip to the Melrose site. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The grant coordinator created a Facebook page for Melrose Acres and a website is under development. These now serve as the primary electronic spaces for sharing of information and have been used to post flyers for education events. Agraria has published articles about Melrose Acres in its biannual publication, Agraria Journal and featured it during presentations and on its social media sites. Agraria has also sought and received additional funding for the development of Melrose Acres and identified Melrose Acres as a key partnership project in discussions with regional partners about efforts to strengthen the regional food system. Grant updates were also provided in the Zoom Into Gardening videos that were made and posted on the Springfield library's Facebook page. As part of our efforts to engage south side residents in the Porch Garden Project, we continue to realize that simpler, more personal avenues of communication are of value and must continue to be used in conjunction with electronic methods. Our regular interaction with supportive community groups, church groups, and fellow nonprofits allowed us to share information, in a more personal manner, albeit more slowly. Our association with the School of Innovation Community Learning Center has allowed us to disseminate information through that school's communication channels as well. Other smaller events that enhanced our contacts within the community included sharing information about Melrose Acres at the Southeast Neighborhood Association and participating in the Healthy Eating, Active Living event that was hosted by the Community Health Foundation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plans for the next reporting period, toward accomplishment of the goals of the CFP grant, include: Further development of the Melrose Acres site Erection of 3-D orchard fencing to deter deer and replacement of the damaged fence around the garden area Completion of the Central State University Extension raspberry patch Completion of the hoop house Construction of additional chicken tractors, including installation of more chickens Expansion of the garden area by 25%, as planned, to increase vegetable production space Continued provision of education to the community Potential continuation and expansion of education programs: diabetes awareness, student cooking/nutrition classes, food preservation classes Cooking classes on site supported by a grant from the Springfield-based Community Health Foundation and expansion of food preservation and value added classes. Continuation of programming for elementary students, including but not limited to exploration of collaboration with afterschool programs already operating at nearby schools Initiation of programs on site in the garden: hands-on, experiential, seasonal programming for all ages designed to increase knowledge about the connections between soil health, plant health and human health and botanical knowledge leading to independent gardening practices. This is now possible, given the availability of shelter, water and toilet facilities on site. Continued support of underserved and BIPOC farmer programs, providing space, tools, plants and seed Continued collaboration with regional partners on training and educational programming Continued inclusion of residents in the production of seedlings in the greenhouse Initiation of classes centered around basic information about bees and chickens and their care, for participants who care for them on site, or choose to have them at their home Exploration of ag business opportunities for residents and potential business incubation support for them as needed Expanded food access for the community Initiation of SNAP and Produce Perks for the neighborhood farm stands Exploration of WIC and Senior Citizen Farmers Market benefits Continue operation of neighborhood farm stands Exploration of local food system to increase availability of local food within the community and provide income to small farmers Begin planning and set up for vegetable box program Continue to offer work shares for work done on site in the garden, at the neighborhood farm stands, and at the greenhouse
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Melrose Acres Urban Agriculture Center is designed to bring multifaceted opportunities to grow, eat, purchase and learn about fresh food to the south side of Springfield, an area marked by food apartheid. Around 50% of residents in these neighborhoods live below the poverty line. The focus of the project remains on food access, nutrition education, and food production. The center continues to identify needs and provide programming that matches the needs, resources, experience level and knowledge base of the community while serving as a food system partner in Agraria's work as a bioregional learning center focused on regeneration of the Miami Valley. The work accomplished this past year has built upon the activities of year one. Our first objective included the acquisition and development of the site. We gained access to the house in November 2021. A grant from Kettering Family Philanthropies provided funds to renovate the house for educational programming and to house a resident caretaker. Work included major infrastructure repairs and upgrades.Volunteers and staff cleaned and painted all rooms, made minor repairs, and