Our Mission
To improve the food security and health of inner city Springfield residents by providing opportunity to 1.) be self reliant for a portion of their own food production, 2.) eat more fresh, healthy, chemical free food, 3.) develop new skill sets in food production, 4.) improve their economic independence, and 5.) engage in meaningful physical activity that contributes to their family’s and the neighborhood’s well-being.
Why
Recent national and global events have, and will continue to be, factors in the availability of fresh, chemical-free, locally grown food. Economic decline and impending increases in energy costs are creating rising prices for food. Consolidation of food production and supply chains are creating “food deserts” for the inner city, leaving those residents primarily as recipients of highly processed food that is calorie sufficient and nutritionally poor. This is increasingly being shown to have a negative impact on human health.
Our Vision
To engage the local neighborhood in the creation, operation and management of an urban agriculture center that 1.) provides fresh, healthy, chemical free food for the community, 2.) teaches new skill sets in food production and food preservation, and 3.) teaches participants how to eat better given the limitations of the current food system. The urban agriculture center will employ methods that emphasize biointensive, organic, chemical-free food production, and will include elements of permaculture, water capture/reuse, season extension, composting, and sustainable/closed loop systems.
Our Goals
- Improve the overall food security of the community by providing a safe, reliable way to produce fresh, healthy, chemical-free food within that community
- Positively impact the health of the participants through meaningful physical activity and improved quality of the food they consume
- Educate the community about the limitations of the current food production system.
- Educate the community in the growing, preservation, storage and preparation of the food they grow.
- Provide the space, knowledge and tools necessary to facilitate the participation of residents of all ages.
- Improve the quality of the soil at the site(s) with the operation of a composting system
- Provide productive activity, possibly employment in the long term, for residents
- Provide the immediate community with an increased sense of neighborhood pride, community spirit, ownership and/or independence via this project
- Encourage self reliance principles for people in poverty, especially in terms of food
- Be deeply involved with the local community and community groups, such as the West End Neighborhood Association, local Children’s Rescue Center sites, food pantries, and other relevant groups.
Gardens of the Community, by the Community, for the Community
On March 15, 2012, the Archbishop of Cincinnati, as Trustee for St. Raphael Church members, and Children’s Rescue Center, Inc. executed a one-dollar a year lease for 1.26 acres of land at the former St. Mary Church site, 1027 W. High St. The lease will launch a unique gardening opportunity for the residents of the West End Neighborhood and southwest Springfield. This tract of land, located on the old athletic field, will be gradually converted to allotment vegetable gardens for community residents. If efforts prevail, an expanded urban agriculture center could be created, similar to those now being cultivated in other large metropolitan cities.
A small garden-oriented group of committed citizens have formed a ministry known as “First Harvest of Springfield” under the ministry umbrella of Children’s Rescue Center. The directors of First Harvest are organizing a unique gardening concept, utilizing an allotment design in which different size garden plots surround a staging area. The plots are offered to individuals and families, as well as civic organizations and educational institutions. The goal is to engage the community by helping each other with growing, harvesting, and providing fresh produce within the southwest region of Springfield. These plots are offered at no charge, and tillage, seeds, and some tools are provided. Guidance is offered by professional volunteers with agricultural and gardening backgrounds.
It is the larger intent of First Harvest to provide the education needed to reconnect the basic need for food with the satisfaction of growing it; with the greater self reliance that comes by harvesting it; with better health by consuming it; and, most importantly, by the renewed sense of community that results from it.
If you are interested in helping or becoming a garden participant, please call the Children’s Rescue Center at 937-324-2529
“Sowing Seeds of Independence”
Our Wish List
This list is a listing of items/tools we could use.
Storage
ñ portable shed, 8'x10' or larger, capable of setting on wooden rails, hopefully with secure door and roof that doesn't leak
ñ Water storage totes and 55 gal. barrels, food grade quality, no prior chemical use
Tools
ñ dirt shovels
ñ garden rakes
ñ leaf rakes
ñ weeding hoes
ñ garden forks/pitch forks
ñ hand shovels
ñ hand pruners
Power Tools
ñ Push lawn mower (good working condition)
ñ mantis tiller
ñ weed eater
ñ electric drill
Miscellaneous Garden Items
ñ label stakes
ñ tomato cages
ñ steel fence stakes
ñ baler twine/wire
ñ water hoses (5/8”)
ñ water sprinklers
ñ water hose connectors/manifold/Y's
ñ wheelbarrows/garden carts
ñ buckets, with and without lids
ñ seed starting medium
ñ seeds
ñ plants
ñ possibly fencing materials
Composting Construction Materials
ñ wooden pallets, in good condition
ñ hardware cloth (prefer 4' wide, 1/2” mesh size or smaller)
ñ screws/nails
ñ 2x4 lumber
ñ wood chips, leaves, food scraps for composting
Greenhouse Construction Materials
to be added later
Canning Equipment and Supplies
Pressure canners in good working condition
Canning jars, quarts and pints
Rings and lids
