MANSFIELD – The seventh annual Raising Richland Community Garden Summit will take place on Thursday, March 9 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Longview Center, 1495 W. Longview Ave., Mansfield.
The event is free and open to the public. Door prizes and refreshments will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring cash for shopping at the many artisan displays during the program breaks.
“We’re excited to bring in local speakers and a community garden panel this year,” said North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) Community Garden Organizer Rochelle Jones. “We are also excited to have vendors for the first time, and introduce the public to some local growers and artisans.”
This year’s event will feature demonstrations by Nicholas Copley of Lionheart Medicinal Gardens and Chef Rasul Welch, as well as a Community Garden Panel.
Welch will present “Extending the Season,” explaining how to save the season’s harvest through preservation by fermentation.
Copley will discuss the many ways to integrate nutritious and tasty herbal teas into an everyday lifestyle. He will demonstrate herbal tea infusions and how to maximize the benefits of each cup.
The Community Garden Panel will feature Amy Hamrick of the Richland County Land Bank; Belinda Morgan, organizer of “The Welcome Garden” community garden; Caleb Parsons, organizer of the “South Park Children’s Educational Garden” community garden; and Beverly Baxter, organizer of the “Richland Correctional Reintegration Community Garden and Beekeeping Program.”
The panel will answer questions on how to start a community garden, as well as general gardening questions.
Partnerships Make the Program
“The summit is often seen as an NECIC event,” said NECIC Teaching Garden Coordinator Candace Harrell, “but in reality, it’s the culmination of several community partnerships.”
New partners are always encouraged, and Raising Richland is happy to welcome DRM Productions this year.
“DRM is a digital media production company that has been helping the Mansfield area for over 35 years,” said DRM Partner Jay Miller. “We specialize in video production, web design, graphics design, 3D animation and digital signage.”
DRM Productions will put their talents to use at the summit by projecting the hands-on demonstrations onto two 48-inch screens so that all attendees will have the best possible view.
This isn’t DRM’s first community partnership, though.
“DRM has a long history of community-related projects and continues to give back in any way we can. We see the value in helping organizations seeking to make our community a better place to live and work,” Miller said.
He added that DRM is happy to partner with the Raising Richland Community Garden Summit to help promote healthy living and locally-sourced foods in our community.
The Beginning: Partnerships to Promote Education
OSU Extension Educator and County Extension Director Judy Villard Overocker said the Raising Richland Community Garden Summit began as an effort to educate the community.
Overocker said she remembered discussions with the Richland County Master Gardener Volunteers and OSU Extension about the mission of the master gardener program, which is education.
“It evolved into a one-night showcase of new information that would have a focus on helping the traditional gardeners, as well as community gardeners, expand their knowledge and do better what they do with their passion for gardening.”
Mona Kneuss, president of the Richland County Master Gardener Volunteers, said, “When this started, the master gardeners had decided they wanted the opportunity to teach the community about gardening. We really wanted to help with the movement of community gardens at that time, so that’s really why we started it.
“NECIC’s involvement was a good fit. NECIC was doing community outreach, which is what we were trying to do. They were helping very significantly with a lot of community gardens. It is a great partnership.”
Partners in planning the 2017 event include: Richland Soil and Water Conservation District; North End Community Improvement Collaborative; The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; DRM Productions, Inc.; Mansfield/Richland County Public Library; Richland County Master Gardener Volunteers; and Richland Public Health Creating Healthy Communities.
Deb Dubois, outreach manager of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, said the library has been involved in the event for four years.
“Besides helping plan the event, we bring our seed library and information about what the library has to offer – information about gardening, books, videos. We give away seeds at the event, as well,” Dubois said.
She added that the library gets involved in many community events, “because the library has something for everyone.”
Children’s Activities
The Raising Richland Community Garden Summit also features a Youth Summit, headed by Overocker. The Youth Summit offers fun and educational activities for children while parents attend the Raising Richland Community Garden Summit.
“The youth program gives parents, those that may not have a babysitter, an opportunity to bring their children and to know that their children are in a safe learning environment. To know they are learning a skill that they can use to potentially benefit themselves, as a hobby, and perhaps as a way to make money raising fruits and vegetables,” noted Overocker.
This year’s program will feature snacks as well as a “Soil to Soup” theme, offering children the opportunity to learn how their vegetables make the transition from seeds to food.
Free and Open to the Public
The Raising Richland Community Garden Summit will be held Thursday, March 9, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Longview Center, 1495 W. Longview Ave., Mansfield. The event is free and open to the public. Door prizes and refreshments will be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring cash for shopping at the many artisan displays during the program breaks.
Questions may be directed to NECIC Community Garden Organizer Rochelle Jones or NECIC Teaching Garden Coordinator Candace Harrell at 419-525-3101, Candace@necic-ohio.org or Rochelle@necic-ohio.org.
