A community garden in Gresham's Central City held an open house Saturday to encourage East County residents to consider new ways to grow their own food.
Some Oregon communities are dotted with public garden space, but the aim of this Multnomah County project is to foster new gardens in neighborhoods underserved by food markets, or food deserts, as they're sometimes called.
Gresham gardens
April Baer / OPB
Wesley Revel is a volunteer with the project. He got involved when he asked his mother about the raised beds across the street from her assisted living apartment.
Revel says these areas don't conform to the stereotype of impoverished neighborhoods.
"They're all over the city, and there's a lot of money involved in them, too. There's vacant lots that will not be used - especially in this type of economy. We can educate people on how to grow their own food in a small little box."
The new Central City space hosts eight small plots, plus a larger one dedicated to growing food for the Meals on Wheels program in an adjacent county building.
They're not true community gardens, but community owned. That means nearby residents don't have to be physically able to work the plots to share in the harvest.
