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Village of Evandale & Friends of Gorman Heritage Farm
Jim Gorman's dream was to preserve his 100-acre family farm as
a working farm where future generations could learn about an earlier way of
life. Over the years he and his sister, Dorothy, resisted many offers to develop
the land. By 1985, it was surrounded by subdivisions and was the last working
family farm in Evendale. In 1995 Jim and Dorothy reached an agreement with Cincinnati
Nature Center, which opened Gorman Heritage Farm to the public in 1996. When
it became public in February 2003 that Cincinnati Nature Center could no longer
honor the terms of the agreement and that the farm would close by August, many
people stepped forward to voice concern. Evendale's mayor set up a task force
that appeared before Council in June to report on the feasibility of the Village
acquiring and managing the farm. The task force recommended forming an advisory
committee to research the operations of similar farms and create a business
plan. In November, when the committee proposed a business plan, council members
voted unanimously to accept the farm and resume operations, with the goal of
Gorman Heritage Farm becoming a self-sufficient non-profit within five years.
A board was named to implement the plan, and volunteers worked throughout the
winter to ready the farm for opening. Cincinnati Preservation Association acted
as financial administrator until the legal requirements for a new nonprofit
could be met. Evendale's Historical Commission worked with Cincinnati Nature
Center's volunteer historian to finish a book entitled The Gorman Heritage
Farm - A Rare
Gem in Urban America, which was published and distributed to generate interest
and support. A farming staff was hired and plans were made to begin plantings
and return livestock to the barnyard. Thousands of volunteer hours enabled Gorman
Heritage Farm to reopen in May 2004 with limited hours. By fall a director and
an education specialist were on board. Evendale celebrated with a three-day
event in October, ending with the annual Town Meeting where it was announced
that 2005 would bring the return of full operations at Gorman Heritage Farm.
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