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As green thumbs around the region prepare their spring plantings, this year they'll have some added company. The National Gardening Association is projecting their numbers to swell by millions. Spurred by economic worries and concerns over food safety and quality, some activists are calling for a return to home and community-based gardening as a means to self-sufficiency, health and sustainability.
It's a concept that has been promoted by prominent food thinkers like Michael Pollan and even by First Lady Michelle Obama, who recently broke ground on a vegetable garden on the White House's South Lawn. At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an organic people's garden was recently launched with plans for an educational campaign and gardens at USDA facilities around the world.
The current trend has some precedent. The U.S. School Garden Army was launched in 1917 to encourage the nation's schoolchildren to garden as a means to promote food security. During both world wars, the U.S. government rallied Americans of all ages to cultivate victory gardens to contribute to the nation's food supply and boost morale. At the program's peak, in 1943, the nation's backyards reportedly produced some 40 percent of the country's vegetables.
Oregon certainly has its share of individuals and organizations aiming to expand the growing field. In Eugene, Victory Gardens For All hopes to plant 10,000 gardens in the area with the stated goal of "victory over global warming." In Portland, community gardening programs report long wait-lists and rising demand. The Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council has called for a vegetable garden at city hall and even on the rooftop of the Multnomah County Building as a means to raise awareness about the benefits of urban food production. And for those that don't have the time to plant, businesses like Your Backyard Farmer will do the dirty work for you.
Can the nation's backyards supply our needs? Has home or community gardening contributed to your household's food supply? How much time, money, land, and know-how would it take for you to grow a sizable percentage of your yearly intake? Are you a farmer whose produce feeds people on a large-scale? What does that take? Are you threatened by the upsurge in DIY veggies?
GUESTS:
- Charlotte Anthony: Founder of Victory Gardens For All
- Rose Hayden-Smith: County Director of the University of California Cooperative Extension Service in Ventura County, Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow, and Ph.D. candidate in U.S. History and Public Historical Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara
- Barb Iverson: Co-owner of Iverson Family Farms
- Susan Webb: Client of Your Backyard Farmer
Tagged as: farming · food · gardening · locavore
Photo credit: Library of Congress
COMMENTS: (56 total)
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jonaylor -
what does a garden coach do? (I imagine you cheering on tomatoes! Grow! Grow! Grow!)
what's the history of this work?
Emily
Emily Harris — Wed April 1st 8:43p.m.
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Emily
A garden coach is an experienced gardener who provides hands-on gardening lessons for you in your yard - whether its showing you how to prune properly, plant a shrub or tree or starting your own veggie patch. Typically, I work with people who have little or no gardening skills but want to learn and don't know where to start.
Someone told me it's like having a personal trainer in your garden - who will work alongside you and help you expand your gardening skills through on-site practice. My goal is to help you become more knowlegeable about your plants and how to look after them - to "own" your own garden.
Jo
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Re: History of Garden Coaching.
This 'new profession' appears to have began in the Washington DC area only a couple of years ago when Susan Harris wrote an article about coaching for the NY Times. See the directory she started at www.gardencoachdirectory.wetpaint.com
I've been giving friends and family gardening advice/help for several years and before that my Mother-in Law who's a UK Master Gardener - coached me about what do do in the garden (and still does!).
Jo Naylor
Garden Coach
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I wrote an article that appeared in The News Register last Saturday that touches on the subject. You can view it via my blog at www.emilychadwick.wordpress.com. I have a link on my post titled, "Food, it's more than what's for dinner." Or if you prefer, check out opinions and viewpoints at www.newsregister.com.
Is is a great topic. Thanks for giving it attention.
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My mother grew a vegetable garden as a necessity. Thirty years later, I still plant a garden every year. I don't really need to; my daughter and husband shun vegetables! I do it for the sheer joy of watching the plants grow. There is nothing better in the world than being barefoot in the garden, grazing on raw sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and pole beans. I have spoiled many a dinner with raw foods! I grow more than my small family eats in our 10x25 foot plot in the backyard. I enjoy sharing the bounty with neighbors and trading for the different things they've grown. Several of my friends belong to a farmer's co-op and get boxes of veggies 11 months of the year. Gardens, weather cooperative or personal, bring small communities of people together. In a world of twitters and texts, growing and trading vegetables allows us physical contact with our society.
