For over a decade, Cincinnati Permaculture has operated as primarily a mobile permaculture design classroom and small-scale edible perennial nursery, using shared and borrowed spaces as we carried out our mission of permaculture education to support a resilient future. Our flagship permaculture design course visits 10 or more sites every year and gave rise to the Winter and Summer weekend courses, hosted by our local partners and teacher-farmers.
In the last few years, we’ve been discussing the benefits of having a more permanent home base that we can develop into an even more robust permaculture education resource for the Cincinnati region. It was an ambitious idea and we knew it would have to be the right kind of property and opportunity to make it worth the additional risks and liabilities that come with ownership.
Such an opportunity came our way in late 2025 and through a series of careful discussions and negotiations, a deal was reached that was too good to pass up on.
And so in March 2026, CPI assumed ownership of three properties on Enright Ave & 8th Street in East Price Hill. We’ve been connected to these sites for over a decade through relationships with our neighbors, including Enright Ecovillage, Urban Earth Farms and Tending Roots, and are proud and excited at the opportunity to steward them into the future. The sites include:
A mixed-use building at the corner of 8th and Enright, formerly a pub with an outdoor courtyard on the first floor and an unoccupied (at time of purchase) 1-bedroom apartment on the second floor, and unfinished space on the third floor
The site where Growing Value Nursery has been operating together with Urban Earth Farms (824 Enright Ave.) which includes a 100+ year old greenhouse, indoor retail and storage space, and the nursery lot
The “Icehouse Garden,” a formerly vacant lot between Enright and Terry St (corner of Price) that has been slowly transforming into a permaculture demonstration site/outdoor classroom and a potential community forage garden.
While we’ve been active at the nursery and icehouse sites for many years, the former pub & apartment represents a new asset and opportunity for us. Importantly to us and to our neighbors, the liquor license is no longer in the picture: our vision and intention is to use this building as a community gathering space, retail and resource space, and indoor classroom or event space. We hope to secure occupants for the upstairs rental unit while we transform the first level into a “hub” for urban permaculture — something that benefits and uplifts the entire neighborhood.
Some PEEKS AT what we’ve envisioned…
Permaculture Curb Appeal: The outdoor courtyard and green space offer an attractive potential storefront to sell plants and other products of our harvest. The visual appeal could be improved through perennial plantings and structures like trellises.
The fenced outdoor courtyard includes a covered patio and several square feet of greenspace that could be converted to raised beds and used for beehives, composting, and other permaculture activities.
A raised outdoor pavilion inspires ideas of live music, presentations and classes or summer evening potlucks.
New Challenges and Needs
With great opportunity comes great responsibility. All of the dreams we have for this property are grounded in the reality that time, materials, labor, and resources will need to be invested for any of these sites to reach their potential. Taking over their care has introduced new costs and a long to-do list for us as an organization that, to date, has been operating lean and small.
As of Spring 2026, we are actively collaborating with our neighbors, partners and community to determine the most viable path forward that lets us meet our financial obligations and sustain something special and unique to Cincinnati. If you are interested in getting engaged, there are several ways you could support us:
Make a financial donation to our capital fund
Make a donation of supplies or services from our wishlist
Contribute your time as a volunteer - keep an eye out for volunteer dates as we schedule them
Join the CPI Board to help guide the long-term plans and have a voice in decisions
We’ve put together a brief list of what is needed in terms of materials and labor at the site. Learn more about how to get involved and lend support at our Wishlist page.
Looking forward to a brilliant, resilient future
While we get our bearings on this new and exciting initiative, we couldn’t be happier, prouder, or more grateful to be granted the opportunity to truly put down roots in East Price Hill. The difference this will make to our teachers and students, to our nursery, and to our relationships with our neighbors and partners, gives us so much to look forward to.
To all who helped us get here, we owe our sincerest thanks. We can’t wait to invite you into our new home and see what we can grow here!