It’s no great secret that local foods and local economy represent one of the great opportunities for our city and region. Exciting work is developing at a rapid pace in this domain, not just in Cleveland but throughout our entire region. A great example of educating, advocating, and advancing collaborative ways of driving grassroots economic development was made transparent to hundreds who gathered at last month’s Grey to Green festival in Youngstown. I was honored to participate and meet a living legend, MacArthur award recipient and urban foods pioneer Will Allen, there. For decades Will has worked to lead Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a champion of social entrepreneurship and social justice.

At most festivals, the large number of attendees might raise a common problem: a large volume of trash left behind and headed to a landfill. Something remarkable happened at Grey to Green, though.

At the end of the day, as the grounds were cleaned up, a solitary garbage bag was all that was needed. Everything else was gathered for composting or separated for recycling. If there’s a more appropriate testament to the significance of the day, I can’t think of one.