Posted: October 20, 2026
On October 8th, more than 100 passionate community members gathered in the Wells Barn for our annual Harvest Awards! It was a powerful night dedicated to honoring the hard work, resilience, and vision of Central Ohio’s urban agriculture leaders and community gardeners.
We were honored to welcome State Representative Christine Cockley and Bruce Harkey, President and CEO of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, who delivered inspiring keynote addresses celebrating Growing to Green’s impact and highlighting critical policy work surrounding urban agriculture in Columbus. Attendees also enjoyed a special art show hosted during the ceremony in partnership with the Franklin County Local Food Council.
Beyond celebrating key garden anniversaries and standout individual achievements, the evening featured incredible support for our honorees. Thanks to the generosity of the Boyd-Bowden Family, GreenScapes Landscape Co., and the Franklin Park Conservatory Women’s Board, our awardees received thoughtful gifts to support their ongoing growth.
The overwhelming outpouring of love in the room was an inspiring reminder of what makes our local food network so vibrant. Thank you to everyone who joined us to root for our gardeners!
- 2026 Bill Dawson Gardener of the Year Awardee: April Shelton, Four Seasons City Farm
- 2026 Paul Redman Youth Gardener of the Year Awardee: Sharif Ibrahim, South Central Community Garden
- 25-Year Garden Anniversary: The Outdoor Learning Environment at The Early Childhood Education and Family Center
