LORAIN, Ohio — Learning how to grow a garden has helped a Lorain man overcome his long battle with substance abuse.
What You Need To Know
- Goforth said gardening saved his life
- He said he once was addicted to cocaine and heroin for 14 years
- Goforth maintains several gardens that were donated to him to grow vegetables
“I was addicted to heroin and cocaine for 14 years, but in 2013 I found gardening and agriculture,” said Jim Goforth, owner of Gateway Pharms.
Jim Goforth is sober and has been gardening for more than seven years, now. He said once the pandemic hit in March, he had no place to sell his veggies, so he opened up Gateway Pharms on a corner in Lorain.
“It’s all about helping people, to gardening, getting them involved, and showing people what you can do in a really small space. That’s why I kind of put this here,” Goforth said.
The community gardener has several other plots of land that have been donated to him to grow more veggies and flowers. Goforth took some agriculture courses at Lorain Community College so he has an educated green thumb.
Goforth believes in organic produce so and he treats his gardens with tender loving care.
“I don’t use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides or synthetics. I make my own fertilizer and other nutrients,” he said.
Neighbors said the garden is a wonderful addition to their neighborhood.
“Beautiful flowers, he planted a nice little garden, sunflowers, tomatoes, it spruces up the corner there a little bit from being plain” said Lorain resident Judith Bohland.
Goforth said he’s only been at his current location for a few months and people have been showing their appreciation for his efforts.
“It’s insane how many people drive by and see this and their face lights up, and they just have to stop and talk and hold up traffic to tell me how much they love the garden, and people drive by and I hand them a tomato or show people what Swiss chard is,” Goforth said.
Goforth said he’s so busy working his gardens he doesn’t think about his past and his mistakes.
“That’s kind of what makes me stay sober,” Goforth said. “I have no time for any of that nonsense anymore because this drives everything that I do.”
