AKRON, Ohio — A pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's outpatient building in downtown Akron planted the seeds for a simple idea, and a year later, it has blossomed into a thriving garden, giving patients, families, and the broader community free access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Maureen Ahmann, nicknamed the "Garden Doctor," said years of advising families on healthy eating inspired her to act.
"I've been in pediatrics for over two decades and I kept telling families they needed to have their kids — have half of their plates be vegetables," Ahmann said.
That advice led Ahmann to plant a garden directly in front of the facility on South Broadway, giving people easy access to healthy fruits and vegetables.
The garden, called the "Akron's Grow With Us Garden," started small last year, but it has since more than doubled in size. It features corn, eggplant, green beans, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon, Swiss chard and more.
There are also many herbs and flowers growing, including towering sunflowers.
Dr. Ahmann and other Cleveland Clinic Children's caregivers tend to the garden. Medical assistant A'Stacia Fitzgerald said the work has personal benefits, too.
"It does help with my stress when I'm weeding and everything. It's nice to look at," Fitzgerald said.
The garden is free and open to anyone — not just patient families. For parents concerned about the rising cost of produce, the garden is meaningful.
"It means a lot that you have something like this for the families that need it," said Ulyana Ivashchuk, a mother of two young girls.
For families like Chris Doolittle and her 12-year-old son, Anthony, visits to the clinic now come with an added bonus. Anthony said he enjoys picking from the garden.
"I like the corn. I like the watermelon, and I like that we get to pick vegetables," he said.
Chris Doolittle said the garden adds something special to what can otherwise be a routine medical visit.
"It's such a great community thing. We come for appointments. We get to pick in the garden," Doolittle said.
Beyond providing fruits and veggies, Ahmann said the garden is designed to empower people with the knowledge to grow their own food at home.
"It's not just, yes, you can come to the doctor's office and get your fruits and vegetables, but we're trying to teach them how they can have that in their own yard," said Ahmann.
A GOJO grant helped pay for improved soil, mulch, seeds, planting materials and irrigation, and is helping fund permanent signs made by children and caregivers to label fruits and vegetables. The grant also supports take-home planting activities, allowing children to fill pots with soil and choose seeds to grow at home. The Stark County Health Department donated seeds both this year and last to help families start gardens of their own.
