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PROGRAMS

Community Garden Creation and Support

Let’s Grow Akron is currently supporting 99 community gardens and beautification sites, including the Akron Grows Community Gardens. These gardens represent over fifteen acres of growing space that provide over five hundred garden plots worked by individuals and families of all ages and backgrounds. Community gardens provide food for neighbors, community meal programs and food pantries. Blighted vacant lots also become neighborhood gathering places that build and strengthen the community. ( back to top )

Before

After

Let’s Get Growing!
Community Garden Workshop & Expo

Let’s Grow Akron teams up with OSU Extension and Summit County Master Gardeners for this FREE annual event that takes place ahead of each growing season. Gardeners are invited to attend workshops, gather information about local gardening resources, choose free seeds for the season and network with other growers. ( back to top )

Community Garden Leader Training
Mondays, February 5 – March 12 6:00-8:30PM

Interested in starting your own community garden? This FREE six week training will give you all the information you need to get started and connect you to a network of other community garden leaders. Completion of this training allows community garden leaders to apply for a $500 Neighborfood Grant offered by Summit Food Coalition . ( back to top )

Talks in the Garden

A series of talks given by OSU Extension, Summit County Master Gardeners and other local experts on topics such as fruit trees pruning, soil health, pest management, beekeeping, chickens, composting, season extension and seed saving. Talks are held during the growing season in a variety of community gardens throughout the city. ( back to top )

Summit Lake Neighborhood Farmers’ Market

With the help of many community partners, the Summit Lake Neighborhood Farmers’ Market provides an access point for affordable locally grown fruits and vegetables and an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities while enjoying local music and the scenic Summit Lake. ( back to top )

Healthy Foods Preparation and Preservation Community Education Program

Cooking and canning classes and demonstrations teach people of all ages how to plan and prepare healthy meals on a budget, plus canning, freezing and dehydrating methods to preserve fresh garden produce. Community Canning sessions provide assistance and equipment to preserve the harvest for year round consumption. ( back to top )

KIDS GROW AKRON!

This seed to table program teaches young people the skills to grow and prepare healthy foods for ten weeks during summer break. Weekly themes inspire the gardening lesson, books to read, journaling prompts, crafts, recipes and games. Young people are inspired by visiting artists and experts on healthy food and lifestyle choices, agriculture, environmental science and stewardship, character and community building. Beginning chefs and growers enjoy taking home produce and recipes to share with their families. ( back to top )

Summer Youth Employment

Let’s Grow Akron serves as a work site that provides summer employment opportunities for youth ages 16 to 24 through Jobs for Ohio Graduates. Summer Youth Employees gains job skills working in community gardens and beautifications sites and also by assisting with programs and at the Summit Lake Neighborhood Farmers’ Market. ( back to top )

Pump House Urban Agriculture Center

Collaboration between Let’s Grow Akron, the City of Akron, AMHA and Akron Summit Community Action transformed this unique piece of property previously used for industrial practices that were detrimental to the environment into a lively and productive green space used for food production, urban agriculture demonstration and community events. Located on Summit Lake along the Towpath Trail, all are invited to experience the community and pollinator gardens, resident chickens, high tunnel for extending the growing season and a community compost system. ( back to top )

Community Composting Cooperative

Household food waste, weeds and plant materials are combined with food waste collected from local juice bars, coffee shops and breweries to create compost for community gardens. Improving depleted urban soil with compost creates conditions for more productive plants that yield greater amounts of nutritionally dense produce. Last year, Community Composting Cooperative efforts diverted 40 tons of food waste from being sent to overloaded landfills and helped promote the sustainability of community gardens. ( back to top )

Urban Honey Bee Project

The Urban Honey Project promotes a sustainable bee population in Northeastern Ohio in addition to providing a healthy sugar alternative to food deserts in urban areas. We believe the symbiotic nature of beekeeping can achieve both goals through partnerships, education and community outreach. Education includes beginning beekeeping, hive management with an overall theme of improving pollinator habitat, and community education about honey bees and other important pollinators. Laura Urban of Urban Honey Bee provides instruction and assistance to those interested in placing hives in community gardens or learning responsible beekeeping in the city environment.
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