secured furniture and appliances. The house now has a separate two-bedroom apartment for a resident caretaker, shared kitchen, laundry and office space, and 3 rooms dedicated to community programming. A resident caretaker has moved into the apartment with responsibility for regular upkeep of the property, including chicken care, trash, cleaning, and light gardening. Site development progressed as well. Damaged fences were taken down around the garden space, and garden beds were again planted with vegetables and flowers but suffered predation as fences have not been reinstalled. Students at the Dome, a supplemental education environment for local students, designed and built Melrose's first chicken tractor, and a flock of chickens were installed in June, surrounded by a mesh electric fence. Six of the original 8 are now laying eggs that are given to neighborhood residents who volunteered this past summer. The 60' x 60' beginning farmer plot for Central State University Extension's (CSUE) FasTrack program was plowed and cultivated for use by CSUE's first beginning farmer class and will be improved in the coming year. An additional growing space was plowed and planted with raspberries for a Central State project, to be completed this coming spring, that explores robotic moisture sensing equipment for irrigation purposes. Continued work was done on the two orchards, 16 bee hives were installed by a private beekeeper, and construction of a hoop house began as part of a three-part workshop given on site by Dayton Urban Grown. To be ready for use, the hoop house needed its end walls covered, a task Agraria staff have undertaken, and its floor filled with topsoil and compost. Production space totals on the site: raspberry plot, .21 acre; beginning farmer plot, .08 acre; orchard #1, .19 acre; orchard #2, .14 acre; vegetable/flower garden, .52 acre; hoop house, .02 acre. This amounts to an increase in production space at the site this year of .31 acre, for an overall total of 1.16 acres. Our second objective was focused on creating a learning community to support agricultural literacy. Melrose's Food Film series, done in collaboration with the public library, included: Dirt: The Movie, What the Health, and Kiss the Ground. Sessions were done virtually and included discussions with 5-6 participants in each. Exploratory meetings were held with the Partners for the Environment Food Team but they have not yet resulted in programming or collaboration. A 3-hour workshop in conjunction with Agraria's Regenerative Farmer Fellowship (RFF) program, held in February at Melrose Acres and SOUP's greenhouse, focused on season extension. A new collaboration with the Upward Bound program, held in the summer at Wittenberg University, provides students who are disadvantaged a residential pre-college experience. Students participated in two sessions that presented both small urban organic production methods alongside the issues encountered in larger mid-size rural farms. Harvesting from the Melrose garden and cooking on site completed the experience. The Summer Youth Employment was again able to use the Melrose Acres site and the greenhouse for employment and learning opportunities. These activities ran for two six-week sessions and employed 2-3 students with a mentor. A volunteer with disabilities, in supported living in the community, also came to work at the Melrose site and at one of the farm stands for six weeks this summer. CSUE again provided food and nutrition classes at the School of Innovation, a high school level project-based learning environment in the south side of the city. This dovetails well with a teacher at the school whose class is engaged in food system and agricultural issues and whose activities are also community based. Other smaller events that enhanced our contacts within the community included sharing information about Melrose Acres at the Southeast Neighborhood Association and participating in the Healthy Eating, Active Living event that was hosted by the Community Health Foundation. Collaboration with a local potter, who interned at Melrose Acres during the first year, resulted in a combined art and food class. Over the course of 3 sessions, 12 participants were guided through creating their own casserole dish and then filling it with a summer squash casserole that was baked on site and taken home to share with their families. Summer food preservation classes focused on canning, dehydrating, freezing, fermentation, and jam production, with an average of 7 participants in each of 5 weekly classes. The after-school garden club at Fulton Elementary was able to use materials provided by Melrose Acres and visited Melrose Acres for a field trip. Seven students were able to explore the garden, hold young chickens, and plant grow bags with vegetable plants to take home and tend there. A series of cooking classes is being developed for the coming year with support from a Springfield Community Health Foundation grant. Our third objective was focused on increasing the accessibility of fresh food within the target area. Work in the greenhouse this year engaged 6-7 volunteers in weekly seed starting and transplanting work from late February through early June. Over 200 flats of seedlings were produced for SOUP and Melrose projects, as well as for other regional and local programs that did not have resources to do the same. Volunteers were also able to start