Think Globally, Eat Locally - Iron Roots Urban Farm helps you get there

Iron Roots Urban Farm, a project of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, is a 1.7 acre working farm and training center located at 820 Canfield Road on the south side of Youngstown. Iron Roots Urban Farm grows fresh produce in urban neighborhoods, encourages business creation on vacant land, helps city residents develop successful microenterprises with the goal of creating jobs, and teaches neighbors about growing food and healthy lifestyles. You can support their activities and your health by ordering from their rotating staple of vegetables.

Ordering is simple!

1. Call (330)480-0423 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays; from 10AM-5:30PM and ask for Danielle. 
2. Ask what produce we have that week and for prices (or give us your E-mail address to get a price and availability list in your inbox every week).
3. Place your order by telling us what and how much produce you want and get a total over the phone (or you can e-mail your order to dseidita@yndc.org). Orders can be placed up until Fridays at 8:30am.
4. Pick up and pay for your produce order on Fridays from 3PM-530PM or Saturdays from 1:30PM - 4:00PM, at your convenience! Pay with Cash, Check, Ohio Direction Card/EBT, Debit, or Credit!
5. The farm is located at 820 Canfield Rd. in Youngstown, Ohio 44511. Produce pickup will be right around the corner on Billingsgate Avenue—look for the new green Demonstration Kitchen building.

Produce for the week of 25th, 2013 

• Onions (Green Onions) $1.00 per 1/3 Lb. Bunch
• Carrots $2.00 per 1 LB. Bunch
• Fennel $2.00 per Bulb 
• Lettuce Mix (Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce) $4.00 per ½ Lb.
• Mustard Greens $2.00 per ½ Lb. Bunch
• Red Romaine (Limited Availability) $4.00 per ½ Lb. Bag
• Spinach $4.00 per ½ Lb. Bag
• Swiss Chard $2.00 per ½ Lb. Bunch 

 All their veggies are naturally grown.

Wordless Wednesday: No longer on the demo list...

It's all well and good to say that Youngstown needs to demolish more houses, and it does. Its good policy in a shrinking city. It's hard to recognize that these were once homes. In this case, 233 West Dennick Avenue, my childhood home, met it's fate on Tuesday courtesy of a backhoe and a Federal grant.

A few fond memories...

(click on a photo to view slideshow with larger photos)

(Cross-posted to the Lowry-Witt Genealogy Blog.)

631

Every vacant house in Youngstown, every house that burns, or is stripped, or turned into a drug den, has a story. This is the story of 631 Ridge Avenue.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Originally posted at http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/5310/631

You might be from Youngstown if...

The scene: 1999, Youngstown. 

I found this list about 10 years ago and I can't recall it being posted on the blog. Some are dated or no longer relevant (like the first one, now that everyone goes downtown) but others are still timely and remain funny. Enjoy!

