West End Community Garden

West End Community Garden

The West End Community Garden is an urban oasis of abundant fruits and vegetables grown by the community for the community. Operating under the collective umbrella of the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, the community garden helps fulfill its vision of ‘a sustainable future for all where environmental and social responsibility drive individual and institutional actions.

The interstate directly across the street tells the story of the historically vibrant neighborhood that was razed for the project as well as the way industrialized food is transported across the country. In stark contrast, the West End Community Garden is as localized and intentionally slow as the place and pace that plants grow. Managers Gerri Simmons and John Black oversee the 56 plots and tell us that the community gardeners are as diverse as the produce in the beds themselves. While nearby residents grow nutritious food for their own homes, 7 community beds are designated to share food with neighboring organizations who serve those in need.

We’ve been inspired by the example set by the West End Community Garden and are partnering with them on a project to, quite literally, facilitate growth in the community we share. They’ve expressed the need for a greenhouse, primarily to start seeds in the springtime, to make starts more affordable and accessible for the gardeners.

Funds from this round of the Community Blend Give Back will be used toward the construction of a well-designed, skillfully-built structure that will reflect the intention and care already cultivated in this beautiful corner of the West End.