One in seven Ohioans faces food insecurity, according to Feeding America. This series is produced in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.
Jim Goforth has been racked by pain for most of his life due to spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine, and from surgeries related to a back injury.
Goforth, who manages Solidarity Urban Farms in Lorain, said this chronic pain led him to drug addiction that lasted for more than a decade, from 1999 to 2013.
“Once my pain started getting worse, I started seeing doctors, getting prescribed Vicodin and then I had friends who are getting OxyContin. First it was popping pills and then snorting some OxyContin," he said.
But Goforth said his life turned around when he discovered home growing and gardening, beginning with growing his own marijuana, which he used instead of hard drugs to soothe his pain.
“Marijuana got me sober," he said. "Gardening keeps me sober, you know what I mean? Gardening saved my life, and so it holds a really special place in my heart.”
A bigger mission
At first, Goforth said he used this new hobby to grow and sell produce at farmer's markets, but he wanted something more.
“I always wanted to have more of a mission behind what I did," he said. "Prices (at farmer's markets) just seemed high and inaccessible to people with lower incomes, and that always kind of didn't sit well with me.”
This desire for more purpose led him to found Solidarity Urban Farms in 2020 with Rev. Alex Barton of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Lorain.
Goforth manages the farm, which has five garden plots within a 10-block radius. The farm has several other lots where they host cookouts and grow flowers to sell. The farm employs five paid staff members who work with several volunteers, distributing more than 400 pounds of fresh produce each week to Lorain residents through organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.
Building community
Barton said Lorain doesn't only need the food the farm provides, but the sense of community that comes with it.
“In Lorain, which is a pretty down and out city, the combination of food, farming and community space just makes sense," he said. "Food, farming and gardening is this wonderful avenue to get to know each other.”
In Lorain County, 44% of residents qualify for food stamps, with nearly 15% being food insecure, according to research by Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and local meal programs.
Beyond addressing food insecurity, Goforth said he focuses on providing guidance and support to neighborhood children. This includes introducing them to new foods, teaching about farming and providing them with support.
"The kids are really special to me, and that's one of the main reasons that I'm able to have the energy to do this everyday and keep going," he said.
This work and this purpose has changed his life, Goforth said.
"As someone who kind of struggled with their confidence and self-esteem most of their life, who never really felt like they were contributing to society, like they were a drain on society, it's a wonderful thing to feel productive and like you're giving back, and you're helping instead of taking," he said.
Goforth added that he hopes his journey back from addiction can help inspire others suffering through the same issues.
"Just don't give up," he said. "I thought my only way out was going to be suicide or death from overdose. It's a struggle, that most people can't even fathom how difficult it is to stop using drugs. I just say, keep your head up and don't give up."
He also hopes his story helps the families and friends of those suffering from addiction.
"For the people who are living with addicts or who know an addict, don't give up on them," Goforth said. "I know you may need to separate yourself from them physically at times because of their behavior, but just remember that that's the drugs and not the people a lot of times, and that there's good people out there that are still using and they have good hearts and they deserve dignity."
