Akron Cooperative Farms receives a National Project Grant for its Market and Community Pavilion build out. 

November 8, 2022 (Akron, OH) – Akron Cooperative Farms was recently announced a 2022  grant recipient of A Community Thrives, a grantmaking and crowd-funding program from the  USA TODAY NETWORK and a part of the Gannett Foundation. Akron Cooperative Farms will  receive a $25,000 national project grant to support final work on a market and community  pavilion project. 

A Community Thrives supports non-profit organizations with projects focused on community  building and has helped to contribute more than $17 million since 2017. This year, A Community  Thrives engaged participants in 45 states, receiving more than 760 proposal submissions. Akron Cooperative Farms was named one of 16 winners in the national project grant category. 

Akron Cooperative Farms transforms underutilized land into urban farms for community gardens and entrepreneurial enterprises designed to strengthen the social and economic fabric of Akron  through sustainable agriculture. They bring together neighbors and new Americans from  agrarian cultures around growing food for their families, market and community. The A  Community Thrives grant will support finish work on the farm’s pavilion, including electrical work, a shaded front porch, interior siding, wash stations, a pizza/bread oven, and a stone wall to mitigate highway noise. 

“We are so excited about this award and the opportunities it will provide for the 140+ farmers each season, and our many visitors and partners,” said Doug Wurtz, Founder and Executive Director.  

“The pavilion will offer space for market vendors at the weekly Hapi Fresh farmers market (a partnership with Asia, Inc.), gardener/community events, and space for our growing community education programs. We are deeply grateful to The Gannett Foundation for recognizing the impact of our work – and to the City of Akron for helping us bring it all to life!” 

“We are proud of the work Akron Cooperative Farms has done to enhance life in Akron, Ohio. At  Gannett, we take pride in supporting organizations that make a positive impact in their communities. Through A Community Thrives, we lend financial support to that purpose as well as rally the whole community to champion a good and meaningful cause,” said CEO and  Chairman Mike Reed. 

About A Community Thrives 

A Community Thrives is a grantmaking and crowd-funding program from the USA TODAY  NETWORK and is part of the Gannett Foundation. A Community Thrives supports non-profit organizations with projects focused on community building and has helped to contribute more than $17 million since 2017. 

About USA TODAY NETWORK 

USA TODAY NETWORK, part of Gannett Co, Inc. (NYSE: GCI), is the largest local-to-national media organization in the country, powered by our award-winning newsrooms and marketing solutions business. With deep roots in local communities spanning the U.S. with more than  250 local media brands, plus USA TODAY, we engage more than 140 million people every month through a diverse portfolio of multi-platform content offerings and experiences. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.