seedlings for their home gardens and take home winter greens grown in the greenhouse. Porch Garden Project was held in early June in collaboration with 2 other nonprofit groups. South side families were able to request and receive up to 5 grow bags, each planted with a vegetable seedling. Approximately 130 families were served with small, mobile vegetable "porch gardens" free of charge complete with growing instructions. Weekly neighborhood farm stands were continued this past year, running for 12 weeks, June through September. A third farmstand was opened last summer in partnership with Gammon House, a local Black history site that contains a restored home that was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The farm stands were staffed by 4 women, and part time by the volunteer with developmental disabilities. An estimated 7800# of produce was distributed through the 3 neighborhood farmstands. The practice of work shares has continued with volunteers at the SOUP greenhouse, the Melrose garden, the farm stands and Porch Garden Project. Work shares have been in the form of winter greens, summer vegetables from the farm stands, and seedlings from the greenhouse. Approximately 7 greenhouse volunteers, 4 farm stand workers, 3 garden workers, and 12 Porch Garden volunteers received free shares in exchange for their engagement.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Melrose Acres (formerly McCain Acres) reached target audiences in the southwest quadrant of Springfield, Ohio, with a population of around 8,100, 63% of whom are minorities. The area, which contains an identified Opportunity Zone, includes five Census Tracts (Clark County 2.00, 9.02, 10.00, 11.01, 11.02) with an average poverty rate of 30.3%, above the city's rate of 24.3% and more than double the Ohio rate of 13.9%. Two elementary schools and a middle school serve this area with a student population of around 1,100 and a free and reduced breakfast and lunch rate of 100%. Also reached during this reporting period were students in the Springfield City School District's School of Innovation, a project-based learning center for students in grades 9-12. It is not known how many of those students were members of the target audience. Changes/Problems:The primary obstacle to our progress in this first year was the covid pandemic and the ripple effect it had on all our programs. It hindered our ability to provide in-person programming and also slowed progress on gaining access to the house, which in turn, delayed our ability to offer programming on site in the house, and even in the garden, as we did not yet have access to water, bathroom facilities, or shelter, so could not invite the public. This delay had a double impact in that we felt that we couldn't advertise the site locally, as having the public arrive unannounced at the residents' home would impinge on their privacy and would be disruptive and unproductive. We were able to complete background development of our website, which is nearly ready to launch. The disruption of funding to the local organization, Opportunity for Change (OIC), meant they were unable to follow through on their prior commitment to build the chicken tractors during this reporting period. We hope they will be able to provide this service during the coming year. Education plans were directed to virtual only, which taught us some new skills, but prevented us from developing some programming--with younger children, hands-on instruction, in-person cooking. We were forced to reduce our two existing farm stands to one during the pandemic so that we could follow proper protocol and then re-expand this past summer with less stringent measures in place. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Many educational opportunities were offered to the community during this grant year. They included seed starting sessions in the greenhouse. These seedlings go into our school gardens, the Melrose Acres garden, and Porch Garden Project, a local project that provides free container gardens to 90+ south side residents. Weekly work sessions allowed "education through osmosis"--active learning and exchanges about botany basics, the impact of seasonal changes on plant growth, plant nutrition and other relevant topics that occurred in the context of plant care. In exchange for labor, participants were allowed to harvest winter greens that have been grown in the greenhouse and to learn about cold season varieties and season extension. An average of 6 people attended each week for sessions lasting 2-3 hours each. A Season Extension Workshop, offered in conjunction with CSUE ag staff resulted in 100% of respondents indicating that the information was useful and that they learned something new; also the same number indicated that they will use the information and that the new knowledge, if put to use, can increase the availability of fresh food within the city. Many of these volunteers participated in the distribution of the Porch Garden grow bags to south side community residents, which was done in cooperation with two other south side nonprofit groups. This effort was coordinated by Springfield Ohio Urban Plantfolk, CFP project staff, and the distribution encompassed two sites with the help of 21 volunteers from the cooperating nonprofits. A five-week sequence of lessons on food preservation were offered during the summer, which included canning, fermenting, pickling, freezing, and jam making with fruits and vegetables in season. A volunteer instructor, familiar to the residents from past cooking classes, teaches these sessions, which take into account residents' interests. Sessions were held in a neighborhood church to make them more easily accessible. Participants were led through the entire hands-on process and were able to take home finished products. An average of 8 people attended each class. Surveys taken at the end of this series indicated that 100% of respondents learned at least one new thing, with 88% likely to use that information. 