Heart of Northside

05/27/2026

The theme at the Heart of Northside is BABY STEPS! After a successful start with growing kale for Melt Revival, our efforts are expanding to grow more produce for more uses. Right now, we're starting to grow produce for some upcoming cooking classes and for the Healthy Harvest Mobile Market (next market is coming up on Monday at noon in our parking lot).

The goals are to grow what the community wants so that the produce will get eaten, and also to increase the supply of fresh, local herbs, so we can all add healthy flavor to our meals while using less salt.

We're currently adding in some variety with onions, sweet potatoes and dill. Each plant has a different grow schedule, yield and specific preferred growing conditions, making this a fun balancing act!

05/26/2026

We are THRILLED to be part of the upcoming Art in Action exhibition and fundraiser, taking place this summer at the Millcroft Gallery in Milford and the Off Ludlow Gallery in Clifton Gaslight!

Art in Action is designed to elevate the impact of art and artists can have on our community. The show accomplishes this by bringing the stories of local cause based nonprofits to life through artistic expression while creating an opportunity to raise funds for those nonprofits. The artists select a local nonprofit and provide artwork. This show also gives participating nonprofits access to new socially minded patrons.

The show goes over a 2 month period and is hosted by Millcroft Gallery and Off Ludlow Gallery. Art in Action has 25 artists supporting numerous nonprofits, including the Heart of Northside.

Millcroft Gallery Event Schedule:

Art in Action Exhibition Opening Reception at the Millcroft Gallery
Friday June 5th 6-8pm

Art in Action Nonprofit Fundraiser at the Millcroft Gallery
Wednesday June 17th 6-8pm

Art in Action Closing Reception at the Millcroft Gallery
Thursday July 9th 6-8pm

Off Ludlow Gallery Event Schedule:

Art in Action Exhibition Opening Reception at the Off Ludlow Gallery
Thursday July 16th 6-8pm

Art in Action Exhibition Artist Talk at the Off Ludlow Gallery
Sunday July 26th 1-3pm

Art in Action Exhibition Closing Reception at the Off Ludlow Gallery
Friday July 31st 6-8pm

More info: www.millcroftgallery.com

05/23/2026

Art in Action is designed to elevate the impact of art and artists can have on our community. The show accomplishes this by bringing the stories of local cause based nonprofits to life through artistic expression while creating an opportunity to raise funds for those nonprofits. The artists select a local nonprofit and provide artwork, and the painter Cedric Michael Cox has chosen the Heart of Northside as his inspiration! We can't wait to see the finished painting!

Art in Action is designed to elevate the impact of art and artists can have on our community. The show accomplishes this by bringing the stories of local cause based nonprofits to life through artistic expression while creating an opportunity to raise funds for those nonprofits. The artists select a...

05/22/2026

Thanks to Working In Neighborhoods for this preview of what we've been cooking up (!!!) together. Check out these upcoming classes to level up your kitchen skills!

05/20/2026

Neighbors, have you eaten at Melt Revival yet? I’ve been supplying this eclectic, vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurant with some greens as an experiment in growing food for the community.

Our small-scale testing has informed our growing methods to aid our understanding of what we should be growing and how. We’re determining what the community wants to eat, and what it takes for us to provide it–the size and timing of our yields, and the expenses and care associated with that.

Melt Revival’s Green Dream smoothie is now made with our kale that’s grown just up the street, picked and immediately carried over to their kitchen. You really can’t get much fresher or more sustainable than that!

05/19/2026

Need mulch?

Working with a group of volunteers spearheaded by second-year medical student Ryan Goodson, we’re creating a pollinator garden facing Hamilton Ave. This work will support our community in many ways.

Not only will we increase pollinators for gardens all over the neighborhood, but they will also support the ongoing project to grow food for Northside right here, on and in the Heart of Northside. The pollinators in the community will ensure that we can continue to have a vibrant, healthy ecosystem to support the growth of food for our community.

We put our excess mulch on the north side of the sanctuary door. The community is welcome to take from our mulch mountain!

