Four Seasons City Farm has about 2.5 acres of cultivated land which 12 garden plots comprise on the East Side of Columbus. Last year’s harvest was about 2,000 lbs of produce, said Hank Koehler who runs the gardens.

Here’s Koehler’s run down, off the top of his head, of what they supply to restaurants and stores:

Greener Grocer: herbs, lettuce, and tomatoes

Clintonville Community Market: zucchini and tomatoes

Angry Baker: raspberries and lettuce

Black Creek Bistro: leaf lettuce, figs, tomatoes,

Yellow Brick Pizza: basil, tomatoes, leaf lettuce

Koehler estimates their revenue to have been about $2,000 last year. But I still want to find out how Four Seasons' income from selling produce and flowers compares with their operating costs.

While we're at it, does anyone have a sense of how many community gardens and urban farms in Columbus are paying their operating costs from the money made from sales of produce and/or money that comes from people working in the gardens ?

Tom Over- 7/7/11

“The city has given a lot of support (for community gardens) vocally… but it’s often been more of a promise than a follow thru. Just this past year there was going to be $60,000 distributed to , I think, 50 gardens."

“I know of over a dozen community gardens that did not receive the grant that was announced on Earth Day by Mayor Coleman at Franklin Park. The got zip as far as money is concerned. That’s kind of disappointing.”

When the city spends $44 million on the new Scioto river way, and they can’t even put $50,000 into community gardens. That’s not saying much for the city’s real support…compared to other big cities Columbus is at the back of the pack (in its support for community gardens.)

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what the city has done so far, but it’s nowhere near enough. Our food supply is not as safe and secure as some of us would like to think.”

Emmanuel helped w/ the planting of tomatoes at the corner of Bryden and Ohio. He is part of a program for people w/ developmental disabilities run by AD Ohio.

Christopher Apple who’s worked w/ 4 Seasons City Farm for years helps Emmanuel and other participants in the AD Ohio program learn about community gardening.

“This (gardening) is particularly great for this type of work, because I can use the garden as a way to have some teachable moments and help these guys increase their self-esteem and their skill-sets and help out Hank, Daniel, and (Four Seasons) City Farm in the process. It’s a win-win.”

She said community gardening can bring in --at least potentially- a wide variety of people.

“Like today: we have some disabled individuals and some children out here. So, there are all kinds of other community groups that can get involved so that it can become a norm to garden and we can have more eyes out looking for more pieces of land.”

Brown said money is also a factor.

“ There are some grants out there. They’re not easy to get but there’s a lot of people out there who have money and who believe in this sort of thing. It (community gardening) builds community, and it stimulates people environmentally, which is a really important thing for our youth today because so much of their stimulation comes from electronics. So this would give them a chance to get out and actually touch elbows w/ people.

"You can incorporate any facet of organization going on --from churches to disabled to children like we mentioned, and any elderly groups. Any nursing home that’s got the space can put some tomatoes in."

Regarding the question of how to grow more food in our communities, Blue said “The reality is, starting at this level, at the ground level, it’s basically where the community itself is able to get involved a little bit and see there’s actually space around them that can possibly be used for gardening. Just these empty plots--we’re on one, and there’s one right next door to us and one right across the street. They can be used also. I’m sure scattered around the neighborhood, there are plenty of spots that are available.”

Blue said when people see and talk w/ people in their communities who are growing food, it makes the point in a very tangible way. However, he said so far while doing gardening in the community, there haven’t been many people from the neighborhoods getting involved. He said canvassing the neighborhoods along with having events w/ free food and music might help to get more people involved.

"My life and trying to get my electric bills paid," is what Sharon Carter said about what's important to her.
"I'm trying to find some way of getting it paid, you know, if I got to borrow some or find someone who can help me w/ it."

As her COTA bus approached, she said she loves our city's public transportation system.

"What's important to me is telling other people about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why I'm down here in Columbus, Ohio : to try to lead people to the Lord and hopefully they get saved and repent. That's what needs to be done."

Stevenson is from Grove City but currently lives on the South Side on Gilbert Street.

"Jesus Christ said himself 'I'm the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the father, except thru me.' So it's only thru Jesus Christ that we can have a relationship w/ God-- and not thru Allah, and not thru Buddha, and not thru anybody else, but only Jesus Christ. And that's what I'm down here to do : point people to Jesus."

Stevenson said he's part of the Pleasant View Baptist Church, which he said is involved w/ feeding people and otherwise helping people in need.

"If you have heavy burdens and if you're depressed and you feel like you're going to kill yourself or you're going thru something in your life, I want to let you know that Jesus loves you."

Stevenson said the work he does is based on love, not hate. But he said he's not willing to work w/ Muslims or Hindus, even on common goals such as feeding the hungry.

"I do support the Jewish people. I support the nation of Israel...but as far as working w/ Muslims, Buddhists and all that: absolutely not. The reason why is they do not follow the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ."

What I didn't think of asking Stevenson is this: do Jewish people believe in Jesus Christ as our savior more than Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists believe in that ?

"I grew up a Republican...I helped w/ his (George W. Bush's) first campaign and w/ his second campaign...I had an internet radio show in Marysville, Ohio for second, and I'm really upset that they lied to us about a lot of things (regarding the US invasion of Iraq.)"

Oberdier said he helped w/ the Obama campaign as a result of his disillusionment w/ the Bush administration. But now he's not happy w/ Obama either.

"He spent $5 trillion. We're losing jobs. Reagan actually did a better job. He created a million jobs a month w/ a lot less money."

Oberdier said a good question is where all the money being spent by our government is going. He's now an independent voter. According to him, the mainstream media is part of the problem.

"The news basically kowtows to corporations like Walmart, Nestle--the major conglomerates. If they tell the truth, they'll lose their sponsorships and people won't buy ads from them anymore."

Oberdier said the website of his internet radio show was hacked and shut down. He also said big corporations heavily influence not only major news organizations, but also the expert opinions coming from elite universities.

"If Harvard, Yale, and Princeton could learn how to count and tell the truth and not use fuzzy math and not use legal mumbo jumbo," Americans would be more informed about what's going on, said Oberdier.

He said working w/ people face-to-face in our communities is part of the solution for loosening the grip propaganda can have on our minds.

"We can turn off 'the news' and gather in parks and talk and decide what to do."

Oberdier said he's a musician and works w/ Sada Ruchi, a Yogi poet.