Rid-All Green Partnership co-founder Damien Forshe dies at 50

Produce Grower offers its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Damien Forshe, co-founder of the Rid-All Green Partnership, who died on Nov. 29 at age 50, according to Cleveland.com.

Forshe was the owner and operator of the Rid-All Exterminating Corporation before starting the Rid-All Green Partnership in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood in 2009. He died at Hillcrest Hospital after a heart attack, according to Cleveland.com.

Produce Grower featured the Rid-All Green Partnership in 2014 and again in early 2018.

Through their partnership, Forshe and his colleagues revitalized a section of Kinsman known as “The Forgotten Triangle” by cleaning out a dump site, remediating toxic soil and providing produce and educational opportunities to Cleveland and surrounding communities.

“My whole mission is just love and understanding with people,” Forshe said in 2017, when editors of Produce Grower’s parent company, GIE Media, visited Rid-All. “I’m more into — let’s get an understanding, versus being so divided, and trying to really help, because it takes more than one person to help. It’s going to take a collective of all of us to help.”

Forshe’s family gave the following statement that was cited by Cleveland.com:

“[Forshe had a] vision to rejuvenate Cleveland through urban agriculture that guided him to create a consortium of organizations and individuals that had the experience needed to take on such a difficult task. As he developed the Greater Cleveland community around his concepts for greenhouses, fish, and soil farms, Forshe and his team also created partnerships worldwide, expanding his work to places such as Belize, Kenya, Ghana, and Israel. Damien and his team often advised universities - teaching his innovative approach to urban farming and agricultural business. But the greatest gift Damien Forshe gave to Cleveland, Ohio was his love.”