Youngstown, Ohio – Introduces Iron Roots Urban Farm

Ed McColly and Liberty Merill coordinate the Iron Roots Urban Farm program.

“We value the importance of neighborhood revitalization”

By Maraline Kubik
Business Journal Daily
Sept. 29, 2011

Excerpt:

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. showcased its latest project — an urban farm and training center on the city’s southwest side — Wednesday morning during an unveiling ceremony for the new venture’s logo.

Iron Roots Urban Farm is located on a 2.5-acre homestead at the corner of Canfield Road and Reel Avenue on the city’s southwest side that had been vacant for years. By next spring, it will be transformed into a fully operational urban farm and training site for YNDC’s market gardener and green jobs training programs, reported Presley L. Gillespie, YNDC executive director.

Community garden education programs and other agricultural, horticultural and landscaping programs will also be offered. The goal, Gillespie explained, is to provide new opportunities for city residents to participate in the revitalization of their neighborhoods and the city at large through sustainable efforts that improve the appearance and desirability of neighborhoods by returning vacant and blighted properties to productive use, spur entrepreneurship, create jobs and improve access to healthful, locally grown food.

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