politics opinions local sports home & · pdf fileedible forest garden taking root along...
TRANSCRIPT
Jay-Z in thespotlight
Summer after Sandy Royal babypreparations
RGIII's wife,Rebecca Liddicoat,in her wedding...
Edible forest garden taking root along pollutedriver in Ohio; healthy goals for people, too
CAPTION
5 More
2 More
By Associated Press, Published: July 8
CINCINNATI — Berry bushes and squash vines, apple and pear saplings, and inches-high
corn plants growing now are envisioned to blossom into an “edible forest garden” in urban
Cincinnati for the benefit of joggers, bicyclists, hikers and those who simply want to relax
along a waterway.
Community forest and gardening efforts have been popping up across the country, from
Seattle to Pittsburgh, including other urban gardens in this city along the Ohio River. But
this new project combines the goals of providing a new source of fresh fruit and
Search for contractor ratings & reviews
Plumbers | Handymen | Remodelers | Landscapers
Find home service providers go
The Post Most: Lifestyle
Most Popular
1. Let the grandparents play their way
2. Mideast journalists allege bias in al-Jazeera'sreporting on Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood
3. One grower's grapes of wrath
(Al Behrman/ Associated Press ) - In this Wednesday, July 12, 2013 photo, volunteer Jonathan Sears plantsseeds in a garden along Spring Grove Ave. near the Mill Creek, in Cincinnati. The creek runs throughindustrial areas and has long been a problem due to deforestation, pollution and sewer overflow. The city ofCincinnati is growing an edible forest garden near the creek as part of a years-long effort to restore the Mill
Home & GardenIn the News Carolyn Hax al-Jazeera Mos Def Royal Baby Jay-Z
Sign In SUBSCRIBE: Home Delivery Digital Jobs Real Estate Rentals Cars Today's Paper Discussions Going Out Guide
Politics Opinions Local Sports National World Business Tech Lifestyle Entertainment Jobs More
this new project combines the goals of providing a new source of fresh fruit and
vegetables for city dwellers with a long-term effort to renew the river, which has been
polluted for decades.
“Basically, we are transforming what this
river corridor looks like. We’re giving the
river a green edge and making it more
inviting for people,” said Robin Corathers,
an environmental planner and the
executive director of Groundwork
Cincinnati, a community-based nonprofit.
The ambitious “Healthy People, Healthy
River” project incorporates nutrition,
recreation, education and artwork — along
with major environmental cleanup. A 28-
mile greenway trail is planned in the Mill
Creek watershed, which runs from the Ohio
River through Cincinnati and into its northern suburbs. The watershed has long been a
receptacle for industrial waste, raw sewage, residential stormwater runoff and other
pollutants. Mill Creek restoration has been under way for two decades, and the edible
forest garden is a way to heighten public interest in it, Corathers said.
Fresh, healthy food from the garden is intended to go to people who live within walking
distance and aren’t near a major grocery store, and to food pantries. It’s also hoped the
fresh produce will boost anti-obesity efforts and attract people to the area for exercise,
learning and leisure. The site will include ground vegetation and a tree canopy.
The garden also is a celebration of art.
Jonathan Sears, executive director of Professional Artistic Research Projects in Cincinnati’s
Northside neighborhood, and community volunteer Lennell Myricks Jr. spent a recent 90-
degree morning hoeing rows of recently planted corn in an acre-size maze. Regional
sculptors will donate works to be placed throughout the corn maze; when the corn grows
tall, people will come upon the works by surprise as they search for the way out.
“Long after the corn is gone, the art will be here,” said Sears. “And people will be able to
snack on the other things that are growing.”
His group is among many participants in the forest garden. The Garden Club of Cincinnati
is contributing plants and volunteers, and other help comes from neighborhood
organizations, students, environmental groups, government programs and corporations.
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has made the project one of 1,000 community gardens and green
spaces it plans to help develop by 2018 in a corporate outreach project for its 150th
anniversary.
“There are so many healthy benefits to this,” said Chris Cerveny, a horticulture scientist
for Scotts, the lawn products and service company based in Marysville, Ohio.
Scotts has partnered with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which granted $25,000 to the
project this year, including donations of topsoil, compost and other Scotts products. The
company organized dozens of volunteers to help clear and prepare the soil for planting.