88% indicated both feeling more positive about and being likely to eat more fruits and vegetables as a result of their participation. Zoom Into Gardening was created as a monthly virtual program, done in conjunction with the local library across seven months, with an average of 10 people in attendance. These sessions were spearheaded by a community group supportive of and participating in the development of Melrose Acres. The sessions featured information on gardening relevant to the current season, but also used interviews with African American neighborhood residents to capture historical and cultural gardening information from the community. A series of three monthly Food Films were presented, again in partnership with the library, to highlight the connections between the quality of the food consumed and human health. Sessions were done via Zoom, and included brief clips from each film, followed by discussions and survey questions. An average of 6 people attended each session. In collaboration with CSUE, a Diabetes Awareness class was held at School of Innovation for the community, and a repeat session initiated. This class was 6 weeks long, with ten people enrolled in the class. The repeat session this fall was cancelled due to a temporary cessation of in-person training by CSUE. We also collaborated with CSUE and the School of Innovation on a 6-week nutrition education class. Class focus was on basic nutrition, healthy eating habits, and gave students direct experience in food preparation. Melrose Acres served as the farm-based incubator site for two neighborhood women in Agraria's Regenerative Farming Fellowship program. The focus of this initiative was education for beginning farmers, with particular emphasis on underserved groups, including women and Black, Indigenous and people of color. The curriculum covered topics ranging from soil health and growing practices, to value-added production and business development. Attendance in this program has increased both women's knowledge base and their ability to participate in the programs offered by Melrose Acres. Among the observable skills they gained were: transplanting and weeding (including weed identification), greenhouse pest identification and management, managing seasonal conditions for plants (harvesting, heat/cold considerations, water needs, mulching technique) as well as seed identification, and seed starting. The 25-week program included a stipend, so it not only contributed to our members' knowledge, but also to their financial stability. Having summer interns at the site has opened up possibilities for both parties. The CFP project benefits from the additional labor and creativity they bring. The interns benefit from exposure to an underserved community, including reading and discussion about social justice issues that brings about a deeper understanding of and respect for residents. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our publicity about the project within the Springfield community has been somewhat restricted this year. We were waiting for the residents of the house to move out before disseminating information locally because we felt it important to protect their privacy while they were still in the house. The closing on the house was in April 2021, but the impact of the pandemic-- overpriced housing market and scarcity of available homes--hindered and prolonged their search. They were not able to procure a home until mid October, so our first year was limited in getting the word out locally. Some spontaneous marketing opportunities were provided by parties that had heard about our project. We were included in the Clark County Library's "Springing Up" series. This was a series of recorded interviews with community urban garden/farm spots in the city, done by the community librarian and posted on YouTube. Project updates were also provided in the Zoom Into Gardening videos that were made and posted on the library's Facebook page. A community reporter from the local public radio station, WYSO 91.3 FM, conducted an on-site interview, which was broadcast this year. Melrose Acres has also been featured in issues of the Agraria Journal, Agraria's signature publication, and information about the project has also been included in various presentations and events sponsored by Agraria. We have also realized that simpler, more personal avenues of communication are of value and must be used in conjunction with other methods. Our regular interactions with supporting community groups, church groups, and fellow nonprofits allowed us to share information in a more personal manner, although more slowly. The website for this project is nearly complete, and the Facebook page for Springfield Ohio Urban Plantfolk has been used to publicize and inform the public about grant activities. Education and development