CLEVELAND — An urban farm in the Kinsman-Cleveland neighborhood turned a former dumping ground into a flourishing food ecosystem.
Rid-All Green is one of the biggest Black-owned farms in Ohio. The group started with 1.3 acres, and in 13 years, they expanded to 18, helping to heal the food insecurity areas around Cleveland.
Randy McShepard is one of the co-founders of Rid-All; he said the surrounding area has a high amount of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and a lot of that is attributed to diet.
"We thought we might be able to change that if we were to create a space where people can not only learn how to grow healthy food but get good advice on how to consume healthy food," said McShepard.
There are six hoop houses, two greenhouses, a fish farm and a community kitchen that provides healthy meals two days a week.
Keymah Durden is also a co-founder of Rid-All. He said there needs to be more places in the community where residents can go and get produce.
"We find that many local residents have to buy their food from the same place they buy their gasoline from and their lottery tickets at the mini-mart. There's no grocery store in an eight-to-10-mile radius where folks can go and buy local produce or fresh, nutritionally dense produce, and we want to service those needs," said Durden.
The farm also offers nutrition and cooking classes and a five-month training program that trains people in farming.
"We teach individuals everything that we know about the art and science of urban farming, going all the way back to the importance of soil and how to make compost soil. Also, how the quality of your soil will dictate the quality of your produce that you grow. We also teach them about fish farming, and we talk about the business of farming," said McShepard.
He said their goal is to get people less excited about fast foods, educate them on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and decrease the number of health challenges in black and brown communities.
"It breaks our heart to see the kids with the chips and the sodas going to school and want to replace that robust diet that would include all sorts of fruits and vegetables. We know they will feel better, and we know they will learn better, and all the data said that we as a community will live longer," said McShepard.
The farm is located in an area once called the Forgotten Triangle, but it's becoming a safe space for families.
"Before we came here, nobody wanted to use this playground; people were intimidated by the illicit activity going on, but now we have transformed the community and turned it into a vibrant neighborhood where kids can play, and people can walk their dogs," said Durden.
To expand their resources, they own a farmers' market in the Maple Heights neighborhood where people can buy food grown on the farm.
"Which, again, conveys the right message to our community. You know, think about eating healthier, if you can think about the importance of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. And maybe through that, we can change some lives and save some lives," said McShepard.
