1. Cleveland Crops, Kinsman Farm & the NRCS Cleveland High Tunnel Project An Update of Urban Agriculture in Cleveland

2. Cleveland of the Past

3. Cleveland of Today

4. Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
USDA-NIFA
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
Awarded 2010
$550,000-USDA
$100,000-Ohio Department of Agriculture
$100,000-City of Cleveland Economic Development Grant

5. Cleveland Crops Training and Farm Employment Field Trips
Kinsman Farm Incubator
Refugee Farmer Training
Market Gardener Training
Hands on training for individuals with developmental disabilities. Potential to lead to employment with Cleveland Crops
¼ Acre plots available to MGTP Graduates to start a business
Area Farm and Market site visits to augment classroom topics
Intensive Agri-Business based classes for refugees
12 week classroom training in production and business methods

6. Partners West Creek Conservancy (leaseholder, site insurance)
City of Cleveland
Burton, Bell, Carr Economic Development Corporation
Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
ASIA Services, Inc.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland

7. CLEVELAND CROPS

8. Cleveland Crops
Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities & Solutions at Work (SAW, Inc.)
Manufacturing historically employed many persons with developmental disabilities
Recession=jobs lost, not returning anytime soon
Demand for Local Produced Food
Timing was right

9. Cleveland Crops Training partnership with Master Gardener Volunteer
Started with one spring training
class
2013, three training classes

10. Cleveland Crops Currently manage over 10 sites, both
urban and suburban
Employ over 50 consumers
In the process of building a commercial
kitchen

11. KINSMAN FARM

12. What would the Kinsman Farm do?
Remove barriers for new and beginning farmers to develop new agriculture enterprises
Provide hands-on training and demonstrate innovative production models and techniques
Foster a strong network of sustainable urban farm businesses
Revitalize a large tract of vacant land in the Kinsman Neighborhood as a part of the Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone
Develop new models that support urban agriculture

13. Why was the Kinsman Farm needed?
Developed to address land tenure and insurance issues
Anchored Ohio State University Extension as institution for the City of Cleveland Agriculture Innovation Zone

14. Land license Year to year with option of 3 or 5 years annual extension
¼ acre
$ per year
Includes
Security of fencing
Equipment for rental
Hydrant Permit

15. Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone

16. Kinsman Farm 2010-2012 Site preparation Debris removal Soil tests
Soil amendment & cover crops
Fencing and storage containers
Completion of one seasonal high tunnel
18 farmers accepted onto the site, 7 have dropped out

17. Kinsman Farm 2012-2013 Site improvement
Completion of 2nd seasonal high tunnel
5 more farmers accepted onto the site

18. Kinsman Farm Farmer Requirements:
Kinsman Farm Farmer Requirements: Completed OSUE-Cuyahoga County Market Gardener Training Program or equivalent Submit business plan Interview with land committee Agree to Land Use protocol Complete 50 hours of community service to farm per year

19. Who is currently on the farm. 12 farm operations-
Who is currently on the farm? 12 farm operations non-profit organizations sole proprietors Mostly mixed vegetable operations

21. NRCS Cleveland High Tunnel Project

22. NRCS High Tunnel Project
Seasonal High Tunnel contracts available to qualified Urban Agriculture Projects (both farms and community gardens) 22 Awarded in Cleveland, funding for ????+ To increase food production, small business enterprise and food security

23. NRCS High Tunnel Build April 15, 2013 April 17, 2013
Salaam Gardens: E130th Street, Cleveland, OH

24. Lessons learned……..
Just because someone is willing to give you something, you don’t have to take it
Don’t add anything to the farm that will cause maintenance concerns that are unrelated to the farm
Water policy & water lines
Be careful of what inputs are brought onto the site
Study other model projects

25. Lessons learned……..
The more production experience a farmer has, the more likely and faster they will be successful
Don’t make assumptions of prior knowledge
Have policies, procedures, and consequences in place

26. Lessons learned……..
Consider sustainability and future staffing needs from the very beginning
Consider funding implications and limitations of funding sources

27. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
“This project is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant #   To find more resources and programs for beginning farmers and ranchers please visit a component of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.”