MANSFIELD – The North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) has announced the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the NECIC/RiCI Urban Agricultural Site.
This event, at 1155 S. Olivesburg Road, Mansfield, is free to attend, and light refreshments will be served.
Event schedule
1 p.m.: Welcome and opening remarks by our distinguished speakers
1:30 p.m.: Ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Urban Agricultural Site
Following the ribbon cutting, optional tours will be available for anyone interested in exploring RiCI and the farm more extensively
The NECIC/RiCI Urban Agricultural Site is a groundbreaking 30-plus acre farm located at the Richland Correctional Institution.
This innovative initiative is a collaboration between Richland Correctional Institution, which generously leases the land to NECIC, and NECIC, who provides agricultural education and rehabilitation programs.
This environment promotes sustainable agriculture and provides a fertile ground for education and rehabilitation.
Through a partnership with Central State University, inmates have the incredible opportunity to gain valuable agricultural skills.
They participate in comprehensive education and business courses, work towards earning certifications in agriculture, and accumulate apprenticeship hours.
This program also offers community service opportunities and potential sentence reductions for participants.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the beginning of a new chapter in agricultural education and rehabilitation.
Warden Kenneth Black will MC the event, and we will have short speeches from:
Deanna West Torrence, CEO, NECIC
Phil Mazzocco, Board President, NECIC
Annette M. Chambers-Smith, Director, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC)
Michelle Wallace, Regional ANR Extension Educator, Northwest, Central State University
Walt Bonham, Food & Farm Consultant, NECIC
An inmate participant
The community to join in this momentous occasion and to learn more about this transformative program.
For more information, please contact Melissa Drozda at drozda@necic-ohio.org.