A Vision for Life in Abundance

Growth and opportunities are abundant in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton and Stockyards neighborhoods and friends got an up-close view during this year’s Rally CLE event day at how micro-farms and gardens are offering new life to community members.

While driving through the area, people might miss the gardens, fruit orchards and now micro-farms filling city lots, but agriculture continues to bring neighbors together as they cultivate, celebrate and share so many gifts of God from the earth. Hope is growing one lot, one family, one block at a time. 

Luis (shown here) and his wife, Yomarie, have lived in the neighborhood for 25 years and have witnessed the ups and downs of their community. Along with their three girls, the family continues to see what’s possible when they invite God to lead the way and trust Him to do it.  

“This is our third time participating in Rally CLE, and with our project this year, we wanted to build a gathering space for residents near the new micro-farm on West 61st Street,” says Yomarie. “Our goal is for this to be a place where people can not only access food, but be together and celebrate the beauty our community has to offer. From here, we hope to start a block club where residents can dream together about our neighborhood.” 

Vision like theirs is only developed through seeing and knowing the streets up close. Days spent walking to and from work, talking with their neighbors and seeing where God is already at work gives the family a bigger perspective to what is possible for their community. 

Earlier this year, BHITC installed two micro-farms in city neighborhoods to increase access to fresh food, provide food education and continue building relationships with residents. Since installation in May, the two micro-farms continue to produce a plentiful supply of fresh greens, herbs and vegetables! The tomato crop this year, in fact, fed dozens and dozens of people connected through community, church, school and senior citizen partnerships. 

At Rally CLE, teams of 50+ volunteers from churches and businesses gathered to harvest some of the crops at the West 61st Street micro-farm, build a gathering space, clean up overgrown weeds, add fresh mulch and flowers and prepare a meal to be shared with the community that afternoon. From pumpkins and squash to okra, basil, collard greens and peppers, the volunteers dedicated their time to improving the space itself while also providing nourishment for the community. 

“Neighbors stopped in throughout the day because they saw the garden full of people,” says Yomarie. “Then, they even came back in the afternoon with more neighbors for the cookout. We had at least 30 neighbors come by and experience the garden for the first time that day, and now, they come frequently to pick and eat from the garden, which was one of our goals.” 

As His people plant and water, it is God who makes all things grow - whether that's nourishing food, new relationships or growing bonds of trust among the residents of Clark-Fulton and Stockyards, whom we love and serve alongside. Thank you for joining us in what’s possible when we love our neighbors by loving neighborhoods! 

Watch for what’s to come at this micro-farm in the weeks ahead as the team prepares it to produce crops all winter long!