Growing Hope in the City

by Jason Russ

When the wintry winds of February bring snow and cold upon Lorain, the last thing most of us wish to do is go outside. The icy temperatures drive us inward to stay warm, which is where we've spent so much of our time during these COVID-laden days.

But what if there was an answer to the hopelessness that has overwhelmed us through these difficult times? What if there was a way to bring people together while seeing failure as a valuable ally toward the greatness of dedication and persistence?

Let's go on an unexpected journey together and gain a vision for what is possible if we dirty our hands and catch sight of something we could all use more of these days: hope.

Abby Miller comes from a tradition of growing apples, peaches, plums, cherries, and other fruits during her time on her family's farm, Miller Orchards. As a young lady in her 20s, she recalls many of her earliest memories tagging along on the tractor with her father Roger as he worked in the orchard and helping her mother Jennifer as she ran Apple Hill in Amherst.

Abby's mom was also an avid vegetable gardener. She allowed Abby and her siblings to plant their own produce and learn the joy of seeing it come to harvest each season. This experience led Abby to become a part of Future Farmers of America at a young age and ultimately pursue a degree from Dordt University in agriculture with a strong emphasis on mission work.

For Abby, combining agriculture with her faith was a dream come true. After graduating, she settled back home and began working at The Salvation Army in Lorain. There, she connected with the children's needs in the city, and her heart grew for them to experience the soil like she so often had during her youth. Abby got a garden box for the kids to teach them the value of planting and growing and sharing their harvest with others.

Eventually, Abby took on a part-time role at a garden center, but she met her heart for agricultural missions through a local non-profit called "Hope for Futures." This organization received help from a city grant early in 2020 and began combining efforts with Church of the Open Door to establish urban gardens in the heart of Lorain.

At the same time, Jim Goforth was also building urban gardens in Lorain, but his journey there was very different.

In his 20s, Jim went down the path of heroin and cocaine addiction that took 14 years of his life as he lived on the streets and fought for his very survival. To save money and steer clear of tainted products, Jim learned how to grow marijuana. For him, this endeavor became the gateway to a whole new world of growing produce to the point where he would only grow things that would help him and others feel productive and get healthy.

Over time, Jim found himself going to bed and waking up, always anxious to see how his plants were and how he could make his backyard garden flourish. He went through the Sustainable Agriculture Program at Lorain County Community College to learn more about this new passion. Soon, Gateway Pharms was born, and Jim ventured into the world of farmers markets.

At the onset of the pandemic, Jim set up a shop on Oberlin Avenue that allowed him to continue selling produce when community markets had closed down. Through a Facebook connection, Father Alex Barton of downtown Lorain's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer stopped by Jim's storefront, and a bond instantly formed.

In time, Jim left the storefront on Oberlin to set up a new location with Father Alex at the church, where he joined the staff as the urban farm manager and community outreach liaison.

Both Abby and Jim have approaches to gardening in the city just about as diverse as their backstories.

Abby employs a planting method using Gardensoxx, which are long tubes of compost ideal for vacant land or even in parking lots. Once she installs water lines with a timer, Abby can have plenty of fresh, clean produce growing each season with little to no weed issues or any concerns about contaminated soil.

In the spring of 2020, Abby oversaw a garden installation at Church of the Open Door's Avon Lake and Elyria Campuses. In the fall, Hope for Futures added a garden in the parking lot of the south branch of Lorain Public Library System.

The library uses the harvest from their garden to support culinary programming and food insecurity throughout the area. Food from both of these gardens has also gone to feed students at The Garden Christian Academy in Cleveland, food pantries like We Care We Share Ministries in Lorain, and the Lorain County Office on Aging, to name a few.

Jim's approach uses a more traditional method of finding vacant land, tilling the soil, adding nutrients, and planting things that will draw out the contaminants and enrich the soil over time. This urban garden's current location is at 12th Street and Lexington Avenue in Lorain, where Jim and his "garden gang" have grown fresh produce and brought purpose out of an unused and unnoticed lot.

The food from this farm goes into weekly meals prepared at Church of the Redeemer to feed the homeless and hungry throughout our community.

On a snow-filled, chilly day in February, I sat down with Abby, Jim, and Father Alex to see what would come of the introduction and discussion. Although their backgrounds, partnerships, approaches, and funding sources all differ, I wondered what it would look like to find out what could unite them —something that can only ever happen by pulling up a chair to the same table.

Father Alex first brought out a purpose toward everything they are doing that resonated with me as a fellow Lorain Pastor. He referenced the Bible verse,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: Matthew 5:3

This verse is something that Father Alex and his parishioners take to heart as they seek to develop a dignified and empowered community in the heart of downtown Lorain.

Jim then added that the means to that end is to use the vehicle of the garden to bring about that dignity and empowerment. It's something they've already seen through their garden gang, who have all come off the streets to help with soil preparation, planting, and harvesting.

"When you put your head down and do the good work, it just seems like people are willing to come through," Jim reflected.

Abby observed that it's an exercise in faith when it comes to funding and running urban farms.

She said, "I'm just obeying what God's called me to do. It is fun,and it's freeing because, actually, I have no control!"

So much in our world has felt out of control recently. But in the garden, there is not only a freedom to release that power by putting your head down and doing the work, but also through the permission to fail and reap the rewards of those lessons learned.

Abby shared her joy of having youth from Church of the Open Door's Lorain Campus working alongside her this past summer and how that kind of hard work can open up conversations about life and trying new things. She also loves the message that agriculture naturally sends.

She said, "Being able to teach them that life is failure and you can still survive that. Teaching them thatyou're out here with us and we are all imperfect, and that's real life, and you can still get through it."

As our roundtable discussion concluded, we set out in the snow to look at some of the work ahead for both farmers. Jim's plans include expanding to another lot on West 14th Street and Lexington, where they will till vacant land into a garden and transform a shipping container into a neighborhood farm stand.

Abby's spring goals include adding a garden for the library's main branch, just across the street near West Sixth Street and Reid Avenue.

While most people have been hiding from the snow and cold, the ideas and plans for these urban farms seem to warm the air and light a fire. In a world of polarized opinions and positions, it's around the soil that a couple of farmers can meet and find common ground.

When we feel like we are losing hope and circumstances are troubling us, Lorain's urban farm movement is a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together. Here, we can watch the walls that separate us break down and work together to grow something new and timeless in our hearts that long for unity, peace, and something more.

As the seasons transition, make your way to the places that are growing hope together within our community. And let us all find faith in how Eugene H. Peterson’s “The Message” helps to explain Matthew 5:3:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you, there is more of God and his rule.”

photos courtesy of Jim Goforth & Jason Russ

For more encouraging stories, be sure to read all six issues of Lorain Local Magazine available now on lorainlocal.com.