Ten sweat-soaked Duke Energy Corp. volunteers were working on a recent day, wielding
machetes and sprayers to clear honeysuckle and other invasive plants along the Mill
Creek. The greenway project is helping to revitalize heron, turtle and other wildlife habitat
along the Ohio.
4. Teresa Heinz Kerry: The quiet presence behind thesecretary of state
5. Apartment planned for 1600 Penn SE
Top Videos
Top Galleries
Personal Post
Top recommendations for you
5 h FRONTPAGEVirginia E. Johnson, half ofMasters and Johnson duo thatredefined sex in the 1960s, diesat 88
6 h FRONTPAGEAnthony Weiner details howmany women he’s had explicitonline relationships with
7 h FRONTPAGEDig at Eastern Shore site, builtby freed slaves, shows it may beU.S.’s oldest black community
8 h FRONTPAGEWhat motivates a lawyer todefend a Tsarnaev, a Castro ora Zimmerman?
9 h FRONTPAGESenior Homeland Security post nomineedenies aiding politically connected technologyfirm
More headlines for you >
Kate's Unabashed Baby Belly Busts TheLast Taboo Of Pregnancy...
Sex and the City screwed up my sex life
Escaped 11-Year-Old Girl: "I'd RatherDie" Than Be Forced Int...
1:00 PM Eugene Robinson Live
Weekly schedule, past shows
Live Online Discussions
Home Front chatJoin staff writer Jura Koncius andauthor Ronda Carman on July 11to talk about interior design andCarman’s new book, “Designers atHome: Personal Reflections onStylish Living
Earlier Today
11:00 AM ComPost Live with Alexandra Petri
12:00 PM Tuesdays with Moron: Chatological HumorUpdate (July 9, 2013)
Post Newsletters & Alerts
Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions | About Badges | About Badges
7/8/2013 9:10 PM EDT
7/8/2013 11:38 PM EDT
7/8/2013 9:10 PM EDT
7/8/2013 11:38 PM EDT
MayL wrote:
Am I the only one who would not eat fruits which have been feeding on polluted water?
@jonathanbeach responds:
Thanks for the concern MayL. To offer some clarity though, the trail (where the gardens are planted)is about 20 feet above the waterway and not affected by the cleaning efforts. The final picture showsa little of that.
We actually depend on and collect rain water ...and water via truck in drought conditions.
View all comments »
Add your comment | Reply to a comment | Recommend a comment | Report an offensive comment
MayL wrote:
Am I the only one who would not eat fruits which have been feeding on polluted water?
@jonathanbeach responds:
Thanks for the concern MayL. To offer some clarity though, the trail (where the gardens are planted)is about 20 feet above the waterway and not affected by the cleaning efforts. The final picture showsa little of that.
We actually depend on and collect rain water ...and water via truck in drought conditions.
Student volunteers are teaching local youths more about the area’s history, as well as the
environment, nutrition and horticulture.
Some of the newly planted trees are called “Freedom Trees” to celebrate Mill Creek’s role
in the Underground Railroad system that helped fugitive slaves reach freedom.
Even on a recent hot summer day, a few people came down the trail on bicycles. Soon, it’s
hoped, they’ll be able to stop and pluck some blueberries or an apple while taking a break
under shade trees.
“Anyone who uses the trail who wants to grab some fruit and nuts and vegetables, that’s
what it’s there for,” Carothers said.
___
Contact the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reprints
Comments5
Sign-up for e-mail newsletters and alerts and get the newsyou need delivered directly to your inbox.
See all Washington Post Newsletters
Going Out Guide:Dinner & Drinks
Going Out Guide: WithThe Kids
At Home
DC Scout
Going Out Guide
Lean & Fit
Movies
Travel
Subscribe
Featured Advertiser Links
Looking to buy a home? Visit TWP Real Estate sectionfor the latest open houses.
Wireless Solves Parking Nightmare
Sign up to join Terry McAuliffe's campaign! Paid for byTerry McAuliffe for Governor.
Looking to buy a home? Visit TWP Real Estate sectionfor the latest open houses.
U.S. Farmers "Grow" Wireless
Terry McAuliffe for Governor: Join the team! Paid for byTerry McAuliffe for Governor.
