There is his-story, her-story, their-story, OUR STORY – oh so many stories! For the sake of simplicity, here are some highlights, and the rest can be found through oral tradition.
1927 – 2011
- Eleanore Rusnacik and her Czech family, parents, grandmother, and uncle reside at 2909 E 117th Street (which is now PORCH) in the Buckeye neighborhood.
- Buckeye neighborhood in Cleveland, OH was known as “Little Hungary”for the early portion of the 20th century until white flight, racial tension, and other issues saw the neighborhood transition to a primarily African-American neighborhood.
2011
- Daniel McNamara & Diana Sette purchase the house from Eleanore Rusnacik.
- Inaugural collective house member moves in with support of E.D.E.N.
- House becomes headquarters of Possibilitarian Puppet Theater & its resident company members.
- Host Solidago Riders
- Understanding the Crash graphic novel book talk about foreclosure crisis & community disucssion with graphic novel artist Seth Tobacman with post-show music performance
- Host Insurgent Theatre‘s play, In the Belly
- Host Community Brick Oven Building Workshop
- Establish backyard permaculture garden with the help of neighborhood kids
- Welcome 5 laying hens to the backyard homestead
- Applied for ownership of adjacent land parcel #129-18-104 through Cleveland of City Land Bank
- Plant nearly 100 different varieties of native perennials plants
2012
- Beautiful Possibilities Elixir Social‘s Full Sensory Elixir Experience with Possibilitarian Garden at West Side Market in partnership with artist Alison Pebworth and SPACES Gallery
- Started Possibilitarian Garden blog
- Built Aquaponics Greenhouse
- Started guerilla gardening on adjacent lot with community support
- Hosted 2 Mushroom Growing Workshops in partnership with Kai’s Kultured Mushroom Farm with support from a grant from Neighborhood Connections
- Participated in Environmental Health Watch’s Green Houses & Greenhouses program
- Participated in Buckeye Family Garden Initiative
- Coordinated several clean-ups of abandoned house on adjacent lot
- Installed side gate for community access to garden
2013
- Denied ownership for land bank parcel #129-18-104 from City of Cleveland Land Bank with the reason for eventual city plans for ‘infill housing’ development.
- Reapplied for land with additional support including: a petition signed by neighbors, and letters of support from other Buckeye residents, Councilperson Ken Johnson, Buckeye CDC, and Environmental Health Watch.
- Hosted 2nd Annual Mushroom Growing Workshop in partnership with Kai’s Kultured Mushroom Farm.
2014
- Abandoned house on adjacent lot # 129-18-103 demolished and ownership transferred to Cuyahoga County Land Bank.
- Diana Sette & Daniel McNamara applied for ownership of #129-18-103 and granted ownership of land through Cuyahoga Land Bank.
- Diana Sette & Daniel McNamara granted opportunity to purchase parcel #129-18-104 from City of Cleveland Land Bank after 2nd application attempt.
2015
- Awarded Cleveland Climate Action Fund Grant
- Awarded Neighborhood Connections Grant
- Hosted Artists-in-Residence Justin Glanville & Seth Beattie for Sidewalks of Buckeye project.
- Diana Sette & Liz Bartee officially found “Possibilitarian Garden” as co-leaders
- Possibilitarian Garden joins OSU Extension’s Summer Sprout Program
- Land leased for 3 years to Possibilitarian Garden
- Hosted several community garden meetings, Community Garden Kick-Off and Harvest Party Work Days with 50-100 volunteers, building upcycled pallet fence, 2 native perennial flower beds, and 7 – 3′ x 6′ raised community garden beds.
- Partnered with Americorps GLISTEN & Green Corps teens
- 10+ committed community gardeners
- Became a Certified Wildlife Habitat by National Wildlife Federation
- Begin to identify house space/garden project as “Possibilitarian Urban Regenerative Community Homestead” (PURCH)
- Begin Journey North citizen scientist research
- Tour Site for Environmental Justice Tour in partnership with Environmental Health Watch and Interfaith Power and Light.
2016
- Change name to Possibilitarian Regenerative Community Homstead (PORCH)
- Create intentional community house values for PORCH
- Initiated Possibilitarian Regenerative Community Homestead (PORCH) Collaborative
- Host Cleveland State University’s “Social Foundations of Education” class and their weekly ‘Neighborhood Think Tank’ meet-up group with support of Professor Dr. David Backer.
- Increased rainwater capturing & management on-site with support from Jean Loria of Upstream Permaculture.
- Host Tree Stewardship Training with The Holden Arboretum & Western Reserve Land Conservancy
- Host “Homesteading with Permaculture” hands-on workshop series in partnership with Green Triangle
- Host Seed Saving workshop in partnership with Cleveland Seed Bank
- Renovated Greenhouse
- Silver Maple Tree Preservation
- Tour Site for American Community Garden Association’s 37th Annual Community Gardening Conference: “2016 Cleveland Growing Strong: Health, Equity & Sustainability”
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