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Our tomatoes have been started in our breakfast nook and our chicks are in the bathroom growing like "weeds". Our dining room will be our next place that we are going to start turning into our food growing paradise.
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Thank you, OPB, for hosting a program on Victory Gardens and backyard gardens.
As the Statewide Coordinator of the OSU Master Gardener program, I would like to let folks know about the resources offered to home gardeners by the OSU Extension Service.
Master Gardener hotlines are staffed in 27 of Oregon's 36 counties. By calling your local hotline, you can ask Master Gardeners for advice on just about any gardening topic imaginable, including: which vegetable varieties that grow best in your area, how to extend your growing season and about cheap and easy methods for building your soils so that they will support an abundant and nutritious yield.
You can reach your local Master Gardener hotline by calling your local OSU Extension office. A list of local Master Gardener programs may be found at:
extension.oregonstate.edu/mg
(Click on the left-hand link titled 'Local OSU MG Programs')
I really wish that I could call into the program tomorrow, but I will be in Salem, providing testimony in support of HB2800 (Farm to School and School Garden Program).
Garden based educational activities - whether they occur at a school garden, community garden or a backyard garden - can yield multiple benefits for our children. I have outlined some of these benefits in the testimony that I will present on April 2nd (posted online, at: osumgblogspot.com)
Thank you again, OPB. I hope you hear from at least a few Master Gardeners during the Program.
Sincerely,
Gail Langellotto
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Getting tired of losing the Community Garden lottery?
OR:
Wish you had a lovely vegetable garden, but you don't have the time, skill, money, physical ability (etc.) to grow one?
Check out this new yard-sharing site: www.hyperlocavore.ning.com
On this site, people anywhere on the planet can set up a "pod" where local non-gardeners WITH land can meet local gardeners WITHOUT land and make a garden happen. The site only brings you together: you have to make your own agreements about how to share their resources (and veggies).
Upon first entering the site, use the search tool to find out if there is already a pod within easy walking or biking distance of where you live or work. If so, you can register and get in touch with people in your area who want to yard share. If not, you can create your own "pod" to attract like-minded people in your area.
Here's the secret that will make it easy for you to create a "pod" for your area on the HyperLocavore site (this feature is not quite user-friendly): you must click ON the pods/groups tab (NOT on one of the drop-down menu items that pop up when you hover your mouse OVER the pods/groups tab). Once you've clicked on the pods/groups tab, look in the top right-hand corner of the new screen, and click where it says "Add a Group." From there, it's a cake walk.
I hope your neighborhood will be hopping with yard- and vegetable-sharing activity this summer!
Sincerely, Denise-Christine
www.suburbanecovillage.org -
Grow Green!
Residents of the tricounty Portland metropolitan region are welcome to join in fun, free, hands-on learning opportunities with Metro's natural gardening programs.
Come learn about Organic Soils and Compost at our Natural Techniques Demonstration Garden at SE 57th and SE Cooper in Portland on Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m., and on May 9 about Growing Your Own Organic Summer Veggies. Each month a new organic gardening topic will be explored and it's free!
This year's 11th annual Gardens of Natural Delights tours will feature numerous gardens with incredible edibles. Registration is now open for the Washington County tour set for May 3. This tour features three amazingly beautiful, all-organic home gardens and a great public demonstration garden.
For free natural gardening coupons, booklets, online resources, classes, tours, demonstrations and more, visit www.oregonmetro.gov/garden, or give us a call at 503-234-3000.
-Carl Grimm
Metro Natural Gardening and Toxics Reduction Specialist
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Hi Carl,
METRO has been doing a great job educating people about gardening, and the Gardens of Natural Delights tour is lots of fun. Thanks for continuing this good work!
