Some area agencies are kicking off summer with an exciting project for a Lima neighborhood.
The twelve stockholders involved with the “South Jackson Community Garden” held a block party to give people a chance to get to know one another and to explain what this project goal is. The community garden will not only be a place to grow food but also learn about health and wellness as well. The vacant land will have 20 raised garden beds, an amphitheater, and an open-air shelter which will house educational materials, from stakeholders like Activate Allen County, the Soil and Water Conservation District, and Lima Sprouts program.
"The construction should be complete by the end of summer and we will be using the site regularly after that. All the stakeholders will be involved in actually providing programming, education. So it’s going to be a real win-win for the stakeholder and the neighborhood," said Nancy Bowen-Ellzey, Community Economics for OSU Extension Field Specialist.
From now until September, the South Jackson Community Gardens will be hosting "Final Fridays" where the stakeholders and the community can come together on the last Friday of the month to enjoy food and fun activities.
Press Release from The Ohio State University Lima
Background on the South Jackson Community Garden
The Ohio State University and multiple community partners have come together to build a garden and community space on previously vacant land in the city of Lima.
The South Jackson Community Garden Project grew out of an OSU Connect and Collaborate Grant to reuse vacant land within the city to design and build a model urban garden and community space for food and health-related entrepreneurial activities. This follows an earlier Ohio Land Exchange (OH/LEX) project, which started in 2015 with collaborators from the city of Lima, Ohio State Lima, and Ohio State's Knowlton School of Architecture.
The South Jackson project brings together community organizations interested in transformational action to alleviate food insecurity, increase the productive use of vacant land and focus on health and wellness, and it is the product of an intensive stakeholder engagement process that took place over the past year.
Ohio State University Extension was primarily responsible for management and oversight of this process. Ohio State’s Knowlton School is providing project design, research and technical support regarding the community garden and community space. In addition, the Knowlton School and Extension will work together on providing grant-writing support for potential follow-up grants. Ohio State’s Center for Urban and Regional Analysis is responsible for the maintenance and enhancement of the online data portal. The City of Lima is providing access to vacant land in the city.
The South Jackson Community Garden Project will include a model urban garden planted and maintained by LACNIP/Lima Sprouts. Programming and education will come from Activate Allen County, Allen County Public Health, Allen Soil and Water District, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce, Mercy Health-St. Rita’s, Ohio State Lima and Ohio State’s Digital Flagship Initiative, United Way of Greater Lima, West Ohio Food Bank and Legacy Link/Satellite Foods. Ohio State Lima students have provided research assistance from the start of the OH/LEX project and the Department of Theatre has provided building and logistical support.
Mercy Health has provided the funding for materials and construction of the South Jackson project.
Stakeholders: Activate Allen County, Allen County Public Health, Allen Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Lima, LACNIP/Lima Sprouts, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce/Food Market, Health, The Ohio State University at Lima, The Ohio State University Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, Ohio State University Extension Community Development, The Ohio State University Knowlton School of Architecture – City and Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, Tri-Moraine Audubon Society, United Way of Greater Lima, West Ohio Food Bank, and Legacy Link/Satellite Foods
