Looking to Start a Community Garden in Cleveland? The Summer Sprout Community Garden program can help! Gardens enrolled in Summer Sprout may be eligible for soil testing, soil amendments, tilling services, plants, seeds, materials for raised beds, technical assistance and education. Existing community gardens may also be eligible!
In order to become a participating garden, the project must meet the following requirements:
1) Location of garden must be within Cleveland city limits; not a suburb
2) The designated “Garden Leader” must complete Dig In! training prior to applying (provided by OSU Extension each Spring); Cost of class is $50
3) The garden must have a minimum of 5 gardeners who are committed to participating in the garden; these 5 gardeners cannot be all from the same family
4) Must have documented permission to use land for purpose of gardening
5) Must have an identified water source at or near the garden site
6) Must not sell any of the produce from the garden; all produce must go to the gardeners or be donated
General Timeline for Joining Summer Sprout:
Step 1 is to sign up for the Dig In training. This is a mandatory 5 week course offered each Spring.
Step 2 is to submit a new garden application in the Summer.
By Fall, each applicant will be notified of acceptance status and next steps.
By Spring of the following year, newly accepted gardens will be eligible to receive materials and services from the Summer Sprout program.
Dig In! Training
Register for our Dig In! Community Garden Training Program. Dig In! helps community members gain the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, design, and build a thriving and sustainable community garden. This is a requirement for all new gardens or new garden leaders. Cost of the program is $50.00.
The application deadline is March 16 at 5pm. A notice of acceptance into the program will be sent by March 23, 2023.
This training is scheduled to take place on Tuesday evenings starting on April 12th and ending on June 7th (9 weeks total). Please see the tentative schedule under more information below. Classes will take place on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. This class will take a hybrid format, meaning some classes will be virtual via zoom and, as the weather warms, some classes will be in person at our office and to be determined gardens.
If you have any questions about the application process, contact Michelle Zmarzly at Zmarzly.1@osu.edu or 330-599-7727.
To see more class information with descriptions, click here