Dozens of donors have spoken, contributing more than $4,000 to a Cincinnati urban gardening program for a custom, pedal-powered produce cart that will move food from the garden to the market.
The nonprofit
Permaganic Eco Garden has just exceeded its $4,000 goal through the
Kickstarter fundraiser website. The organization's Eco Garden Youth Internship Program pays youth in Cincinnati's urban core to grow, harvest and market produce in the city. The program aims to help youth develop job skills like punctuality, self-motivation, focus and accountability.
The program takes on about 20 student interns each year, who take ownership of the garden, from planning and planting to maintenance and marketing. The harvest is sold Saturdays from 8 am to 2:30 pm in the Findlay Market Local Farm Shed, and Wednesdays from 4 to 7 pm at the Northside Farmers' Market.
Husband and wife Angela and Luke Ebner, DAAP grads, operate the program. The idea of a tricycle-powered cart has been about two years in the making, and is finally becoming a reality. The cart is being designed and built by Robert Grossman, a freelance designer and governing member of
MoBo Bicycle Cooperative.
"We wanted to find a way to reduce the carbon footprint of our organization, and we spend a lot of money on many trips getting produce from here to Findlay Market," Angela Ebner says. "My husband really wanted a fossil-fuel-free alternative, and he wanted to work through MoBo, so that's how we got linked up."
The heavy-duty, tricked-out tricycle holds a insulated box that can handle about 200 pounds of produce. It will also have a collapsible display stand, retractable awning, drawers and a signage display, creating a space where the produce can be sold once it gets to market.
The Kickstarter fundraiser had 67 donors from Cincinnati and as far away as Guadalajara, Mexico. Donations came from individuals and groups including
Fuel Cincinnati, which donated $1,000 to the project. Many of the donations were in the $25 to $50 range.
The organization hopes the design will serve as a template for others who want to use this type of transportation, and the cart should be out on the streets by May, Abner says.
By Feoshia Henderson
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