Office of Environment & Sustainability Menu

Growing Food

 

Land, Soil, Water and Training


LAND: How to get it and what you can do on it

City-Owned Parcels

If there is an empty parcel that you are interested in gardening on, and you are not sure if it is vacant City land, please look on the Hamilton County Auditor website. If ownership is shown as City of Cincinnati, please reach out directly to Robin Henderson in OES. She can find out which city department oversees the parcel and if it available for lease.

Hamilton County Landbank  disposes of properties to organizations, municipalities and individuals with a vision and returns vacant properties to productive use through a variety of tools. They have two programs related to potential urban agriculture use:

  • Lot to Yard: Provides an opportunity for owner-occupants to acquire residential vacant land adjacent to their home. Purchasers will be required to incorporate the vacant lot into their existing yard. The intent of the program is to reduce the number of blighted vacant lots and return those unproductive parcels to tax-generating status, while improving neighboring property values.
  • Gardens + Greens: Transforms vacant lots into gardens or community green space. Any party interested in purchase may apply. All applicants must be able to show a viable redevelopment project and the ability to maintain the property.

Civic Garden Center: Founded in 1942 and located in the beautiful Hauck Botanical garden, Civic Garden Center’s mission is building community through gardening, education and environmental stewardship. They support 70 community and school gardens, host classes and a horticultural library, and utilize their Green Learning Station to bring their mission to life.

Turner Farm : Turner Farms works to demonstrate that local, organic, low-impact food production grows healthy communities and healthy ecosystems. They have a Community Garden Program in four locations- Price Hill, East End, Winton Terrace and Wyoming/Springfield Township, along with other programming and opportunities.

Cincinnati Municipal Code: Please reference Chapter 1422 of the code. It outlines current City rules and regulation for urban agriculture, including definitions, land use, development, maintenance, storage and sales, animal keeping, as well as composting regulations.

500 Gardens: Maps out locations in Madisonville of a grassroots, community-led effort for increasing urban agriculture. 

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association: Heartland FarmLink. The service helps connect farmers looking for land and landowners looking for a farmer.

 

SOIL & COMPOSTING: How to test soil and make it more productive

Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation: Soil Testing Kits 

City of Cincinnati Composting Rules:

Composting Classes:

 

WATER: How to get water in your garden

Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW): If installing a water line hook up, you must work with a “Certified Domestic Contractor” and follow the directions in the document Water Service Branch and Meter Procedures . A "Certified Domestic Contractor", in this context, refers to someone who holds a State of Ohio, OCILB license and has taken the GCWW test to ensure that the applicant is familiar with the GCWW Rules and Regulations for installing service from the right-of-way line up to and including the meter setting or backflow setting.

Rain Barrels: Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati has several resources including, The Rain Barrel Handbook or Rain Barrels Document.

Collection Containers can be found by searching the internet or asking local companies that may have used containers they wish to dispose of. Always make certain to know what the container was used for previously and do not ever use containers in which hazardous material was stored. If deemed safe to use, always clean your container, and follow the approved protocol for use.

 

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Where to learn urban agriculture skills

Civic Garden Center:

Turner Farm: Various trainings and classes              

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA): Has a host of resources including Beginning Farming Program, Organic Certification Program, an annual Conference; Seasonal Jobs Program and more.

Cincinnati Permaculture Institute : Classes and Events

Groundwork Ohio River Valley: Working to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships that empower people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being. Programs include High School Green Team, Young Adult Training and Employment, Climate Safe Neighborhoods, The Blue Team, and The Lighthouse Green Learning Center. 

University of Cincinnati: Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, Horticulture Certificate

Cincinnati State: Associate Degrees in Landscaping Horticulture or Sustainable Horticulture; Certificates in Landscape Design or Sustainable Agriculture Management