activities, especially during the pandemic, were, of necessity, virtual, and no public events were held on site this year. Our association with the School of Innovation Community Learning Center has allowed us to disseminate information through that school's communication channels as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Plans for the next reporting period, toward accomplishment of the goals of the CFP grant, include: Further development of the site Upgrading and renovation of the house for resident caretaker and community use. We aim to have the house ready for move-in by the resident caretaker by mid-December and for community use by late January. A Kettering Foundation grant was secured to fund a large portion of this work. As the year progresses, the resident caretaker will receive training from the Farm Manager for tasks that she will be responsible for. The Farm Manager and Grant Coordinator have initiated planning for late winter and spring education events, many of which will be held on site in the community space in the house. These activities were delayed over the last year of the pandemic. Fencing will be erected around the orchard to deter deer, and the damaged fence around the garden area will be replaced. A red raspberry patch will be planted in March and monitored robotically for watering in collaboration with CSUE. A hoop house workshop will be held, slated for April, resulting in construction of a 30' x 50' structure on site. The collaboration with OIC will be revisited for building the chicken tractors. This element was interrupted by the covid pandemic as well. Five chicken tractors will be built with chickens installed. The garden area will be expanded by 25% to increase vegetable production space. Continued provision of education to the community Potential continuation and expansion of education programs, including Zoom Into Gardening, Food Film series, Diabetes Awareness, student cooking/nutrition classes, and food preservation classes Exploration of grant opportunities for purchase of a cooking cart to use for educational programming in the center's community room Initiation of programming for elementary students, including but not limited to exploration of collaboration with afterschool programs already operating at nearby schools Initiation of programs on site in the garden: hands-on, experiential, seasonal programming for all ages designed to increase knowledge about the connections between soil health, plant health and human health and botanical knowledge leading to independent gardening practices. This component was, in part, delayed due to Covid and unavailability of the house for our use during the first year. Initiation of cooking classes and expansion of food preservation and value-added classes on site. Continued support of beginning farmer programs, providing space, tools, plants and seed as available Continued inclusion of residents in the production of seedlings in the greenhouse Initiation of classes centered around basic information about bees and chickens and their care, for participants who care for them on site, or choose to have them at their home Exploration of ag business opportunities for residents and potential business incubation support for them if needed Expanded food access for the community Initiation of SNAP and Produce Perks for the neighborhood farm stands Exploration of WIC and Senior Citizen Farmers Market benefits Initiation of third farm stand or collaboration with south side nonprofit interested in the same Exploration of larger local food system and sources to increase the local food availability within our community and provide income to small farmers Begin planning for vegetable box program and logistical set up for that program Continue to offer work shares for work done on site in the garden, at the neighborhood farm stands, and at the greenhouse
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Melrose Acres (previously McCain Acres) Urban Agriculture Center is designed to bring multifaceted opportunities to grow, eat, purchase and learn about fresh food to the south side of Springfield, Ohio, which has a long history of food apartheid. The neighborhood lost its last full service grocery store in March of 2020, coinciding with the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic. That left neighborhood residents (about 50% of whom live below the poverty line) without ready access to a full-service grocery and only dollar stores in which to do their grocery shopping, especially those without adequate transportation. Our first objective included the acquisition and development of the 7.46-acre parcel and adjoining house for development of the center. Central State University Extension (CSUE) consulted with center staff to plan a layout that would best suit the grant and programming objectives. The purchase was completed in April 2021. Use of the house was delayed during the rest of this reporting period, as the current residents needed additional time to secure another home due to the expensive housing market and reduced availability of homes caused by the pandemic. All garden beds in the current space were "reclaimed" and covered with either weed barrier or deep mulch, using a no-till method and planted with an array of vegetables that were dedicated to neighborhood farm stands. Two orchard plots were also started. Planning for construction of the chicken