Toledo Grows opens its land to Toledo's urban agriculture initiative as second farm comes online

One month after Huron Street, an established name in Toledo growing, joins the business-first farming model

One month after the launch of Huron Street Farm, the Cultivate Toledo urban agriculture initiative has brought a second farm into production — this one on land belonging to Toledo GROWS, a Toledo organization that removes barriers to empower people to grow their own healthful food. The new site carries the same build package proven at Huron Street: growing beds and a full irrigation system on cleared ground.

The partnership matters beyond the added growing space. ToledoGrows has spent 10 years cultivating gardeners and community growing spaces across the city; the initiative's work is turning growing into livelihoods. On this site the two meet!

“ToledoGrows has been growing in this city far longer than we have,” said Andrew Newby, who leads the initiative. “When an organization with that history opens its land to this model, it says something we could not say for ourselves — that this is worth proving.”

Two farms in two months also proves the build repeats: the package developed at Huron Street — beds, irrigation, and a market plan before planting — was designed to be copied, and this is its first copy.