Food Strong

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Our friends over at the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership are giving away 100 native trees to Cleveland residents!

Stop by our Superior Farm between 4:00pm and 7:00pm this Thursday to grab your 2 trees!

6527 Superior Ave. Cleveland, OH 44103
4:00pm - 7:00pm
Thursday, October 8th

Cleveland residents are eligible for two free trees and must plant the trees on Cleveland private property. Additionally, all recipients are required to attend “Tree School 101,” a 15-minute presentation on caring for and maintaining trees. Several species are available, including Red Maple, Eastern Redbud, American plum, and Pawpaw. Requests for specific species of trees for your yard are unavailable due to unknown species availability. Most trees will be between three and six feet in height in three to five-gallon buckets.

Interested individuals must fill out a form before receiving their trees.

Register for the event: https://dbwp.org/event/free-trees-for-cle/

Join our friends over at The City Club of Cleveland for their event: The Sioux Chef: Reclaiming Indigenous Food Systems and Promoting Food Sovereignty!

They’ll be joined by The Sioux Chef, three-time James Beard Award–winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman and Author and Human Rights Activist, Michael Shaikh.

Together, they’ll be discussing the prevalence of Native American restaurants, reclaiming culture, connecting with land, promoting health equity, and supporting tribal sovereignty.

Tickets are available now! Save 20% (on non-member tickets & table purchases) by using code: FOODSTRONG1009

Online ticket sales end tomorrow at 11:30 am, so get your tickets now!

Purchase tickets: https://www.cityclub.org/forums/2026/10/09/the-sioux-chef-reclaiming-indigenous-food-systems-and-promoting-food-sovereignty

Last week, our team joined University Hospitals for a cooking demo to show how to make Fire C***r. We wanted to share the recipe with you since so many of you asked us for it. Just in time for the colder weather, this home remedy can help boost digestion and improve your immune system.

We’re incredibly grateful to our friends at eXp Realty for choosing Food Strong as part of their I ❤️ Community Week and bringing together people from across Northeast Ohio to lend a hand at Superior Farm.

On Thursday, October 8 from 10 AM–1 PM, volunteers will be joining us at 6527 Superior Avenue to help tackle whatever needs to get done before winter.

And this opportunity is open to more than just eXp agents. They’re looking for lenders, title companies, insurance professionals, inspectors, HVAC professionals, junk removal companies, handy folks and anyone else who wants to pitch in. You don’t have to be an eXp agent to participate. If you have a skill, a few hours to give, or simply want to get your hands dirty and help, we’d love to have you.

Projects may include yard work, cleaning, moving and organizing materials, planting, beautifying the property and tackling projects that need some extra hands.

Every helping hand makes a difference as we continue transforming our Superior Avenue property into an urban farm, education hub and community gathering space.

Donations will also be accepted in support of Food Strong and eXp Extend a Hand.

Thank you to Zaurice Stephens and the Northeast Ohio eXp community for organizing this effort and bringing people together in support of Food Strong. We’re looking forward to a great day of getting things done together.

Interested in volunteering or getting involved? Reach out to Zaurice Stephens through the eXp Community Hub or at [email protected].

Here’s a link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSep_QUPZAHl8KM-4SgvJ-0klFk9My0LhTWydqI9QbiaAirgJw/viewform

October is Farm to School Month!

Farm to School Month celebrates the ways schools connect students with fresh, local food and the people, farms, and communities behind it. It’s a chance for kids to grow, cook, taste, and learn more about where their food comes from.

At Food Strong, we’re proud to be part of that work here in Cleveland. In partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and other local schools, we help students design, plant, maintain, and harvest gardens while learning about nutrition, culinary arts, STEAM, entrepreneurship, and our local food system.

From school gardens to field trips and hands-on workshops, we’re helping young people build a stronger connection to food and their communities.

Because when kids learn to grow their own food, they’re growing much more than a garden.

It’s hard to believe how fast the year has flown by, but with October approaching, our final Second Saturday volunteer day is nearly here.

Every month, our incredible volunteers have shown up to make an impact at the Superior Farm You’ve helped paint murals, clean up the farm, work on the church, and tend to our gardens. We could never do this without your support, and we’d be so grateful for you to help us finish out the year strong.

Saturday, October 10th
9:00am - 12:00pm
6527 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

RSVP: https://www.givepulse.com/event/819744

If you’re unable to attend, we’ll still be having volunteer Thursdays until December

SNAP changes are coming to Ohio, and communities are preparing for what’s ahead.
As News 5 Cleveland reports, food banks and other food assistance organizations are bracing for increased demand as changes to SNAP take effect. For families already stretching every dollar, even small changes to food access can have a very real impact.

Starting October 1, the federal government is reducing its share of SNAP administrative costs from 50% to 25%, leaving states responsible for 75%. Lorain County estimates that will mean about $962,000 less in funding, potentially leading to staff cuts and delays processing SNAP cases.

That’s part of why owning your food source matters. When we grow food in our neighborhoods, learn how to cook and preserve it, support local farmers, and build stronger local food systems, we create more ways for our communities to feed themselves. We’re not relying on a single system to determine whether our neighbors have access to fresh, nutritious food.

Food is a basic need. Knowing where it comes from, how to grow it, and how to make sure our neighbors can access it is something worth investing in. The work happening at Food Strong is about building that kind of resilience right here in Northeast Ohio.

Read the article: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-lorain/communities-food-banks-bracing-for-upcoming-snap-changes

Fall is apple season, and that means it’s the perfect time for homemade applesauce.

This simple 4-ingredient recipe is an easy one to make with the whole family, especially if you want to get kids involved in the kitchen.

What you’ll need:
• 10 large apples
• 1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup water
• 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

How to make it:
• Peel, core and slice your apples.
• Add them to a slow cooker along with the water, cinnamon and honey or maple syrup.
• Cook on high for about 4 hours, until the apples are soft.
• Mash with a fork until you reach your favorite consistency.

That’s it! No fancy ingredients, no complicated steps. Just warm, homemade applesauce that tastes like fall.

If you make it, let us know what you think and tag Food Strong in your photos!