tractors began with 1) tutoring the design class at Hayward Middle School, which created proposed designs for the project, and 2) consulting with Opportunities For Change (OIC) regarding construction. The pandemic, and ensuing lack of funding for OIC, put the planning and construction process on hold, until funding for their programs is secured. Planning was initiated to secure a trainer for the hoop house construction, an approximate date, and a materials list. At this time, hoop house construction is slated for April 2022. Our second objective focused on creating a learning community to support agricultural literacy. Partnerships were formed with community groups, the local library, and CSUE. Programs were designed to be held virtually for the first part of 2021 unless held outside, or with sufficient use of social distancing, masks, and sanitizing for in-person venues. Clark County Public Library hosted our virtual Zoom Into Gardening series, providing marketing and hosting support. 92% of respondents to the knowledge surveys indicated that they learned something helpful and intend to apply new skills that they learned. Clark County Public Library hosted our virtual Food Film series, providing marketing and hosting support. CSUE's Food and Nutrition Program and Springfield City Schools collaborated with us to offer nutrition education to small classes of students at the district's School of Innovation and a Diabetes Awareness series that was open to the public. A partnership with Wittenberg University's Hagen Center resulted in three interns working with our project, for six weeks each. This allowed us to substantially increase the pace and amount of physical labor that needed to be done. It also allowed students to contribute to and learn about the community they are a part of. Social justice and anti-racism topics were included in the internship program. Two neighborhood residents, both women, were included in Agraria's Regenerative Farming Fellowship Program, a training program for beginning, underserved, and BIPOC farmers in the region. Our third objective was focused on increasing the accessibility of fresh food within the target area; activities in this area will become more impactful as the grant progresses. We focused during this reporting period on extensive preparation for additional procurement of food, including locally grown fresh food sources, securing additional personnel, and setting up logistics for transportation, storing, and distribution. We began the farm stand season with only one of the two original stands and re-opened the second stand three weeks later, to regain our prior level of engagement with the community. We explored possible venues for an additional farm stand, and identified a preferred street location near Melrose Acres. The exact site on that street will be determined by spring of 2022. Although not stated as a formal objective of the grant, interest in this project has spurred further connections with the community, at both the neighborhood and institutional levels. We are exploring possible intern or volunteer experiences for students in the Clark State Community College Dept. of Business and Applied Technologies. A collaboration is planned for spring of 2022, and will begin on a project-basis, with participation determined on a case-by-case basis. Developmental Disabilities of Clark County (DDCC is interested in collaborating with Melrose Acres to provide training and exposure for their constituents. Most important is the creation of a Food and Farm Advisory Group composed primarily of current and former neighborhood residents. The group, all but two of whom are Black, met monthly to provide input and to establish a solid connection between the community and the project. They created a logo for the property and renamed the project Melrose Acres, after the historic neighborhood in which it resides. Emerging from the group were three sub teams: a Developmental Disabilities Team (to design the collaboration with DDCC); a House Oversight Team (to assist with decisions regarding the logistics for use of the house by the resident caretaker and the community); and a Business Incubator Team (to explore the possibility of this project supporting neighborhood residents in small business endeavors). An initial collaboration was established with the Young Black Professionals and Businesses, a relatively new nonprofit in south Springfield. Project staff helped them procure vegetables for a farm stand at a community event, and future collaborations will be explored. As a result of our collaboration with the Springfield City Schools School of Innovation, during the three weeks in which the onsite farm stand overlapped with the school year, four students worked with grant staff to learn basic retail skills of display set up, waiting on customers, recording sales, and making change. Two students with developmental disabilities also helped with gardening. A resident caretaker for the property was identified, who will move into the house once it is prepared after the current residents' departure. We have also explored additional funding for the project and received a grant from the Kettering Foundation for repairs and renovation to the house. We also submitted a grant to the Springfield Foundation to purchase a golf cart for visitors with mobility challenges.
Publications
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