Maggie Thornton/ProGrass Landscape
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I'm delighted that home gardening is again showing up on our societal radar. I've grown and preserved most of my own food for the last 20 years, and there's nothing better than wandering among my many fruit trees, berries, grapes, and veggies of every stripe thinking of the wonderful meals that are to come. The garden is also a large part of the community glue that strengthens our neighborhood, as many of our neighbors take part in the growing and harvesting of our food. It gives me a link to my own roots, as I learned to garden with my grandfather and can and preserve the harvest with my grandmother. They live in my memory as I put away the year's food.
We're also extremely lucky to have a wonderful non-profit called Growing Gardens here in the Portland area. Growing Gardens helps people of modest means and little experience start their first gardens. Volunteers will come to a recipient's home, dig the garden and provide the new gardener with plant starts. In addition, they provide education on how to grow crops and cook the harvest.
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My grandparents lived though the Depression and always had a huge garden. I would sometimes spend the summer with them and would help them out with the garden. Ever since then I've had the gardening bug. I've always had some kind of garden going, but this year I've expanded my veggie garden are by expanding into the front yard. The peas, beets, chard, and spinach are already in. The tomatoes have been started inside.
Also, I practice a very lazy form of gardening: no-till gardening. In the Fall you put down a layer of cardboard covered by about 8" of leaves. In the Spring I put some compost over that area and it's ready to plant. No tilling required and from what I hear it's actually better for the soil
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My husband and I own a teaching farm, Friendly Haven Rise Farm, where we show people how to garden, keep backyard chickens, make bees healthy, and bring back cultural kitchen skills. People garden for freshness and good taste but I believe what they most want it healthful food. Unfortunately just because food is grown in a backyard garden doesn't mean it's the most healthy.
I believe what most backyard gardeners want is nutrient dense food, fruit and vegetables that are filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and also great taste. There are ways to do this, even rather simple ways, but most people, even experienced gardeners, don't know how to increase the nutritional content of their food.
We're offering a class at our farm on April 25th with Steve Diver, a nationally known organic soil expert who will show folks simple organic ways to build soil and feed plants so the fruits and vegetables that come from your garden are the best possible. This isn't that difficult, it's just not common knowledge. Our goal is to help people raise and eat better food, which allows them to be healthier and also to think better.
www.FriendlyHaven.com/classes.html
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I think it is great and sustainable to encourage people to do this, Backyard chickens are getting very popular now, I do have concern about them after reading about lead poisining, being caused by the chickens eating paint flakes that can be found in most yards.
However I am sure you are aware of this, and applaud you for teaching others
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This is an interesting piece of _legislation_
(http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671) . It seems the food police want to criminalize organic farming and the backyard gardener. This bill is sitting in committee and we need to contact our legislators about this.
Here’s _the bill_ (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.875:)
itself.
_http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.875_
(http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.875) :
Section 3 (which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it’s entirety) and sections 103, 206 and 207.
Red flags of this bill:
Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn’t actually use the word organic Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it. Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game. Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
Section 103 is the administrative aspect of the legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation.
Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
Section 207 requires that the state’s agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
Here's who sponsored this:
Sponsor: Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. CT {DEM}
There are 39 cosponsors but it takes too many words to ad them but Peter DeFazio is on the list. -
I've looked at these bills (there is a Senate version as well) and am not so frightened as the writer would like us to be. I know that the chief sponsors and co-sponsors in both House and Senate are responsible and thoughtful members of Congress and would not sanction policies that would prevent or make more difficult gardening practices that use organic or other more sustainable methods.
These bills are clearly directed to commercial food production and any ambiguities in their language or intent should certainly be cleared up and corrected, but I am not too worried at this point.
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I've gardened for the last 5 years in Eugene and feel there is lots to learn from plants. I agree very much with Charolette that it is a great way to reduce stress and cultivate patience (forgive the pun).
One of my favorite and most rewarding things I've planted are strawberries. I planted a patch appoximately 15' x 6' 4 years ago from bare root stock and around june can harvest about 2 pints a day! The most delicious berries you've ever tasted! I can't even buy from the store anymore - I just have to wait for berry season.
