Urban Farming

Guided by Mushrooms in Dayton received a $2,500 microgrant from the nonprofit Hall Hunger Initiative to supply mushrooms to House of Bread, a community kitchen offering free lunchtime meals.

Homesteading is growing in popularity in cities and suburbs as more seek sustainably grown food. Some in Ohio have even bigger goals for cutting back on environmental impacts.

The organization was founded in 2015 by former Congressman and ambassador Tony Hall.

Homesteading grew in popularity during the pandemic. Now, some homesteaders in Dayton are continuing to thrive off of their own land.

Mission of Mary Cooperative has been growing produce across six urban lots in east Dayton since 2009. The nonprofit runs a CSA and food access programs in the Twin Towers neighborhood. It also just received a nearly half-million dollar estate gift to keep growing that mission.

A group of local urban farmers is calling on area residents and policymakers to support farmers amid high food prices.

A Sinclair Community College student recently filed a patent for a mobile aeroponic system, a process for growing vegetables without soil. The goal is to make it accessible to neighborhoods lacking access to healthy and affordable food.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will partner with Central State University to train underserved rural and urban farmers. The nearly $5 million project is part of the USDA’s investment in its Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiative.

The Edgemont neighborhood in West Dayton has seen a burst of new energy in recent years. The Greater Edgemont Community Coalition has expanded its solar garden project and there's more plans to grow its food sustainability efforts.

For some, the point of an urban garden is about addressing food scarcity, for others it means connecting neighbors with other neighbors. While others might just do it as a hobby. But it can also be a major undertaking.

Back in September the Dayton Foodbank unveiled its new hydroponic greenhouse. It was a way for the food bank to serve more fresh, locally grown vegetables to residents facing food insecurity in the Miami Valley. In mid-December it began harvesting its first batch of greens grown on-sight.

A new farm has turned vacant land productive, but restrictions within city limits is hindering its growth.