youth
education
In partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District and other local schools, we develop and lead STEAM lesson plans aligned with state standards. We guide learners through designing, planting, maintaining, and harvesting annual and perennial gardens, fostering an understanding of and appreciation for local food systems and their impact on health and wellness. We fold nutrition, culinary arts, and entrepreneurship lessons into this holistic program. We also host field trips, camps, and workshops at our Coit Farmers' Market Learning Garden and nurture youth entrepreneurship in food-based small businesses. Thank you to our major program funders, Rite Aid Healthy Futures Foundation and United Way Greater Cleveland!
OUR programs
Urban
Restoration
Through relationships with local organizations like Rid-All Green Partnership and the Cuyahoga Land Bank, Food Strong helps grassroots community groups acquire and restore vacant lots through sustainable agriculture. Thank you to Cuyahoga County for funding this initiative. We're now focusing this expertise on a new 5-year initiative: purchasing an old church and farmhouse on Superior Avenue and cultivating the property as Food Strong's new Cleveland headquarters and community training and development hub.
Community engagement
In all of our programs, we work hard to engage the communities we serve. Our Care-A-Van events are wellness-focused experiences that celebrate fresh, local foods, promote healthy movement, and connect under-resourced communities to essential wraparound services. We partner with healthcare professionals, chefs, nutritionists, artists, teachers, and performers to offer education, arts and crafts, live music, health screenings, cooking demonstrations, physical activities, and more. We offer Care-A-Van at farmers' markets, community potlucks, arts festivals, and schools. Our Care-A-Van events at Coit Road Farmer's Market are sponsored by CareSource.