Mission of Mary Cooperative has been growing produce across six lots in East Dayton since 2009. The nonprofit runs a CSA and food access programs in the Twin Towers neighborhood. It also received a $424,000 estate gift to keep growing that mission.
The nonprofit hosts garden spaces and workshops for neighbors like Dawn Lochner, who do not have the space to grow vegetables or fruit at her house, and can’t drive to grocery stores.
Though she lives just down the street from the Lincoln Hills Garden run by Mission of Mary — the garden is at the former site of Lincoln Elementary School on Nassau Street.
The nonprofit provides a garden for her and other neighbors to come and grow. There’s about 20 raised beds, several dozen fruit trees, native shrubs and wildflowers and some picnic tables and walking trails.
The garden is a space Lochner said has benefited her and her family a lot.
“I'm on disability, so my income is exceptionally limited and you know, do you pick the 99 cent box of Hamburger Helper or do you spend money you don't have on sweetcorn, on cucumbers. Produce more adds up so fast,” Lochner said.
Lochner has grown corn, tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens and herbs for several seasons at the garden. She said she wouldn’t have known how to do it without the nonprofits’ support.
“The healthy aspect of connecting with the ground, knowing that I made this; that I grew this, [it’s] long term sustainability," Lochner said. “I would know how to start from seeds and feed myself and my family and my neighbors. I have enough that I can help my neighbors as well.”
Michael Schulz, the nonprofit’s executive director, explains the mission is simple.
“There are some challenges if you want to grow your own food, [like] where to get compost, where to plant seeds or even the knowledge,” Schulz said. “And so we just try to help them get those resources, but walk with them each season, giving them educational, monthly newsletters, and community events.”
Mission of Mary also runs a CSA that sells produce boxes at one-third of the market price for income eligible families, or full price for people who can afford to pay and support the nonprofit.
The planned estate gift it received came from local resident, Theresa Steinbruegge. With the estate gift, the nonprofit plans to grow its community garden program, and to teach more people in East Dayton to plant their own gardens.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