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Last year, the company I work for, ProGrass Landscape Care & Design, started a program we call Gardens For Kids. We offer up to $10,000 in labor to create or expand gardens or nature spaces in public elementary schools. So far, we have worked with 4 schools in the Portland area. As far as we know, ProGrass' program is the first of its kind in the nation. Our goal is to work with two schools each year. What our crews can do in a day takes parent volunteers literally months to accomplish. We do this as part of our mission to encourage what we call 'natural solutions for a healthy landscape'-the starting point of everything in our business (organic fertilizers, soil ammendments, water conservation, proper landscape design and construction practices). I would encourage anyone interested in the Gardens For Kids program to visit our website at www.prograss.com and request an application, or email me directly at mthornton@prograss.com. We will be looking for 2 new schools for the 2009-2010 school year! Happy gardening, Maggie Thornton
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The Victory garden program in Eugene sounds great!
Is there something like this in Portland? IS it free, or does it cost some $? I could use a garden coach too.
Two excellent books to inspire you to garden:
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Animal Vegetable Miracle
Thanks!
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Can you address at some point this issue of the US House and Senate are suppossedly about (in a week and a half) to vote on bill that will OUTLAW ORGANIC FARMING (bill HR 875).
The name on this food plan is Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (bill HR 875).
This bill suppossedly will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales. -
There seems to be some legislation in Congress that will effectively outlaw organic gardening. I don't know enough about it and don't want to be an alarmist, but those who care about their food and gardening should look into this further.
Bills are:
House H.R... 875 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875
Senate S 425 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-425 -
HI-We converted our front yard into a vegetable garden. We have clay soil so we installed raised beds, which work marvelously. It is pure joy to come home from work, tired and famished and pick dinner. There are great cookbooks that are organized seasonally by vegetable so it's easy and adventurous to cook the harvest. We also have old apple and plum trees, as well as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. We just planted cherries and figs. For me growing fruit is thrilling! Vern Nelson (the hungry gardener) of the Oregonian is quite inspiring and as a result we will be planting olives soon. We are so lucky to live in this climate, here we can garden all year long with a little advance planning. We are eating chard and kale planted last fall now and broccoli soon. And I haven't even mentioned food safety (samonella from ground pepper??) ,the virtues of organic food or the calming , meditative effect of working with plants. Thx for the great program.
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HELLO,
I am getting ready to put my garden in this weekend and this program is thus very timely. Could you ask if the concept of "Raised wicking beds" be explained. I've read that they help save water and are more productive, but I don't fully understand how they work.
Thanks,
Aspiedad1
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I dug my Victory Garden three years ago, just after I bought my home - and I really did call it my Victory Garden. I've always loved gardening and kept plants on my apartment balcony, but the chance to dig up my yard and plant anything I wanted was exceptional.
Tomatoes were the first year - this year I already have asparagas, onions, garlic, kale, collards, cauliflower and artichoke. Oh, and strawberries of course. I'll be adding corn, peas, beans, tomatoes (a dozen heirloom varieties already chosen) and so much more.
The best part of the garden has turned out not to be the organic produce at my door, or the delicious food I can't afford at the farmer's market - but rather that my son, who will turn two this summer, has grown up knowing where food comes from.
Last summer, my son and I went out to the garden every evening and ate strawberries, tomatoes, peas, beans and cucumbers directly from the plants - when he was hungry, he would point to the back door instead of the kitchen. And he loves to be outside, digging in the dirt with me. It is the happiest feeling you can imagine.
It's a labor of love - the produce hasn't quite paid for the watering system and beds I have put in, but the joy of working it with my son, and the amazing taste of fresh produce is worth every penny.
-Heather Sturgill, Cornelius, OR
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I was listening to your program and was interested in what Kay had to say. Can you post her blog name, I would like to join her conversation too. Also, are there any veggies I can grow in a plot that has mostly shady conditions?
Thank you!
Ruby
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Thanks, you can go to http://grow-organic-food.blogspot.com for more info. Shade will work for wild edibles like miners' lettuce, violets or pansies, for example. Once summer comes, try the cool weather lovers like lettuce, spinach, maybe even peas (is there sun to reach for?). Nothing will grow as big and vigorous as if it were in 6-8 hours of sun--maybe you can even direct a couple mirrors, it's worth a try. If dead branches are blocking light, you can gain a lot by removing them.
