From the Landlord BY KIT It started eight years ago when one of my tenants asked if he could build two raised beds in the yard of the four-plex my husband and I own in North Portland. Being a gardener myself, I was thrilled about the request. I only asked that he garden organically, which he supported. From there, another tenant built more raised beds, and the next tenant constructed even more. We now have twenty garden beds of veggies with three of the four residents growing their own food. My husband and I moved into one of the units last March and after my first summer living on this…
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They Too Shall Garden
Since 2009, a non-profit, Lettuce Grow, has been teaching Sustainable Gardening to prison inmates, providing courses leading to a certificate in Home Horticulture.
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Top Ten Reasons to Buy From Local Growers
Shopping in large corporate grocery stores that are open 24/7 is convenient. Supporting a local agricultural economy requires more planning, commitment and thought. Here are ten powerful reasons to do so: 1. Contribute to the Local Economy Buying food from chain grocery stores depends on a large infrastructure to support a global food system that removes about 93% of food dollars from a local economy. When you buy directly from a local grower, 90% of that money is returned to the grower and stays within your local economy. 2. Empower Regional Food Access and Security Most people know the adage “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” as a…
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Portland’s Urban Food Zoning Code
In June of 2012, Portland City Council made a significant step toward increasing access to healthful, affordable food for all Portlanders by adopting the Urban Food Zoning Code Update. The new regulations address community gardens, farmers markets and market gardens, as well as alternative food distribution methods such as community sponsored agriculture (CSA) and food buying clubs. Because even a small cost can be a barrier for some, this proposal has very little in the way of permit fees, land use reviews and the like. Almost all activities will be allowed outright if standards are met. This action puts Portlanders in position to take advantage of the ideas proposed by…
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Spanning the Seasons of the Gorge with Saur Farming
Winter at Saur Farm It’s January, and I have a terrible hankering for some fresh winter greens. The only problem is that I didn’t grow any winter crops in my puny garden this year, and the farmers’ market closed in November. In the back of my mind I remember Ben Saur, one of the owners of 10-Speed Coffee in the Hood River Heights and a local farmer, mentioning he still had carrots back in December. Maybe he still has greens? I stop by the shop to buy a cup of coffee, and ask him what he still has in the field. “Carrots, rutabaga, leeks, collards, and turnips,” Ben says while…
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Casa Verde CSA Guest Blog by Michelle McGrath, MS Outreach Manager for Gorge Grown Food Network
Abundant sunshine, flowing rivers, and snowy mountains feed into the diverse landscapes of the Columbia River Gorge. With natural resources like these it is no wonder farmers with less acreage and innovative business models are choosing the Gorge as the place to sow their seeds. The agricultural heritage of the Gorge has been preserved in the picturesque orchards that erupt into blossom each April, but a growing number of smaller, diversified farms are springing up in between. I have the immense honor of working closely with these farmers as the Outreach Manager for Gorge Grown Food Network—a food and farm based non-profit organization. Over the winter I checked in with…
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A Truck Farm Grows in Brooklyn
Leave it to the folks in the Big Apple to give a brand new and very literal meaning to the term “truck farm”. Ian Cheney, Curt Ellis, Carla Fleisher, and Stephanie Bleyer have joined forces to create and promote their “Truck Farm” concept which has a definite “rockin’ and rollin” flavor to it. The idea is simple: take an old Dodge pickup, fill the bed with garden soil, plant the bed with seeds, add water, wait a few weeks, and then drive the growing produce to the customer. You just can’t get any fresher than that. Their idea has taken root right here in Portland (OR) thanks to the efforts…
