About Us
Living City Farms is a Certified Organic farm through Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, rooted in closed-loop, no-till, permaculture-inspired practices in Northeast Ohio. We grow from the belief that farming is not just production—it’s relationship: with the soil, with the ecosystem, and with the people we feed.
Our farm is designed as a living system. We cultivate a diverse range of Certified Organic vegetables—from staple tender greens like arugula and lettuce to summer crops like tomatoes, and zucchini—alongside regional fruits like ground cherries. strawberries, and pawpaws. Every crop is grown with intention, in biologically active soil, without synthetic inputs, and with a deep respect for natural cycles.
We share our harvest with the community through our online webstore, a seasonal self-serve farmstand here at the farm, local farmers markets, food cooperatives, and local health food and grocery stores. However you find us, the goal is the same: fresh, nutrient-dense food grown with integrity.
Education
Education is just as important as production. Through our Living City Workshop Series, we host on-site classes and hands-on workshops covering homesteading and organic gardening practices, microgreens, aquaponics, permaculture, fertilizer tea brewing, organic integrated pest management systems, and closed-loop farming. This space is meant to be shared—a place where knowledge flows as freely as food.
We also welcome the community onto the farm through seasonal U-pick experiences—spring strawberries, summer tomatoes and zucchini, and fall harvests of pumpkins, sunflowers, gourds, and pawpaws—offering a direct connection to the land and the food it provides.
Each year, we celebrate the season’s abundance with our Croptober Fest: Autumn Festival—bringing together our partners, local artists, and community to honor the harvest and the work that made it possible.
Learn MoreGrow with Purpose.
Sow with Kindness.
Bloom Together.
Our Vision
Our long-term vision is to become a fully closed-loop organic farming system by 2027—reducing reliance on outside inputs while strengthening community understanding of regenerative, self-sustaining agriculture.
At the center of this vision is an integrated system built on cycles, not waste. We cultivate Black Soldier Flies using on-farm green waste and donated near-expiring produce from local grocers—diverting valuable nutrients from the waste stream and putting them back into production.
From there, the system flows:
Black Soldier Fly cultivation produces larvae and frass → larvae feed our chickens and aquaponic fish → fish support produce production → produce feeds the community.
Larvae also support our chickens → chickens produce eggs for the community → their manure feeds the garden → the garden feeds the community.
Black Soldier Fly frass fertilizes our beds → our beds grow crops → those crops nourish our community.
Everything connects. Nothing is wasted.
Living City Farms exists to demonstrate that a farm can be both productive and regenerative—a closed-loop system that feeds people, rebuilds soil, and reconnects community to the source of their food.
People with Passion
United by a passion for sustainability and community, we grow not only crops, but a way of life grounded in connection, responsibility, and the common good. Learn more about our team!
Meet The TeamWhat It Means to Be an OEFFA Organic Certified, Closed-Loop System Farm
At Living City Farms, our OEFFA Organic Certification represents our commitment to producing food in accordance with the highest standards of organic agriculture. We do not use synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or commercial pesticides. Instead, we rely on natural systems and biological solutions to promote healthy crops and resilient ecosystems. Our fertility programs are built around compost, worm castings, Black Soldier Fly frass, and living microbial teas, while our integrated pest management practices emphasize prevention and biodiversity. We employ beneficial nematodes, predatory insects, and companion plantings that attract pollinators and native predators, allowing nature to perform much of the work traditionally accomplished through chemical intervention. By fostering balance within the ecosystem, we are able to produce nutrient-dense food while protecting the health of our soil, waterways, wildlife, and community.
Beyond organic certification, Living City Farms operates as a closed-loop farm—an interconnected living system in which the outputs of one enterprise become the inputs of another. Rather than viewing the farm as a collection of separate endeavors, we intentionally design relationships that allow nutrients and resources to cycle continuously throughout the ecosystem.
At the heart of this system is our Black Soldier Fly breeding and cultivation program.
Black Soldier Fly larvae serve as one of the farm’s most important biological links. Through their remarkable ability to transform organic materials into valuable resources, they power many of the nutrient cycles that sustain the farm. The larvae themselves provide a highly digestible, natural source of protein and fats that support our laying hens and supplement feed for our tilapia raised in aquaponic systems. By producing feed on-site, we reduce reliance on outside inputs while creating a more resilient and sustainable farm ecosystem.
Equally important is the frass—the nutrient-rich material produced by the larvae. Rich in beneficial microbes, organic matter, and plant-available nutrients, Black Soldier Fly frass forms the foundation of much of our fertility program. Combined with compost, worm castings, and biological teas, it helps build healthy soils that support vigorous plant growth and a thriving soil food web. Rather than feeding plants directly with synthetic fertilizers, we focus on feeding the living biology beneath the soil surface.
Our vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit crops are grown using these biologically active amendments, allowing nutrients to cycle continuously through the farm. Crop residues and spent mushroom substrate are composted on-site and returned to the land, further closing the loop and reducing waste.
Our aquaponic systems create another layer of interconnectedness. Tilapia provide nutrients that feed plants, while the plants naturally help purify and recycle water. Gourmet mushrooms transform agricultural byproducts into nutritious food and leave behind spent substrate that contributes valuable organic matter to our compost systems.
Our organically fed hens are integrated into this cycle as well. Supplemented with farm-raised Black Soldier Fly larvae, they provide nutrient-rich eggs while their manure contributes to the composting process that ultimately nourishes future crops.
Strong partnerships with local vendors, breweries, bakers, cooperatives, and fellow farmers further strengthen this system by allowing organic materials and resources to remain within the local food economy rather than becoming waste. Through these relationships, Living City Farms supports a regional network built on transparency, sustainability, and shared stewardship.
Through these interconnected relationships, Living City Farms functions as a regenerative ecosystem where very little is discarded and every enterprise contributes to the health of the whole. Black Soldier Flies, fish, chickens, mushrooms, microbes, and plants each play a role in a continuous cycle of renewal.
For us, organic farming is not merely the absence of synthetic chemicals—it is the intentional cultivation of living systems. By working with nature’s processes rather than against them, Living City Farms seeks to demonstrate how agriculture can regenerate soil, reduce waste, strengthen communities, and produce abundant, nutrient-dense food for generations to come.
