On October 29, 2025, over 190 advocates, business leaders, policymakers, chefs, and changemakers gathered for the Wasted Food Summit - a day devoted to connection, learning, and inspiring action throughout Greater Cincinnati’s food system. Participants representing a wide range of organizations, from government agencies to local nonprofits and food entrepreneurs, explored the challenges of food waste while celebrating the growing movement toward solutions like food rescue that nourish both people and the planet.

The Wasted Food Summit was co-hosted by Green Umbrella, Last Mile Food Rescue, and Hamilton County ReSource. Funding for the Wasted Food Summit is generously provided by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).

Another traffic garden has been installed in Cincinnati Public Schools! The Roll Hill Stinger City Traffic Garden is the fourth campus to receive an interactive outdoor learning site. A traffic garden is a space designed with a mini street network and simplified traffic features, completely free of cars. Traffic gardens can be created as painted layouts applied on hard surfaces or designed as small-scale streets with asphalt and curbs to resemble real roads. Students learn and practice pedestrian and bike safety while engaging in physical activity.

Photo credit: Caitlin Sparks, Tri State Trails

The project was made possible by the Healthy Communities Team grant awarded to the Cincinnati Health Department, as well as through the collaboration between partner organizations, including Tri-State Trails and Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards Action Network. The ribbon cutting took place in early October, where students could immediately use the new outdoor learning space.

It was a delight to join with volunteers from Fifth Third, Accenture, Price Hill neighbors, and community members to expand our first orchard planting with a fresh palette of 10 new trees. We’ve learned so much since this planting in 2017. Now, the orchard is being updated with some new trees, including pawpaws and jujubes. We also planted new berry bushes after a fire engine flipped into the site two years ago. This space has experienced many ups and downs, but it has produced thousands of pounds of fruit for the community, and it is destined to grow even more in the years to come.

The 2026 Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit will take place on Friday, June 12 at the Sharonville Convention Center, and our call for participation is open! We are inviting proposals for Speakers & Breakout Sessions, Artists & Performances, and Poster Sessions. Proposals are due December 31, 2025. Please review our proposal guidelines and find the submission form here. Reach out to events@greenumbrella.org with any questions.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - formerly known as food stamps - is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, providing grocery assistance to approximately 1 in 8 Americans. The recent pause of SNAP benefits has affected hundreds of thousands of people across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The resource linked above explains how SNAP works, where to find food and resources, and how those who are able can support their neighbors and food security organizations.

The University of Cincinnati has ranked No. 8 among the nation’s greenest college campuses by The Princeton Review. This honor reflects UC’s commitment to sustainability and student involvement. The university stands out for its work in energy efficiency, reducing food waste, and building green infrastructure. Students, faculty, and staff have worked together to make UC a greener campus.

MadTree Brewing’s Let’s Grow Local initiative recently partnered up with local organizations to plant 128 trees in Cincinnati’s West End. Since the program’s launch in 2019, Let’s Grow Local has planted over 7,350 trees across the city. This program helps neighborhoods with low tree‑canopy cover, aiming to boost air quality, reduce urban heat, and improve community well‑being. Volunteers worked together to plant trees and clean up public spaces.

Photo credit: MadTree Brewing

Join Green Umbrella and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful next Thursday for our November edition of Green Drinks, an evening dedicated to celebrating and advancing green and healthy schools across the Greater Cincinnati region. This month’s event will highlight the work of Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards Action Network, a collaborative initiative to transform schoolyards into nature-rich outdoor learning spaces that support green workforce development, school community wellness, and climate resilience. Space is limited—RSVP to reserve your spot!

Raise a glass for a greener future! Join Green Umbrella and Sierra Club Miami Group at Rhinegeist Brewery for our December edition of Green Drinks, a fun and festive evening celebrating community, sustainability, and collaboration. RSVP here!

Click here for the full Events Calendar. Members can submit events in the Green Umbrella online portal here.

The City of Cincinnati Office of Environment & Sustainability is offering Seeds of Change Urban Agriculture Mini-grants to support urban agriculture in 2026. Funds are available for agricultural production, growing sites, and food hub distribution sites. The application deadline is November 24, 2025. The location of the growing site or distribution site must be within the City of Cincinnati. Applicants can be non-profit organizations or for-profit businesses. Click here for information, including guidelines and the application.

Our Land Organics designs, builds, and cares for landscapes that restore balance between people and nature. As Lead Designer/Sales Professional, you’ll be at the center of the design/build process. You’ll combine your ecological design expertise with strong relationship-building and sales skills to guide clients from consultation through construction. See a full job description here.

Have an event, volunteer opportunity, or job posting to share? Green Umbrella members can submit them via the online Membership Portal. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, click here.