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This is a great discussion. It is so exciting to see the upsurge in interest in gardening, organic foods, knowing where our food comes from, and food policy (Michael Pollan is fast becoming a national hero).
At the same time, we need to be more cognizant of water uses and how we need to address the water needs of the increased numbers of gardens in more efficient ways (although Oregon gets a lot of rain, the main gardening season is also our "dry" season).
We need to promote more thoughtful and efficient ways to mulch and irrigate. We also need to promote and possibly require the collection of rainwater for irrigation purposes. We put in a 20,000 gallon tank to collect rainwater on our 2 acres just south of Lake Oswego 2 years ago. In addition, we have switched to using drip irrigation for our vegetable, fruit, and ornamental beds. It works great and we feel so much better about how our efforts are not depleting the challenged aquifer that our community depends upon for its domestic and other water uses.
David Pollack
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Don't forget that you can pick up an "Earth Machine" compost device from METRO! The cost is $47. 503-234-3000.
We are our disposal a rest and reducing our landfill contribution!
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A full pantry is a beautiful thing! Home canning and preserving should be addressed because once those tomato and cucumbers start humming folks have more than they can eat fresh. They are going to hear a lot of scary stories about canning their own food and they are going to need to push past that to learn how to can and dry their food. Even Oregonians can sun dry food, we have our sunshine just at the right time. My family lives on our small homestead in Southern Oregon and we "put up" as my grandmothers would say about 300 quarts a year. In fact I think I'm going to open up a quart of peaches as I enjoy the rest of your program, you all are making me hungry...
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One of the most exciting things happening in Corvallis is the emergence of neighborhood food groups. There are two active groups up and running, and more forming. In my neighborhood in South Corvallis, we started out by meeting weekly last summer to swap surplus garden produce and share gardening tips. We grow everything from tomatoes and peas to hops and figs. The group has evolved to do joint bulk buying of locally grown foods -- pinto beans, garbanzos and soft white wheat from Stalford Farms, locally-made soy products, cheeses from Fraga Farms, etc.. Over the winter, we have gathered at monthly potlucks to discuss gardens, gardening, food, and how we can share tools, seeds, starts, knowledge and information. Our current "neighborhood" extends to about an 8-block radius, but we expect that our group will split off as the produce hits this summer -- natural cell division! I have heard of a very similar model in Ecuador -- with more than 10,000 such neighborhood groups! We are getting better at feeding ourselves, but even more, we are building a strong local community by forging new links with our neighbors, local farmers and the land. There are two organizations in Corvallis that are ready to help others form similar neighborhood food groups -- Ten Rivers Food Web www.tenriversfoodweb.org and the Food Action Team of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition www.sustainablecorvallis.org. Also check out the Corvallis Environmental Center www.worvallisenvironmentalcenter.org and their Edible Corvallis program.
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Hi, I co-chair an environmental studies enrichment program at my children's elementary school (Lake Grove, Lake Oswego) and we are teaching sustainability this year to our students. Our last lesson for the year is on food. We are trying to educate our children about "food miles" and the use of fossil foods in delivering food to us. We are also trying to set up a school garden and want to use the food we grow for school lunches. did you know that Food miles rose by 15 percent between 1992 and 2002 just in the United States.
Food miles are the measure of the distance a food travels from field to plate.
Agriculture and food now account for nearly 30 percent of goods transported on our roads.
Produce in the U.S. travels, on average, 1300 - 2000 miles from the farm to your plate!
Interesting facts. we are interested in finding out financial and support groups to help us with our school garden. Can you give me any ideas? Thank you, Liane Cabot
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I killed off my lawn grass after many years of mowing and fertilizing and weeding with chemicals and then I planted High Desert Native grasses.
I have realized now that a manicured lawn is a desert devoid of animal life because now that I have native grasses I have deer, quail, doves and songbirds regularly hanging out in my yard. I am just delighted to have wildlife around.
I kept just a small amount of lawn, about 12' x 18' to set lawn chairs on and hang out.
Historically lawn grasses have only been around for a hundred years or so and were started by the wealthy to show off. Most people with land gardened and or grazed farm animals on it.
