TOLEDO – The Board of Trustees of Toledo Community Foundation has approved a grant from the ProMedica
Advocacy Fund to Toledo Botanical Garden for $77,600. These funds will be used to support the expansion
of food production at Toledo GROWs’ Oneida City Farm and affiliated community gardens.
The Oneida City Farm is a large-scale community garden in urban north Toledo that features a greenhouse,
two state-of-the-art aquaculture systems, tilapia, chickens, bee hives and garden beds. The grant will
be used to pay salaries for youth leaders who help operate the farm, to purchase much-needed equipment
such as tractor attachments and a wood burning heating system, to create a tool lending library, and to
conduct training workshops.
"These funds provide critical support for our ongoing work to increase the capacity for large and
small-scale food production within our community gardens," says Karen Ranney Wolkins, Toledo
Botanical Garden Executive Director. "Our Oneida site serves as the hub for these efforts, so this
funding will have immediate positive results in increasing resources and access to knowledge for all
those involved in urban farming."
Ground will soon be broken at the Oneida property for a one-of-a-kind Education Center that will be built
by the very kids who will ultimately use it. Working with staff from Toledo GROWs, the youth will learn
construction techniques and life skills while improving their neighborhood. When the structure is
complete, the 4,500 square-foot’ building will house a fully equipped workshop, a classroom for up to 30
students and a commercial kitchen for teaching. Attached to the building will be two greenhouses, to be
used primarily for educational purposes.
Partners include Lucas County Juvenile Justice Division, United North, Owens Community College, United
Way, Metroparks of the Toledo Area, US Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and the City of Toledo.
