The Stanard School was an old brick and sandstone building that was deconstructed in 2008. The one acre site on which the school sat is being converted into an urban farm operated by the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities. An old school administration building on the site is being preserved and utilized for administrative office for cooperative extension and food storage for the farm. The components of the school, including old growth wood floorboards, chalkboards, brick, and stone were provided to local urban gardens free of charge (to build walkways or raised beds). Other materials were utilized by A Piece of Cleveland (APOC), a small company that manufactures high-end furniture from old buildings and materials that contain the history of Cleveland.
Videos tagged as 'urban agriculture'
This short video features a compilation of the perspectives, motivations, and lessons learned from five of Cleveland's urban farmers. Captured during the 2011 GardenWalk Cleveland event on June 25 of 2011, the video represents the diversity of people that make up Cleveland's urban farming and local foods scene. Features a soundtrack by Moby, contributed by the artist. Video facilitated by Jack Ricchiuto and Brad Masi.
Video featuring a short interview with Dave Jacke, permacutlure designer and author of the two volume books titled- Edible Forest Gardening. Jacke was visiting Cleveland to offer a weekend workshop at the Intergenerational School in Cleveland, a school focused on experiential education and bridging younger and older generations in collaborative learning processes. With the leadership of local permaculture designer Brett Joseph, the edible forest garden was established in a courtyard of the school, replacing mowed grass and a relatively un-used space on campus grown into a biologically diverse forest garden for learning, eating, and community gathering. To learn more, check out www.edibleforestgardening.com
The Stanard Farm is a unique urban agriculture project taking place at the former site of the Stanard School on the east side of Cleveland. The farm was established in 2010 around where the school buiilding once sat. The school was recently de-constructed, with many of the bricks utilized for urban gardens around Cleveland, including brick walkways at the Stanard site. The farm is opearted by the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD). The CCBDD works to identify employment opportunties for adults with various developmental disabilities (autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, etc.). In a tough economy, adults with these challenges find it particularly difficult to find employment. The CCBDD hired about 8 adults to work on the 1 acre Stanard Farm. They have a vision of eventually operating 10 urban farm sites across Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, ultimately providing employment to 50 individuals. Plans are also being considered to incorproate food processing and preservation that could add another 50 potential jobs to the community. In addition to employment, the farm provides a unique space where the farm workers can connect with the neighborhood and local community.
Peter McDermott talks about Urban Growth, a 1/3 acre urban farm on the west side of Cleveland owned by the Urban Community School. Peter reflects on his connection with the land in the neighborhood where he grew up and went to school. Peter introduces some of the techniques utilized to maximize production on a limited plot of land, including Small Plot INtensive (SPIN) farming,permaculture, and techniques developed by organic farmer Elliot Coleman. Peter also talks about his work promoting stronger regional networks and leadership around local food systems through his work with Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) and localfoodcleveland.org
This short film opens up with Presley Gillespie, Executive Director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, talks about a large demonstration urban farm. He talks about how they are re-purposing vacant land for urban agriculture as a part of a larger community economic development strategy relevant to many post-industrial cities. We travel to the site of the urban demonstration farm with Maurice Small, Director of Urban Agriculture for YNDC, who shares some of his urban gardening resources with young residents from the neighborhood who have been working with him all summer to install five new urban farms across Youngstown. We should think about mobile plastic crates of books and resources for neighborhoods to better learn how to utilize vacant lots productively as a food source and economic opportunity. Can we re-purpose empty houses as neighborhood libraries and resource centers for youth and residents as Maurice suggests here?