A group of community members will host a free tour of urban farms and neighborhood parks this weekend. South Side in Bloom will highlight the efforts by community members to repurpose land in South Springfield.
In recent years, efforts to engage the community and connect neighbors have sprouted throughout the south side.
Steve Schlather, with Melrose Acres — one of the urban farms featured in the tour — said urban farms have blossomed on the south side of Springfield, and those efforts warrant recognition.
“It shows what a few people can do when they put their minds to it to try to improve their neighborhood or improve a space and that it is possible to take something that you think is never going to mount anything and do something with it.” he said.
Some of those efforts include urban gardens increasing access to more healthier, affordable foods and introducing education programs on gardening and healthy eating.
Karlos Marshall, the co-founder and president of Conscious Connect, said part of the tour is to showcase how a community can collaborate to create equitable access to green spaces and parks.
“I think right now on the south side of Springfield, we're just really at an energetic point,” Marshall said. “And we have a lot of movers and shakers and doers that are taking initiative on their own, and leveraging community resources to better the community.”
At the event there will be fresh grilled vegetables, cooking and gardening lessons, and children’s activities.
South Side in Bloom will go from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. More information is at the South Side in Bloom website.
Here’s the gardens and parks featured on the tour:
- Gammon House, 620 Piqua Place
- Green Environmental Outreach, 724 S. Plum St.
- Hartman Rock Garden, 1905 Russell Ave.
- Innisfallen Inspiration Garden, 1051 S. Yellow Springs St.
- Jefferson Street Oasis, 1027 W. High St.
- Keep Clark County Beautiful Sunflower Field, 500 W. Grand Ave.
- Melrose Acres Urban Agriculture Project, 1030 McCain Ave.
- Promise Neighborhood Visioning Garden, 1217 Linden Ave.
- Woodward Avenue Family Park, 1615 Woodward Ave.
- Auburn Tolliver Peace Garden, S. Limestone & Prairie Ave.
Alejandro Figueroa is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Support for WYSO's reporting on food and food insecurity in the Miami Valley comes from the CareSource Foundation.
