MANSFIELD – The North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) announced a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the NECIC/RiCI urban agriculture site.
The event will be held at 1155 S. Olivesburg Road in Mansfield and is free to attend, with light refreshments available.
Event schedule
1:00 pm: Welcome and opening remarks by distinguished speaker
1:30 p.m.: Ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the urban agriculture site
Following the opening ceremony, optional tours will be available for those who wish to learn more about RiCI and the farm.
The NECIC/RiCI Urban Agriculture Facility is an innovative 30+ acre farm located within the Richland Correctional Institution.
This innovative initiative is a collaboration between NECIC and Richland Correctional Institution, which generously leases land to NECIC, and NECIC, which provides agricultural education and rehabilitation programs.
This environment fosters sustainable agriculture and provides fertile ground for education and rehabilitation.
Our partnership with Central State University provides inmates with an excellent opportunity to learn valuable agricultural skills.
They participate in comprehensive education and business courses, work towards agricultural qualifications and accumulate apprenticeship hours.
The program also offers participants community service opportunities and the possibility of reduced sentences.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the beginning of a new chapter in agricultural education and recovery.
The event will be moderated by Mayor Kenneth Black and will feature short speeches from the following individuals:
Deanna West Torrance, CEO, NECIC
Phil Mazzocco, NECIC Board Chair
Annette M. Chambers Smith, Commissioner, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC)
Michelle Wallace, ANR Extension Educator, Northwest Region, Central State University
Walt Bonham, NECIC Food and Agriculture Consultant
Inmate participants
The community will be joining us on this monumental occasion to learn more about this transformative program.
For more information, contact Melissa Drozda at drozda@necic-ohio.org.
