Vacant lots like these ones in West Akron are being made available by the city for Akron Grows, a project in which community members will develop vegetable gardens with help from the city.

Photos: Ken Crisafi

The city is initiating Akron Grows, a community gardening program to promote and encourage urban gardening for Akron residents. In this first year of the program, eight vacant, city-owned lots have been selected for use as community gardens.

Akron is also providing a vacant lot and additional assistance to Let’s Grow Akron, a grassroots initiative headed by Elaine Evans.

Jerry Egan, the comprehensive planning manager for the city, said Akron Grows is somewhat similar to Keep Akron Beautiful’s Flowerscapes program, for which the city provides water and works with Keep Akron Beautiful to develop small city-owned plots into flower gardens.

“The biggest difference is, we’re growing food, not flowers,” Egan said.

Each site will be divided into multiple plots that will be available to the public on an application basis. There will be space for a total of 100 to 150 individual plots at these sites, depending on the size of plot desired. A partnership of the city, the Akron Cooperative and The Ohio State University Extension Service will help oversee the gardening program.

“We recognize, especially in today’s economy, the need for people to put affordable, fresh food on the dinner table; the city itself also has a need to put vacant lots to productive use,” Mayor Don Plusquellic stated in a press release. “I’m excited to watch Akron Grows spur community involvement and serve as an educational opportunity for our kids.”

Proposed city lots, pending soil test results, that are in the West Side Leader’s coverage area include two parcels at the northeast corner of Vernon Odom Boulevard and Fern Street in near West Akron, one parcel at 1210 Diagonal Road at the intersection with Mercer Avenue in West Akron and two parcels at the southeast corner of Cuyahoga Street and Uhler Avenue in North Hill.

The city will provide access to water for each site and assist in soil preparation. Seeds, educational materials and classes will be provided. There will be a fee charged for the use of each plot — $20 for a plot measuring 20-feet-by-10-feet and $30 for a plot measuring 20-by-20 — that will pay for water usage and some plant material.

Participating gardeners will agree to attend an orientation workshop, clean up the garden at the end of the season and waive any liability against the city or program operations for accidents or problems on the site.

Egan said the program is open to anyone who has an interest.

“We have room for a lot of gardeners, and we certainly encourage people, if they’ve thought about doing it,” he said. “This is a low-cost way to get involved, and we’re going to try to make it as easy as possible and as helpful as possible for people to get started doing something like this.”

For more information, a complete list of sites or to download an application, visit www.ci.akron.oh.us or call Larry Parker of the Akron Cooperative at (234) 525-0543.