"I got a head full of ideas that are drivin' me insane..."
Mansfield's missive on urban farming -- set to a 1965 Bob Dylan song

Some of my neighbors must have thought that I was insane last year when I began pruning a crabapple tree situated on the tree lawn across the street from my home. Oh, they were accustomed to seeing me, bib overalls and all, working on my own lawn and trees; but watching me take my ladder and pruning shears across the street to public property and begin pruning a tree that belongs to the city must have had them scratching their heads and wondering if I were slipping into my dotage. On that, the jury is still out.

What we knew as kids as crabapples are, in most cases, only undersized apples from trees that have not been properly pruned. I wanted to see if the apple tree (actually it was more of a bush than a tree when I started) was properly pruned, if it would produce edible-sized fruit. I was right, and, in the fall, the apples were delicious -- and free. All it took was a little bit of my labor, and about a dollar's worth of organic sprays to prevent infestations, and I harvested about four dozen decent-sized apples.

I gave most of them to the senior citizens at Fatima Family Center, along with the pears that I’ve been giving them from my backyard for the last couple of years. In return, one of the women makes me the most delicious pear preserves I’ve ever tasted — had some this morning, in fact.

All of this is really quite unremarkable, unless you realize that some folks are stretching their budgets to pay for apples (and other foods) at the local supermarket, or unless you run a food bank where the shelves are emptier each week. I’m talking about virtually free food without dumpster diving. Hey, every little bit helps.

About two blocks from my home, on a city-owned lot, is a huge apple tree that would produce bushels and bushels of apples if someone were to care for it — and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of all types of orphan fruit trees on vacant lots all over the city… trees that could produce quality fruit virtually for free — all it would take is a bit of work. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth of fruit goes to waste each year because of our sloth, our getting so far away from nature that we can neither see the forest, nor the trees.

What’s needed is a program to add the fruit from these trees to the food supply. In the process, young people could be taught how to properly prune trees … and, who knows, some of them might want to eventually take up urban farming as a profession — believe it or not, it’s soon going to be an inner-city growth industry. Too much land has been sitting idle for far too long awaiting the building of a new Ford or Chevy plant. Sorry, folks, but by now everyone knows that just ain’t happening. Is anyone seeking out green projects listening?

Here’s another idea: Since more and more farmers’ markets are popping up each year, why not take a large truck (one with roll-up sides like a beer truck), stock it with vegetables, and then visit the senior high rise buildings around the county once or twice a week where elderly folks could just come down and buy fresh veggies right at the curb. Take the farmers’ market to them.

One more: The unfortunate closing of a number of Catholic churches is understandably causing alarm and stress in the affected communities. How about giving those beautiful buildings a new life as community farming centers? As more and more land is put under the plow in the urban areas where these churches are located, the parking lots could perhaps be used to store commonly-owned equipment; farmers’ markets operated out of the buildings; and, more importantly, they could serve as places for people to share ideas, information, and inspiration about the greening of Greater Cleveland. Places for foodies to unite.

Trust this: In three to five years urban farms — not gardens mind you — full-fledged operations like Blue Pike Farms on E. 72nd Street, just north of St. Clair, are going to be sprouting up on vacant land all over the place, and what better use could these churches be put to than to help feed the hungry? They would eventually become financially viable operations, and able to buy the buildings from the Church.

I’d like to think that Jesus would approve.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

Frazier's From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://www.frombehindthewall.com.
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