• You or someone you know have never been to Downtown Youngstown.
• You know the time and location of every Wing Night in a 10-mile radius.                                                                                                                                      
• You know the location of the following towns, know someone from them or have spent time there: Mineral Ridge, North Lima, Poland, Coitsville, Mesopotamia, Yankee Lake, and Damascus.
• You've memorized lines from the movie "The Godfather"
• If you're a girl, you're biggest fear is getting hit on by a hairy-chested man, heavily weighted in gold chains, who refers to his friends as "Gino" at any local dance club.
• If you're a guy, your biggest fear is seeing your buddy's car parked near Mickey's Bar, but see him walk out of "the Mixx".
• Your latest cultural experience: Standing in line to buy pirogi at your local Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian or Hungarian church on Friday.
• As your out-of-town friends brag about their latest trips to Europe, you think to yourself, "I can drive past any local ethnic church and see all the foreigners I want to."
• You eat out at least once a week at a mafia-owned Italian pizza parlor.
• Your father has worked for the same company for over 20 years, most likely GM, Packard, or in the steel industry.
• You don't see what all the hype is about Disney World when Cedar Point is just a few hours away.
• You're having a hard time deciding where to take your date out for dinner and a night on the town:- "Wings at BW3 and a movie" or "Chalupas at Taco Bell and checking out the Hot Rods at the A&W"
• "I seen" is eloquently used instead of "I saw" by somebody you know.
• You've taken deliberate field trips to look at the Amish riding in their buggies.
• You water ski on Lake Milton, Berlin or Mosquito Reservoir.
• You feel the only good bands out there are The Rage, Michael Stanley Band, Donnie Iris and The Human Beinz
• You're more worried about the Brown's or the Steelers' quarterback's health than your own.
• You or somebody you know works at GM Lordstown.
• You or your next door neighbor is Catholic.
• You don't understand what all the hype is about over Rolling Rock beer. (replace that today with Yuengling)
• You know that McDonald is not only the last name of a clown, it's also a town.
• You know that Campbell is not only a soup, but also a city, and you also know that it's pronunciation rhymes with "mammal"
• You consider a great vacation a trip to Geauga Lake, Sea World or Lake Erie. For something a little more exotic, a trip to Toronto to see the Phantom of the Opera.
• You design your Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
• You have 101 favorite recipes for kielbasa and sauerkraut.
• You believe that people from Boardman, Canfield, and Poland are all rich and that they're all snobs.
• Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
• You find 20F "a little" chilly.
• You know the four seasons: Winter, Still Winter, Almost Winter, and Construction.
• You remember fondly time off from school known as "Snow Days".
• Words like: sub, chipped chopped ham, pop and halushki actually mean something to you.
• You can use the phrase "white pizza" and not even bat an eye.
• You think that everybody in the world knows what Briar Hill pizza is.
• You mean everybody doesn't know what wedding soup is?
• You live at home at the age of 26
• You went to Y.S.U.
• You were going to go to Ohio State but you didn't
• You quickly graduated (6 or more years)
• You drive a Caviler or a Sunfire.
• You dad knows Eddie Debartolo.
• You wish you were in the Mafia.
• You are not.
• You hang out with the same people you did in high school.
• You went to Legends and Pogo's when you were in high school.
• You make statements and turn them into questions. ex: "you're going Downtown tonight?"
• You will get into a fight is someone looks at your girlfriend.
• You will get into a fight if someone looks at your boyfriend.
• You think everyone in Canfield is rich
• You hate everyone from Canfield.
• Yet, you would like to move there someday.
• You are Italian.
• If not, you act Italian.
• You use the words Dego, Whop and Mic at least once a day.
• You wear tight black shirts, and use WAY more gel than toothpaste in a day.
• From the age of 19-21 you hung out at Mickey's
• You think it would be cool to live in Cleveland.
• You like the Indians (if they are winning), you like the Steelers (If they are winning), you like the Browns (because your dad said so), but what ever the team of the week is you say "I've been a fan for ever!"
• Going to the flats is a good break from the Youngstown bar scene.
• You rarely go.
• If you are from Youngstown you have been to the M.V.R. if you are a Mooney fan, the Golden Dawn if you are an Ursuline fan.
• You know more than 10 people who work out at the YMCA downtown.
• If you are a girl, you could not live without Contempo.
• If you are a guy, you could not live with out Structure
• If you are a girl, your last purchase was at Phar-mor.
• You now shop at Abercrombie (you always did, but now it's just easier.)
• On 10 or more occasions you have been out and seen someone wearing the exact same outfit as you.
• You just realized that every building project in the area is going to be a Rite Aid.
• You still go to Phar-mor.
• You know where the Planter's Peanut Bridge is.
• If you went to Boardman you hung out at: Chesters/Woodpeckers/The Varsity Club.
• If you went to Canfield you went to Micky's
• If you went to Mooney you hang out at Pal Joeys
• If you went to Ursuline you hang out at the Downtown Draught house. 
• You think Schwebel's Bread is a national chain. (It is, isn't it?)
• You only have one mom and yet you refer to her in the plural
• Your lawn is mostly made up of dirt patches and several unidentified types of plants not one of which is grass
• Whether you know it or not you have worked for someone in the mafia
• You know that nuns make the best pizza
• You know that the North Side is the best side
• You know a dollar can buy you much more than a schooner from The Golden Dawn
• You go to the same exact bars your parents did only they have different names
• Your parents have done more drugs than you could ever do
• You have your shoes stolen off your porch
• You have had a conversation with a crack addict
• You're 35 years old, have never been outside of Ohio, and don't see the need to leave.
• You're 18 years old, think this town is a shit hole and can't wait to move away-then 10 years later, you move back because "it's a great place to raise a family".
• You hate everything about Youngstown.
• You will never leave!

sad.

The house I grew up in. Vacant. Vandalized. Wide open. Sad.






- Posted using BlogPress from my incredibly awesome iPad

365 Things - #24 - The Circus!

The circus as a first date? Don't laugh until you've tried it. I had a crush on a girl in college and living in Cleveland at the time, wondered what there was to do for a first date. Dinner at Chipotle was probably the most offered suggestion by my friends. I thought that was weak so checking the paper (yes, when people read the paper to see what was going on), I discovered that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was coming to the Gund (before it became the Q; I know I'm dating myself here - no pun intended). Well, I asked, she said yes and the rest is history. We've been together almost ten years and married for two. I take no credit for this lasting; it all belongs to the circus.

That same magic is coming to Youngstown. Take your first date or the kids you conceived on your first date and head down to the Covelli Center on March 25, 26, or 27. The Ringling Brothers are bringing their latest show Fully Charged and thanks to the awesome people involved with the circus (bearded ladies, perhaps?), use the discount code FAMFUN for $5 off. It's the 141st edition of this awesome show (the Red Tour, for those of you who know what that means.)

Fully Charged - The latest show by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus

March 25-27

Covelli Center

Save $5 on tickets! - Use code FAMFUN in person at the Covelli Centre Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000

365 Things #23

Who	The Valley Listens! Enlightened community dialogue @TheLemonGrove
When	Monday, February 7, 2011 7:00pm - All Ages
Where	Lemon Grove Cafe (map) 122 W Federal St Youngstown, OH
Other Info	Think nobody cares about your ideas for a better Youngstown? THINK AGAIN! This is your chance to disagree without being disagreeable. Come together for a worthwhile exchange of ideas and solutions. This is some talk that really matters. The Valley Listens begins at 7 PM on the first and third Monday of every month! Sponsored by the Midwest Spirituality Center and the Lemon Grove Cafe.