I welcome the idea of cutting back on manicured lawns and starting up gardening or bringing the land back to natural plantings. I think it is better all around.
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Zenger Farm, an urban educational farm in outer SE Portland, offers gardening workshops for adults. Scholarships are available. For more information, go to:
www.zengerfarm.org/adult-workshop
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My backyard is shady, so I put a raised bed in my front yard. Last June, I had a smart-aleck strawberry thief. This thief would neatly leave the strawberry tops lined up on top of the border of the raised bed for me to see. Since we live near a school, I suspected a young human on his or her way from school. I work during the day so didn't have the option of waiting in the bushes with the hose, but I did discover a company on the internet that manufactures motion operated sprinklers, and purchased one.
The thievery stopped immediately. You must love the internet! (the sprinkler will chase away any critter; not just a small human!)
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There were two reasons that started me to growing my own food 3 years ago:
1. was wanting to teach my children where food comes from, and wanting to control what they eat, and to teach them how to eat healthy.
2. the next reason was food safety, last year when tomatoes were a big scare, we were happily eating organic and fresh tomatoes all season long out of our garden.
The benefits to my family with food gardening are many-fold, we get exercise, we spend time together as a family, we save money on organic foods, we eat healthier, and my young children are learning about nature, and science at the ages of 4 and 6.
It has been an amazing and wonderful experience for us as a family. During the summer, we are eating many all veggie meals, and are grocery bill goes down noticeably.
To off set the cost, we include the cost of seeds, and veggie in our grocery bill...its food afterall!
Thanks for doing this!
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Back on March 20, we had a beautiful, warm day here in Eastern Oregon, so I spent 3 hours cleaning up my garden. It was also the 20th anniversary of my mother's death, and I felt like I was honoring her by spending time in my garden on that day. My mother and grandmother were both gardeners, as were other women in my family. I feel a connection to them when I'm down on my knees working the soil.
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People I know, people who don't live in Portland, that is, think that my husband and I are kind of freakish to grow as much food as we do in our garden. We live on a city lot, and we grow asparagus, sugar snap peas, tomatoes a lot of herbs including a ton of basil, a lot of salad greens, blueberries, raspberries, pie cherries, a few potatoes, garlic, strawberries, green beans. I think that it's more freakish for human beings NOT to have kitchen gardens. Even 50 or 60 years ago, everyone except maybe the very richest people grew at least some of their own food. It's this basic human activity-- that almost went extinct in the 20th century, as Americans decided to outsource everything. I think that part of the reason our world is on antidepressants to such a large extent may be that we've given up such a great store of knowledge and satisfaction and yummy, healthy food.
Gardening is for me and my husband, because we love to cook and eat and spend time puttering in the garden, for my children, who get to eat the healthy food and learn about growing and cooking it, and it's also for my grandparents who lived in West Virginia and always kept a garden. A sweet memory for me is of going out into the garden with my grandfather and picking still-warm tomatoes that actually had flavor, the wonder of that.
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Hadn't seen anyone address gardening for those of us who do not have a yard. As an apartment dweller in the big city I finally got a chance to plant a balcony garden this week. I've got many herbs, strawberries, lettuce, sweet peas, primroses, green onions and chard started. Just wanted to let other apartment dwellers know that it's possible to start an apartment, or even an indoor garden inexpensively. I save money just on the cost of herbs alone!
Robyn K.
(Thanks for reading my comment!) And in reply, no, none of the vegetables are 'up' quite yet but the herbs, which I can eat year-round.
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Our ability and commitment to create an inclusive and full value added analysis beyond economic benefits that includes community, environment, and health will insure the resurgance of victory and school gardens is more than a flash in the pan.
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My kids (5, 7 and 9) are growing their own veggies for the 2nd year.
They learn about weather, planting, crop rotation, beneficial insects and how much time it takes to grow food.
We didn't need to buy any onions last year but had a lot of extra radishes!
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With help from Dan Bravin of Portland Organoponico Project and City Garden Farms, residents at Milepost 5 have transformed the community's front yard into a vital, organic garden.
