A veggie garden oasis in Springfield gets Rotary funding to help it grow

The Jefferson Street Oasis lives up to its name as a place for community members to cultivate their own garden plots for produce and educational purposes. It has come to fruition from the hard work and diligence of many dedicated volunteers such as Terry Fredrich. 

As the garden manager and last of the three original developers to stay involved, Fredrich’s task is caretaking the facility and seeing to its updates. He has previous experience working for Ohio State University Extension and is inspired by the Modern Food Movement, a product of the 1970s. 

“Mothers, grandmothers, and providers started to press the question: where does my food come from? What’s in it? From this came an influx of community gardens, farmers markets, and farm stands. All of these exploded as a result of what we call the Modern Food Movement,” Fredrich says. “Most food movements throughout human history have centered on a depletion of calories. This one is underappreciated because its focus was centered not on too many calories but a lack of nutrients. The reason why this community garden was started is because of that movement.”

Courtesy photoTerry Fredrich accepts a check from tehe Springfield Rotary Club that will help a number of programs at the garden grow.Fredrich goes on to explain how important it is to support locally sourced food. “The consumer should be satisfied with how the producer developed their food.” He speaks to how community gardens are categorized as “Urban Agriculture,” and how different it is from what he calls “Conventional Agriculture.” Urban Agriculture can be more labor intensive because of its more basic methods.

The Jefferson Street Oasis is about 4.85 acres and has about 100 plots for the public to adopt and tend to. Plot participants must file an application, read and sign the rules and guidelines, and agree to Jefferson Street Oasis procedures that might expect such things as participation at work days, spring and fall cleanups, and other community and fundraising events.

All produce from each plot belongs to the individual or individuals who work it. Since 2017, Jefferson Street Oasis has offered food preparation, preservation, nutrition, and gardening courses. Gardeners are required to attend a minimum of three courses in order to have a plot. Group canning sessions also take place each year. 

These activities are a culmination of the garden’s mission to address food insecurity within Springfield. In 2021 Jefferson Street Oasis won a State of Ohio award for Best Vegetable Community Garden, judged by State Master Gardeners.

The complex also features a greenhouse, an herb garden and educational zone for visiting classes, a pollinator garden, and even a chicken farm for fresh eggs.

Thanks to the support of the Springfield Rotary Club, the Jefferson Street Oasis is now planning to enrich their educational courses, construct an outdoor kitchen for gardeners to be able to prepare and cook their harvest, add wash-tubs and sinks, erect solar panels and retractable screens, and be more accessible to wheelchairs and differently-abled community members. 

Courtesy photoThe garden complex also features a greenhouse, an herb garden and educational zone for visiting classes, a pollinator garden, and even a chicken farm for fresh eggs.Jefferson Street Oasis was awarded a grant of $25,000 to continue their efforts. Since the community garden is run entirely by volunteers, and open plots are free for adoption once they become available, they were the prime candidates for a grant from the Rotary. 

Mary Jo Leventhal spoke with The Hub as a representative of The Rotary Club’s Local Projects Committee to tell us more about their decision to present the grant to Jefferson Street Oasis. “We (The Rotary Club) were looking for organizations that are assisting the community and have plans to grow, but not necessarily the means. We vetted just a few other projects but felt like this would make the biggest contribution to make a difference with that money.” 

The effect that the community garden has on the community that Leventhal is speaking to is evident. Not only is the JSO a haven for cultivating an education in horticulture and growing one’s own food, Fredrich has also noticed a substantial social element blossom from bringing people together for the purposes of self-sustaining urban agriculture. 

“People here are from all over,” Fredrich says. “Families from India and Ukraine working side-by-side, so many different languages of people working and sharing together how to grow and prepare food … communication is key and we want everyone to be successful and return.” 

Courtesy photoSince 2017, Jefferson Street Oasis has offered food preparation, preservation, nutrition, and gardening courses.This summer, the garden is participating in the Southside in Bloom Tour on July 27. They will offer a menu of stone-fired pizzas and refreshments to visitors during the open house. Though the Jefferson Street Oasis is run entirely by a board of volunteer directors, Fredrich is in the process of hiring an assistant who has an understanding of horticulture and wants to serve the community. 

They are typically fully booked every year, however, The Jefferson Street Oasis is always juggling garden plots so if interested in signing up for one, attending a course, or volunteering reach out to their Facebook (@JeffersonStreetOasisGarden). More information can also be found in The Springfield Hub’s 2021 article on the garden by Steve Schlather here. 

Courtesy photoThe garden complex also features a greenhouse, an herb garden and educational zone for visiting classes, a pollinator garden, and even a chicken farm for fresh eggs.