Community Gardeners...Community Partners

COMMUNITY GARDENERS

Mrs. McGregor

Mrs. McGregor is the Blaine Avenue Community Garden matriarch. She hates when I say this but it is true. She provides wise motherly advice on a number of things, including living long and happily and how to keep our plants that way as well.

We especially enjoy spending time at Mrs. McGregor's garden on Sundays when she reveals her new project for the week. You can enjoy Sundays with Mrs. McGregor as well by using the following link.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117417241875462723468/SundaysWithMrsMcGregor?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI2B4N3C8bGjXw&feat=directlink

Robin Holzman

Robin fell in love with Blaine Avenue the first time she saw it back on Thanksgiving Day 2009. She has also fallen in love with the people she has met here! Robin loves working in the garden and is the voice of reason when we look as though we might take on more than we can handle.

The design created by the placement of the children's garden beds is Robin's idea. Her love of children is evident in the pictures that can be seen at the link below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117417241875462723468/RobinInTheGarden?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKXhlqmUvdSxsQE&feat=directlink

Ms. Alisa

Ms. Alisa is a life long Hough resident whose interest in gardening dates back to her childhood flower gardening with her grandparents in West Virginia and her mother here in Hough. That early experience is evident in the beautiful and creative plantings at her home and the wonderful job she does helping maintain the Blaine Avenue Community Garden. Ms. Alisa is also the Hough Garden finder for the 2012 GardenWalk Cleveland. Please enjoy Ms. Alisa's garden at the link below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117417241875462723468/MsAlisaSGarden?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Sheba Marcus Bey and Lara Wright

Sheba is one of the original Blaine Avenue Community Gardeners and an advocate of the Hough neighborhood that she grew up in. In addition to being a librarian at the Cleveland Public Library she and partner Lara make a delectable granola that is sold through their business Sweetheart Granola. Check out their business venture at the following link.

http://sweetheartgranola.com/

Willie

Willie is a Blaine Avenue resident and community gardener. He is also a Vietnam Veteran who has love of plants and flowers. His front porch garden was inspired by his work in the Blaine Avenue Community Garden!

Our Youth

The youth are the seeds in our program. We work as a community to provide the resources they need to take root, grow, and blossom into strong healthy people. We throw lots of fun in too! Our reward is the benefit of having these young leaders in our midst!

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

First Unitarian Church of Cleveland

You'll notice that there isn't a picture of people here. That's because there are so many people from the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland that have supported what we do at City Rising Farm in general and the Blaine Avenue Community Garden in particular that we didn't have a picture with everyone.

This picture represents the strength, diversity, companionship and love of the UUs as they are affectionately called. These are the qualities that they have displayed to us and we are sure all whom they encounter.

A special thanks to Nancy, Tom, Pastor George, Margo, Elaine, Susan, Barb, Bill, and Sharon for their special support!

https://picasaweb.google.com/117417241875462723468/FirstUnitarianChurchOfClevelandPermacultureGardenWorkDay?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Gale's Garden Center, Willoughby Hills

Malcolm and the Gale's Garden Center team have been huge supporters of City Rising Farm programming from the start. They have provided seeds, plants, and plant starting supplies to help us provide services and education in the Hough neighborhood. We are so grateful to have them as community partners! Please find the link to Gale's Garden Center below.

http://www.galesgarden.com/

Neighborhood Connections

Neighborhood Connections provided the grant funding for our wonderful Cob Oven and the Programming we are able to provide in the Hough neighborhood that is open to all.

It's the life blood of many grassroots community programs!
The next grant application deadline is Friday, February 10th, 2012.

http://www.neighborhoodgrants.org/

Josh Koppen, Natural Builder

Josh Koppen can be found working at any number of gardens and/or urban agriculture projects around northeast Ohio.

He is a member of the Green Triangle a non-profit that promotes permaculture design and education in northeast Ohio.

He is a friend to all and family to us here at City Rising Farm and the Blaine Avenue Community Garden!

Please enjoy learning more about Josh through the photos at the link below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117417241875462723468/JoshKoppenTheNaturalBuilderPermaculturistGardenerAndFriend?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPXb0Lf6z9HREA&feat=directlink

Cleveland Public Library, Hough Branch

The Cleveland Public Library, Hough Branch was the first community partner of City Rising Farm and the Blaine Avenue Community Garden. Stephanie Tyus and Christopher Busta-Peck got the ball rolling and then passed the torch on to William Bradford, Lawrence Clarke Bey and Manisha Spivey. Christopher made our beautiful rustic community garden sign!

The Hough Library staff has been tremendous in helping us to provide programming for people in the Hough neighborhood!

http://www.cpl.org/BranchLocations/Branches/Hough.aspx

Neighborhood Progress, Inc.

Bobbi Reichtel, Lilah Zautner, Erika Meschkat the rest of the NPI group along with other community partners put together a plan to help revitilize neighborhoods through vacant lot reclamation. The result was the birth of the Re-imagining Cleveland Program. Our Blaine Avenue Community Garden is part of the inaugural group of projects funded.

Follow the links below to see what's happening at NPI and the other Re-Imagining Cleveland projects.

http://neighborhoodprogress.org/home.php

http://reimaginingcleveland.org/