This June, the Huntington Convention Center in Downtown Cleveland celebrates its 10th anniversary.
The previous convention center from the 1960s was torn down to make way for a modern, state-of-the-art facility.
Sustainability is central to the convention center, including an incredible piece of the country hidden in the heart of the city.
The Real Farmville is what they call the on-site, urban farm at the convention center, and it is reopening for the first time since the pandemic.
Typically, the concrete soil of a city isn’t fertile ground for growing life, but the garden proves that the best things are often unexpected.
The farm is tucked along the train track just south of the Cleveland Browns Stadium and nestled outside the north end of the convention center.
“Nobody else in the city is doing this,” said Brad Gambrell, executive chef for the Huntington Convention Center.
Gambrell never thought that one day he’d be a chef and a farmer.
“Honestly, no,” said Gambrell. “That is one reason I was so interested in the job!”
Gambrell has been the executive chef at the convention center for nearly six years.
His kitchen uses honey from the bees, vegetables and herbs from the garden, and eggs from the ducks and chickens in meals they serve to more than 200,000 guests a year.
“My favorite part,” said Gambrell. “I would say when tomatoes are growing, I love to come down and eat them right off the vine.”
The convention center is LEED gold certified, and the farm is one of its green initiatives to reduce its footprint.
“One of my favorite parts is giving the pigs a belly rub every day,” said Lauren Anderson, urban farmer for the Cleveland Convention Center. “They’re obsessed with it!”
Anderson is the farm’s full-time caretaker. She jokes that she has the most fun coworkers.
“I do,” she smiled. “They’re messy; they don’t clean up after themselves, but they’re a joy to have!”
All the animals and plants serve a purpose.
For example, the farm’s three pigs, Chef, Delilah and Winston, help reduce food waste by eating certain leftovers. No meat, though.
“Surprisingly, they love vegetables,” said Anderson.
New this year on the farm, two male Nigerian Dwarf goats named Cinnamon and Biscuit. They are tiny, cute little lawnmowers for the farm.
The farm is so peaceful, and the chef, his sous chefs and other employees say they love coming out for breaks during the day.
“It’s a nice draw for the staff,” said Gambrell, who is excited for what’s next with the farm.
“Just continue to grow and stay on the cutting edge, and I don’t think that’ll be too hard because we’re the only farm in Downtown Cleveland!”
Cuyahoga County owns the convention center, and the catering contractor, Levy Restaurants, manages the farm.
CLICK HERE to see some other hidden gems across Northeast Ohio.
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