Photo: Northern Onondaga Public Library
In 2011, the Cicero Branch of the Northern Onondaga Public Library in New York created the Library Farm on a vacant lot across the street. In the beginning, 40 library members brought their own water, seeds, and seedlings. “The ground was part of a farm that was on that land at some time in history, so it was still kind of fertile and we had great success,” says manager Sue Buswell. The library began doing programs about gardening, and the farm grew, eventually partnering with Syracuse Grows, a local non-profit that supports urban food production, and the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency. The Library Farm annually provides over 200 pounds of fresh produce for pantries in Cicero, Brewerton and North Syracuse. It also conducts immersive events like “Tea Time in the Garden” and Open Farm Tours, giving the community a chance to learn how to be better gardeners and how to use their newly harvested produce.
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