Progress report for FNC24-1442
Project Information
Ronnie Trey Williams (Trey) and Aharone Ben Keymah, farmers situated 2.1 miles apart, are jointly seeking the SARE Farmer Rancher Grant to enhance community well-being and promote environmental, economic and social sustainability in the Mt. Pleasant, Kinsman, Union-Miles, and Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhoods. Our comprehensive approach includes (1) broadening access to gardening, farming, and beekeeping practices, (2) enhancing the environmental sustainability of the target neighborhoods by creating a network of interconnected pollinator gardens and migration stations, and (3) conducting a study on the impact of bee exposure on volunteers, residents and local farmers community members through hands-on pollinator garden installations and bee bed therapy.
Trey, a farmer and beekeeper, partnered with friend Sam Booze to initiate a community farm project centered on Social and environmental education for Cleveland's residents. Trey's commitment led him to enroll in classes with the Greater Cleveland Beekeeper Association, where he acquired knowledge on honeybee biology, beekeeping techniques, equipment requirements, site selection, best management practices, and bee diseases.
In 2020, Trey established Hood Honey, an urban farm in Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood. Hood Honey not only produces local raw honey and beeswax-based products but also cultivates crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, various squash, and other fruits and vegetables for sale. Trey actively engages with the community, educating both children and adults on beekeeping and sustainable farming practices.
Aharone, a farmer and educator based in the Kinsman neighborhood, founded THE U.A.I. (Teaching Humanity Excellence Urban Agriculture Initiative) in 2016. Through this initiative, Aharone assists community members in establishing and maintaining their gardens and farms while advocating for a holistic lifestyle. Aharone believes that empowering residents to make informed food choices strengthens the local economy and contributes to vibrant communities.
Between 1826 and 1921, Mt. Pleasant thrived as rural farmland
owned by local farmers. Over the subsequent century, urbanization
has led to the migration of Cleveland's wildlife to suburban
areas and downtown, resulting in a dearth of biological diversity
in the corridor between these two zones. Mt. Pleasant's diverse
native flora habitat has experienced a steady decline,
exacerbated by a notable decrease in the population of native
pollinators.
Our project aims to address this ecological challenge by focusing
on enhancing the presence of native pollinators and native flora
in the region. We will explore the impact of increased native
flowers to see if we can increase the sightings of native
pollinators, contributing to the restoration of ecological
balance in the Kinsman corridor.
Additionally, the region surrounding our farms faces economic
challenges, with low household incomes and prevalent mental and
physical health issues among residents. As educators in urban
beekeeping and farming, we've observed the positive impact of our
educational programs on participants like ourselves. Sharing this
experience with the community at large and studying the effects
of being in close quarters of honeybees and other pollinators, we
aim to measure the benefits experienced by community members
engaging in the project.
Solution:
Our collaborative project, led by farmers Trey Williams and
Aharone Ben Keymah, aims to address the environmental challenges
in the Mt. Pleasant, Kinsman, Union-Miles and Buckeye-Woodhill
neighborhoods through sustainable agriculture practices. Our
two-fold approach encompasses expanding access to sustainable
gardening and positives social activities for residents through
interconnected pollinator garden installations. We then educate
the participants on pollinator identification to encourage them
to spend time in the garden observing their insect neighbors.
On the other side of this project, we invite the volunteers and
residents along with other local farmers and people in the food
system to participate and relax in our bee beds on a regular
schedule. The impact of close exposure to Honeybees for our
residents, volunteers and especially local farmers may help lower
stress levels and increase the economic vitality of their
personal projects. This type of therapy is comparable to
treatment with horses, dolphins, etc., but is simpler, because
sleeping on a bed is easy.
1. Improving Environmental and Social Sustainability:
- Pollinator Gardens and Migration Stations: Our project involves
strategically establishing native pollinator gardens and
migration stations across the target neighborhoods. This network
will create corridors for wildlife and contribute to the overall
health of the regional environmental ecosystem.
- Community Engagement: Through planned cohorts and volunteer
opportunities, community members will actively participate in
creating and maintaining these green spaces. This engagement not
only supports the environment but also fosters a sense of
community ownership and responsibility. We will encourage
participants to start a garden club in the area after or during
the project.
2. Studying the Impact of Bee Exposure:
- Research Design: We will implement a research study to analyze
the effects of bee exposure on volunteer community members. This
will involve documenting experiences before, during and after bee
bed therapy opportunities.
- Bee Bed Therapy Sessions: Integrating therapeutic sessions
involving bee beds, we aim to explore the potential mental health
benefits for participating volunteers, residents and local
farmers by engaging with bees. This unique approach connects
sustainable beekeeping practices with wellness, fostering a
holistic understanding of the environment's impact on community
health possibly leading to less stress and improved efficiency in
the participants lives.
- Data Collection: Gathering qualitative and quantitative data on
mental health, stress levels, and overall well-being, we aim to
identify potential positive impacts on individuals engaging with
bees regularly.
Objectives:
(1) Increase honeybee and general
pollinator population within the Mt. Pleasant, Union -Miles,
Kinsman, and Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhoods by planting 20
pollinator gardens within the 23-month project
period,
(2) Educate approximately 50
neighborhood residents and volunteers on how to grow their own
pollinator gardens through two 6-month cohorts (April -
Sept),
(3) decrease the barrier to
access by providing access to all tools and resources to cohort
participants, including but not limited to seeds & seedlings,
garden hand tools, containers, labor, etc.,
(4) install 1 bee bed structure
with 4 hives for the purposes of wellness therapy studies.
Research
So far this project has been fun and a big big learning opportunity for us. Aharone and myself are the leads on this project. for the materials we decided to build our Apitherapy beds first because we got our funds a little later than everyone else so the season was over and it was getting cold. So Aharone took the lead and we got that structure built over the winter time as you can see in the video.
So far no results but that's because we started in the off season.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
As mentioned above, we started late so no workshops or articles have been made yet. We have made three educational sheets that we will give our participants who choose to receive native plants a guide on three things. 1 The plants they are receiving 2 How to care for a garden of native plants 3 Pollinators they may see.
This Spring and Summer we will be able to educate so many residents in our area on our most important neighbors