Elle Adams
Program Director

I was raised in a family with a mother who was and continues to be a community activist and community builder in NYC and a father who always dreamed
of raising his family on a farm as he started out. As a result of this interesting combination my siblings and I grew up in the Bronx with a menagerie
of animals including chickens in our backyard. We also had a keen sense of what it meant to be a productive part of our community. "Make yourself useful" was
and continues to be my mom's motto. Although he has passed on I still remember my dad saying, "You are responsible for your actions so make those actions
count!" I guess community building and farming are in my blood.
After my experience managing the City of Cleveland's community gardening program (Summer Sprout) I knew that I was hooked. My love of people, gardening,
agriculture and community led me to want to start an urban agriculture program. With the support of friends, family, and community partners City Rising Farm
was born!
The link below will take you to some of my gardening projects:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ai8HTC1xtWqsosQoSJB6_n1R2J8MJVMFv1jyDy_n_9k?feat=directlink
of raising his family on a farm as he started out. As a result of this interesting combination my siblings and I grew up in the Bronx with a menagerie
of animals including chickens in our backyard. We also had a keen sense of what it meant to be a productive part of our community. "Make yourself useful" was
and continues to be my mom's motto. Although he has passed on I still remember my dad saying, "You are responsible for your actions so make those actions
count!" I guess community building and farming are in my blood.
After my experience managing the City of Cleveland's community gardening program (Summer Sprout) I knew that I was hooked. My love of people, gardening,
agriculture and community led me to want to start an urban agriculture program. With the support of friends, family, and community partners City Rising Farm
was born!
The link below will take you to some of my gardening projects:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ai8HTC1xtWqsosQoSJB6_n1R2J8MJVMFv1jyDy_n_9k?feat=directlink
Community Gardeners
![]() Mrs. McGregor always 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. https://picasaweb.google.com/117417241875462723468/SundaysWithMrsMcGregor?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI2B4N3C8bGjXw&feat=directlink ![]()
Terah McNeal I was born & raised in Virginia, yet Cleveland is home where my boys have been raised. Reflecting back on days gone by of flowers (pulling lots of weeds) and vegetable gardening; planting hills of potatoes, beans, corn, onions & tomatoes (more weed pulling), with a little (lotsa’) help from me and my two younger siblings; you name it. Growing up in a house with three generations, my great aunt planted it, grew it, canned it (chow-chow), and we ate it, all! …Hated all that work then, just love it now!
I know all those days of growing up gardening became a part of my lifeline and has been embeddedin my blood over the years for a passion for flowers, gardening & cooking too! I have always managed to find some time and a component for gardening along the way regardless if it was professionally; work related, community; volunteer gardening or personal gardening for the pleasures and rewards it brings, physical, mental and spiritual! I have no problem playing in the Good Earth & getting my hands dirty! ![]() Ms. Alisa is a life-long Hough resident whose interest in gardening dates back to her childhood flower garden. 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 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 Wright make delectable granola that is sold through their business Sweetheart Granola. Check it out at the following link:
http://sweetheartgranola.com/ ![]() Robin Holzman 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 ![]() 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!
![]() Marcus is one of our young leaders. He is a John Hay Early College High School senior and enjoys working in the Blaine Avenue Community Garden. Marcus also provides words of wisdom to younger gardeners about how to succeed in school.
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Youth Gardeners
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!
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!