The City of Cincinnati Announces the
Launch of the 2009 Urban Gardening Pilot Program
The Program:
The City of Cincinnati is offering an urban gardening pilot program to transition vacant, City-owned parcels of land into food production areas. For 2009 approximately 15 parcels of land in 11 neighborhoods have been identified that can be rented out. You can view these parcels by clicking on the links on this page.
The Application:
For 2009 the City of Cincinnati will select up to 15 applicants that represent a variety of stakeholders to participate in the program. A diversity of renters will be considered including location, and type of renter (i.e., neighborhood group, garden club, community council, individual, non-profit organization, etc.).
The deadline for submitting an application is March 20th, 5pm to Trina Porter in City Hall Room 104.
Click here for the application and the “Good Gardener’s Contract”.
As a participant in the pilot program the renter’s responsibility includes:
- Maintain and water your garden, keep the entire parcel free of litter and weeds
- Harvest and enjoy food from your garden
- Evaluate your experience with the program
- Maintain the proper liability insurance that is required by the City of Cincinnati to participate in the program
- Sign and abide by the “Good Gardener's Contract”
The application process is open to everyone, as along as they meet the basic requirements. One requirement is that in order for any entity to rent property from the City of Cincinnati the renter must maintain public liability insurance with limits of at least one million dollars.
One option for citizens who do not have this type of insurance is they can approach their neighborhood’s community council and request that the community councils be the leaseholder of the parcel.
The City of Cincinnati has insured community councils to have sufficient liability insurance to support this sort of activity, i.e., gardening. The citizen would need to arrange with the community council to work the garden, but the community council would be the leaseholder.
The City of Cincinnati is very excited to offer this opportunity, and looks forward to a successful growing season!