Over the course of three weeks last fall, we removed rocks, tilled, and planted over-wintering greens. Both beds flourished, and we're still reaping mesculun greens, red lettuce, kale, bok choi, and mustard greens.
Our Worm Wigwam composter arrived last week, so we'll start composting kitchen waste soon. Seedlings are being started for summer, and our spring planting will happen as soon as the rains let up. Before April is over, we also hope to have one of four raised beds built.
Our system is both volunteer and scubscription based, and any extra produce goes to Dan to subsidize his other subscription-farming services.
Although the primary draw at MP5 is a mutual interest in the arts, the garden has become another avenue for building community. Community dinners featuring our own produce are in the works for summer, and we socialize with one another as we care for the crops.
Thanks for the program!
BT Shaw
503-244-4142
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In addition to a economic crisis, our country is in the midst of a public health crisis in terms of eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity. I work with childhood nutrition and obesity prevention programs. Gardens are a wonderful way to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that children and adults eat. Gardens can get children interested and excited about eating the produce that they've planted and cared for. Working in family or neighborhood gardens helps get children outside (away from TV and computer screens) and gives them a huge sense of accomplishment.
Jennifer Young
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Ever since becoming a parent, I've become more committed to backyard gardens. As parents, we teach our kids how to be safe and give them the skills and tools to take care of themselves. I see teaching my children how to grow their own food as imparting them with the ability for self-sufficiency and independence. There is something very empowering about knowing where your food comes from and knowing that you can grow your own to feed yourself. Finally, being sensitive to sustainability and being responsible consumers are values that we should teach our children.
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The conversation about vegetable gardens and its harkening to Victory gardens is lost when its dominated by people who have maximum resources to spend hundreds of dollars. Kudos to them but let us remember the people who are on a shoestring budget. Food is basic but the choices elicited here are high end and very white.
Out of proper respect for the food grown by average people: ask before taking. Judith
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93% of Oregon’s farms are in individual and family ownership. Both organic farming and conventional farming have a place in Oregon agriculture, neither is “right” or “wrong.” Conventional farming allows for agriculture producers to provide healthy, safe, abundant, and affordable food for Americans and the rest of the world. Whatever method they use, organic or conventional, Oregon’s farmers and ranchers care deeply about the quality and safety of their product for the end consumer.
Anne Marie Moss, Communications Director with the Oregon Farm Bureau
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I want to stress the importance of testing your soil for lead from paint scrapings of sanding, if you want to grow vegetables near an older house.
My daughter wanted to grow food next to our house. I insisted that she have it tested. We got the results yesterday and, unfortunately, the lead level is more than three times the recommended safe level
I guess we'll put in shrubs or ornamental plants.
Coincidentally, today's Oregonian has an article about mitigating lead contamination.
Frank Mathew, Portland.
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You can still grow food!
Build a few raised beds and buy a unit of soil, this shouldn't run you more than a few hundred $$ for some good sized beds.
Or, for a cheaper solution, some pots and a few bags of soil. I grew my garden all in pots for less than $40.
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You quoted from my article "Is it safe to eat?" earlier in the show. I want to clarify that I am a glass half-full sort of person and I don't believe that the entire commercial farming system is defunct. But clearly, with what we have seen with Peanut Corp. of America and the peanut industry, questions are raised about large farming practices. I'm sure most businesses do the right thing, I must believe that.
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i just heard someone say they would love it if their neighbors picked peaches from their tree... and just wanted to contribute a wonderful group to the discussion....
urbanedibles.com
this group provides a database to match up people who have fruit trees (or other perenial food) they'd like to share with others, and those who can make use of the food. you can post the location of your fruit tree, or search for fruit trees in your neighborhood.
i can a lot of fruit that i have gleaned from the neighborhood- i make a lot of grape juice from grapes i find in alleys, and will put almost anything i find in abundance into a jar!and i have also posted my own pear tree on the site. it's a wondeful resource! folks who have too much fruit get to avoid the sticky mess it creates and see that it doesn't go to waste! and those who can use the fruit get access to a bounty that would otherwise go to waste.
we are so lucky to have such a conducive climate for growing here in portland- i hope everyone will plant fruit bearing plants and share the bounty!
