From food desert to urban oasis — one farm project could change Cleveland: Leslie Kouba

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Most of us have a bad case of the Februaries right now. It’s no wonder those who garden peruse seed and plant catalogs this time of year. Not only are we just a couple weeks or so from starting tomatoes from seed indoors, but those colorful images of roses, raspberries and radishes brighten winter-weary eyes.

Near the corner of E. 67th Street and Superior Avenue in the Hough neighborhood, there’s more than just garden planning going on. Food Strong, a local nonprofit, is envisioning a whole urban farm campus dedicated to fresh food. It’s called Superior Farm.

Founded and led by community activist and South Euclid councilperson, Sara Continenza, Food Strong focuses on fresh foods as a way to improve health and strengthen neighborhoods. With programs like Mobile Farm Stand, School Gardens and Care-A-Van, Food Strong educates all ages about the benefits of fresh foods and how to grow, prepare and share them.

Cleveland has many areas called food deserts, where access to fresh food is very limited. Those who live in these areas are more susceptible to food insecurity and the diseases that arise from, in part, an inadequate diet – like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Too many people in our city must skip meals to make groceries last to the end of the month or buy less costly food with inadequate nutritional value, trying to fill bellies.

For city kids, fresh vegetables can be unknown. It’s hard to imagine there are children who can’t recognize carrots or celery. When Continenza witnessed this for herself, her life mission took shape. First with Hunger Network and now with her own nonprofit, she is a fresh foods champion.

Currently, Superior Farm is a 2.7-acre parcel that needs loving care. When the weather breaks, the grounds that are currently overgrown with weeds and littered with old pallets and a variety of castaway stuff will be transformed. Restoring the old hoop greenhouses and installing raised beds to grow produce will be the priority.

With winter still hounding us, work is happening in the three buildings on the property – a huge 1920s brick church with classrooms, an 1881 (or so) house with over 4,500 square feet of living space (seven bedrooms!) and a five-car garage that is the newest of the three, built in the 1950s. The grounds also hold a fixer-upper chicken coop and hoop greenhouses in need of restoration.

Superior Farm has a history. The church was once St. George’s Lithuanian Church and was designed by church architect J. Ellsworth Potter. A 2010 overview written by Christopher Busta-Peck and found on clevelandareahistory.org, includes a reference to a no longer functioning church website that indicated St. George’s was the oldest functioning Lithuanian Parish in North America when it was active. The Italianate-style house was built as the private home of Henry and Catherine Beckenbach until they sold it in 1917, when it became the rectory for St. George’s.

I think the Beckenbachs and St. George’s congregation would be pleased with Continenza’s vision and Food Strong’s mission.

Superior Farm’s future is guided by a simple five-year plan. This first year is about clearing and raising crops. Year two through five includes converting the church into a year-round indoor fresh food market and community event spaces. The house will hold offices, housing for Americorps volunteers, and spaces for classes and other opportunities like recreation, vocational and entrepreneurial training and health support services.

This past Thursday evening I joined a modest team of volunteers to help pitch rolls of rotten carpeting, unusable lumber scraps, trash, mattresses and more out through a double door fire escape and over the rail into a huge dumpster. It felt very satisfying when I cleared a small room.

Once the weather breaks, work will shift to reconstructing the greenhouses, creating raised beds for vegetables and populating the old coop behind the house.

The work is huge but vital. Hunger is hideous and secretive. Too many people in our city are suffering from it. Everyone deserves decent food. Continenza’s passion for engaging the community in the work is creating long term stability through a sense of ownership by the very people who need the fresh foods.

About 700 volunteers a year keep Food Strong’s programs going and growin,g including the School Gardens. Continenza shared, “We are happy to report increases in knowledge, social emotional learning and desire to meaningfully participate in local food systems as a result of our school programming.” Data shows school attendance improves on program days.

Continenza is a powerful networker and has engaged many businesses, elected officials, foundations and sponsors in supporting Food Strong endeavors. Donations, sponsorships and grants are funding the work. More of all these resources is needed.

There’s an amazing opportunity for people to meet Superior Farm and Food Strong. Continenza said, “We’d love folks to attend our ribbon cutting at our new farm.” So, consider yourself invited to the March 24 event. RSVP at https://bit.ly/SuperiorRibbonCutting.

To discover all the ways to help, see https://www.foodstrong.org/farm. Hopefully, I’ll see you there.

Leslie Kouba is a freelance writer residing on Cleveland’s West side and writes regularly for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. Her columns draw attention to ideas, concepts, social needs and political shenanigans. Sometimes, she writes humorously, because laughing is her favorite activity. She values relationships and deep conversations (because small talk gets us nowhere).