Special thanks to delightful neighbors and new and old friends: Adam, Vince, Joe, and Sam, for helping with this progress on the pollinator garden!

05/18/2026

Today noon-1pm is the Freestore Foodbank Healthy Harvest Mobile Market! The trailer will be located in our parking lot behind 4222 Hamilton Ave. (enter via Hobart). This market is open to all!

The HHMM is small but mighty, packed to the brim with affordable fruits and veggies, eggs, bread, oils, spices and more. Here's a recent haul that came in at just under $17:

- bunch of grapes
- container of blackberries
- 1 sweet potato
- 2 red peppers
- 2 pears
- 5 onions
- 7 assorted apples
- 9 potatoes

Not bad, right?

For more information and the current inventory list, please head to www.healthyharvestmobilemarket.com

It’s an honor to bring the mobile market to the community as a complement to the Northside Farmers Market, Morsel & Nosh, Lierer's Market, and other area grocery options. This is just one important piece of the puzzle to improve the health of the community, and I’m so grateful to be partnering with the Freestore Foodbank on it.

05/15/2026

TGIF! 🌞 My volunteer Adam has taken the lead on designing the pollinator garden that faces Hamilton Ave., and we’re already starting to see beneficial insects take advantage of this new resource!

05/14/2026

Are you planning a wedding? This could be you!

The sanctuary at the Heart of Northside is a glorious space with original curved pews, historic stained glass windows and our beloved Taylor & Boody Organbuilders organ. It accommodates approximately 200 seated guests. In the late afternoon, sunlight streams through the stained glass, creating a rainbow of color in this space!

If you’re looking for a venue for your upcoming nuptials, party, family reunion, what have you, please get in touch. Our facility offers several rentable spaces, and we’re happy to work with you on an arrangement that fits your needs.

Booking fees help to offset the costs of maintaining and building, and help support our mission of a heart-healthy Northside.

If you’re a vendor, maker or service provider in the wedding industry, I’d love to connect! We’ve been talking about hosting a wedding expo especially for those planning a wedding that’s a bit off the beaten path, with DIY elements, unusual catering, sustainable floral arrangements, alternative fashion, and the many elements that can be customized to fit your vision and values.

I’m especially interested in connecting with anyone in and around Northside who offers something like this. If this is you, please get in touch!

We’re currently booking community and private events for 2026 and beyond. Please head to www.heartofnorthside.org for a virtual tour and availability, and get in touch with any questions.

📸 Eleven:11 photography

05/13/2026

Northside Greenspace Inc. is trying something new this year, and I'm so excited to be a part of it! The organization's next community walk will be a mellow route through the side streets of Northside, viewing front yards and gardens that feature native plants and chatting with their owners, with an optional social hour after the walk.

Doesn't that sound amazing? We'll get to meet some of our neighbors and learn about their plants and the critters they attract!

This event will begin at noon on Sun 14 Jun, meeting right at the Heart of Northside, 4222 Hamilton Ave. (Free parking available in our back lot, and restrooms available as well!)

If you're interested, please head over to www.northsidegreenspace.org/event-details/northside-gardens-walk to RSVP for this FREE walking tour. I'm eager to learn more about native and naturalized pollinator plants!

Thanks to Anna Bentley for use of this beautiful photo of a tiger swallowtail on a monarda plant!

05/11/2026

The corner of our property is now ready for the pollinator garden expansion!

The pergola on the southwest corner of our property was built during the pandemic in preparation for an outdoor restaurant that never materialized. We didn't need the structure so it was disassembled for reuse off-site. Now we’ll be able to expand our street-facing garden to grow sustainable pollinator plants and potentially food-bearing plants for the community.

The corner of Hobart now looks like it did more than 100 years ago, and it shows off this historic building to its best effect. What do you think?

The longterm goal of our facility is to prevent heart disease in Cincinnati by supporting the foundations of good health–fresh food and exercise–by creating a community garden, teaching kitchen and health center.