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My name is Rebecca Shelly and I have been creating artwork about Victory Gardening. One of these can be found in the back of Edible Portland Magazine. I will also have a booth at the Portland Saturday Farmer's Market for their Earth Day festival on Saturday April 18th. I will have contemporary Victory Garden posters and talk with people about seed starting techniques.
I grew up with parents who were avid organic gardeners. The gardening bug did not hit me till recently and now I have a roomful of vegetable starts that I am growing to give away for my MFA thesis show next month. The show is called, Vanishing Varieties and it is about my father's garden journals and the varieties that he chose to grow for us. The opening reception will be May 2, from 6-9 in the Autzen Gallery of Neuberger Hall at Portland State University.
I am giving away vegetable starts and seed packets for this show to contribute to the excitement that is happening with gardening.
For more info, please check out my blog, www.localvictory.blogspot.com.
I would love to get pictures of people's gardens for further inspiration with contemporary garden posters.
Thanks, and happy gardening,
-Rebecca
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Oregon City Farmers Market will have "Victory Gardens" again as the theme for the 2009 season. Starting May 2nd with Chicken Keeping we will have different aspects of food growing in 1/2 workshops at 10.30 each Saturday given by Master Gardeners. A lot of the vendors will have vegetable starts and the Extension 4H kids will bring egg-laying hens for sale .
There is a huge interest in food growing in our area and applaud your show today, food insecurity is rife and there is a real calling for education...we are kid friendly and are planning programs to engage the young in raising some of their own food too.
Always looking for volunteers to help with demos.............orcityfarmersmarket.com
Keep up the good work everyone! Jackie Hammond-Williams .
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I became even further inspired by your "Grow Your Own" show, as I have recently started a business called The Good Jar (thegoodjar.com), which offers lessons in home preserving. My business partner and I have had vegetable gardens growing up and have continued to as adults. We have enjoyed preserving our summer's bounty for use year-round. My children have enjoyed in the process, and take pride in opening a jar of stewed tomatoes, the tomatoes of which they help pick. From the garden to preserving, it is rewarding and a healthy way of life.
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Here is the link to http://www.yourbackyardfarmer.com
We do both farming for you (we do the work you enjoy the healthy harvest) and garden coaching (9 month consulting program) Garden coaching maybe a new term but Your backyard farmer has been doing this now for 3 years helping the community learn to grow there own food.
I think it is wonderful to see the Urban farming and community efforts in bringing a safe secure food system to our neighborhoods.
Thank you Henry and Susan helping support backyard farmers everywhere.
Donna Smith and Robyn Streeter,
Your backyardfarmers
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Does anyone know how much toxics plants grown in urban areas absorb from car/truck fumes? I live near a busy street and am concerned about eating the plants from my boxes. I heard kale grown in foreign countries absorbed lead.
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Food, water, shelter... basic tenets of the Maslowian hierarchy of needs. All the comments on today's show emphasized different aspects of this common truism: "local" to reduce CO2 production; "known" to ensure control of quality and process; "soothing" to counter tension from today's uncertainties; "cost-effective" to assist with troubled budgets; "time-management" (and conversely, "increased employment") for those too busy and those in need of honorable work.
That hierarchy of needs goes toward "self-actualization"; hard to achieve without a full belly, a safe nest and a stable income.
In Salem, a local variation of the "Victory Gardens for All" mentioned on the show, is an idea called "Sustainable Gardens For All" (SGA.) Jordan Blake, the Marion/Polk Food Share Community Garden Coordinator is working with local allies to maximize all available resources for: food production, community health development, crime reduction, increased employment, global weirding minimization, solid waste reduction and more effective energy consumption... all through a baseline of attending to food production/processing/storage activities.
If you are interested, come see what good progress is being made at a "Food Fair"this Sat. April, 4 at the Food Share building. You can reach Jordan at jblake@marionpolkfoodshare.org
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I'm a garden coach living in Lake Oswego.
I aim to demystify all aspects of gardening, especially for the novice. I'd love to contribute to your program tomorrow.
Jo Naylor