About Us
Living City Farms is a small no-till farm in Northeast Ohio that uses agro-ecological and permaculture-inspired practices to care for the land and our community. We got our start by growing produce for the Akron-based vegan restaurant, Good Roots Ohio, and now offer our harvest publicly from our farm in Tallmadge and from farmers markets across Akron and Tallmadge. Living City Farms currently grows vegetables—everything from kale and lettuce to tomatoes and peppers and perennial fruit like elderberries and pawpaws.
Regenerative farming practices
Living City Farms grows local fresh produce regeneratively using methods that heal the land, soils, natural cycles, and our ecosystems. This includes no-till and permaculture farming principles, such as growing vegetables between rows of young fruit trees to make good use of our small acreage and ensure nutrient-rich food for our local community.
Farmer Ryan
assistant Farm manager
Ryan Sherman Iwaszkiw, born in 1994 and raised in Brecksville, Ohio, has spent nearly a decade in Columbus, where he worked closely with food at a local organic and sustainable burger restaurant. Since returning to the Cuyahoga Valley in 2020, he has embarked on a new journey in agriculture. Driven by a deep desire to learn and become more self-sufficient, Ryan is committed to understanding and practicing organic and sustainable farming. He values his work for its demand for mindful attention and creative problem-solving, finding endless lessons in the field.
In recent years, Ryan has gained experience at several indoor commercial plant production facilities that use vertical grow systems to optimize crop production. His dream of working on a genuine organic outdoor farm has finally come true, and he feels fortunate to be in a position where he can engage fully with the local land and community. Ryan looks forward to building new connections and sharing the bounty of the season with everyone.
Farmer Mandy
Farmer
Mandy Palmer returns for her second summer as the Living City farmhand. Over the years, she’s worn many hats: teacher, occupational therapist, and bartender, but her true happiness has always been found outdoors. With a deep passion for food and nature, she eagerly joined the farm when Farmer Rich introduced her to this “Good Place.”
Working with her hands, stewarding the land, and being surrounded by kind people in such a beautiful setting is her dream come true. When asked to describe her, her husband quipped, “just tell them you garden after you’re done working in the garden,” perfectly encapsulating her essence. This year, she looks forward to nourishing everyone with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Shannon
Community Engagement & Markets Coordinator
Shannon Thanasiu is excited to join the team at Living City Farms. She cultivates the farm’s online presence, keeps folks “fresh” on produce stock through her weekly newsletters, and loves to swap recipes with community members when she’s out coordinating local markets.
Shannon first began working with the public teaching musical theatre at the Weathervane Neighborhood Playhouse camp for elementary schoolers during summers between college. Before starting the summer of 2024 at Living City Farms, she recently taught and facilitated enrichment programming at a local Akron area YMCA afterschool and summer camp program. Shannon first learned about Living City Farms through attending farmers markets as a customer and, later, as a member of the kitchen staff at Ms Julie’s Kitchen. Shannon appreciates the mission of regenerative farming in her ongoing goal to do work that make actionable steps to help nourish the earth.