Sponsored Links
LifeLock® Official SiteProtect your Identity with LifeLock Ultimate™ Today.LifeLock.com
See Public RecordsEnter name, search for free and get public records instantly!instantcheckmate.com
Extended Stay HotelsOfficial Site. Free WIFI, Kitchens. Our best rates here, guaranteed.www.ExtendedStayHotels.com
Buy a link here
7/15/2013 11:56 AM EDT
More from The Washington Post
After fearing he was killing clients,Sacramento food bank director focuses onfresh produce
One family’s painful lesson about ‘lending’
Ask Amy: Girlfriend shouldn’t move in, butmove on
This week’s best travel bargains
Thousands lose power for second day
Sponsored Headlines
Unrecognized risks the wealthy faceU.S. Trust
Five Surprising $100K Jobs That Don’tRequire a DegreeMonster
How Do I Tell Her We Made a DrunkenMistake?Men's Fitness
Your cat may be even smarter than you thinkHill's Pet
Demi Moore Is Looking More & More LikeCher in Latest Freaky Pic (PHOTO)CafeMom
LHeberle responds:
Any of Scotts herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizer (donated products) running off into the river? Adiscussion of that would be crucial.
Also, when was the last time the site of the gardens or new plantings for the edible forest flooded?
Another question is what was the previous use of the site of the planted area? Has the soil beentested? Has the new soil brought in been tested? Is it from a trusted source who regularly tests thesoil?
View all comments »
Add your comment | Reply to a comment | Recommend a comment | Report an offensive comment
what's this
Top Lifestyle Stories Most Popular Videos
Chinese Communist partofficial proposes to hisgirlfriend
Pope Francis visitsBrazilian favela
Digging for an earlierfreedom
Terry McAuliffe for Governor.
Featured Advertiser Links
Sponsored Links
LifeLock® Official SiteProtect your Identity with LifeLock Ultimate™ Today.LifeLock.com
See Public RecordsEnter name, search for free and get public recordsinstantly!instantcheckmate.com
Extended Stay HotelsOfficial Site. Free WIFI, Kitchens. Our best rates here,guaranteed.www.ExtendedStayHotels.com
Buy a link here
Sponsored LinksNew Look. Powerful Tools.Get UNLIMITED credit score access at the newTransUnion® sitetransunion.com
Great Summer DealsPlan Your Next Trip With Great Deals, All Summer Longwww.hilton.com/HHonors
New Rule in Ohio(July 2013): If You Pay For Car Insurance You BetterRead This Now...ConsumerSpending.org
Buy a link here
Go to The Post's Real Estate
Real Estate
The 30-year fixed-rate average
declined for the second week in a row,
falling to 4.31 percent.
$685,000, 5 bd / 5 bath
Reduced Price
Annapolis, MD
$550,000, 4 bd / 4 bath
Recently Listed
Washington, DC
Mortgage rates reverse course
Listings
Search by Address, City, Zip, Neighborhood
Sponsored Links
New Look. Powerful Tools.Get UNLIMITED credit score access at the new TransUnion® sitetransunion.com
Great Summer DealsPlan Your Next Trip With Great Deals, All Summer Longwww.hilton.com/HHonors
New Rule in Ohio(July 2013): If You Pay For Car Insurance You Better Read This Now...ConsumerSpending.org
Buy a link here
The Washington Post Politics Opinions Local Sports National World Business Tech Lifestyle Entertainment Photo Video Blogs Classifieds
More ways to get us
Home delivery
Mobile & Apps
RSS
Social Reader
Newsletter & Alerts
Washington Post Live
Reprints & Permissions
Post Store
e-Replica
Archive
Contact Us
Help & Contact Info
Reader Representative
Careers
Digital Advertising
Newspaper Advertising
News Service &Syndicate
About Us
The Washington PostCompany
In the community
PostPoints
Newspaper in Education
CapitalBusiness Capitol Deal El Tiempo Latino
Express Find&Save Foreign Policy
Washington PostMaster Class ParadeMagazine Washington PostTickets
The Root Service Alley Slate StudentAdvisor
Trove WP Wine Club
Partners
washingtonpost.com © 1996-2013 The Washington Post Terms of Service Privacy Policy Submissions and Discussion Policy RSS Terms of Service Ad Choices