When I moved to Portland two years ago, I was awed by the lush and beautifully-landscaped gardens in my neighborhood of Sunnyside. Everyone with a yard had some type of garden—be it festooned with roses and daffodils or bursting with rhododendrons, California lilacs, and dogwood. Most of them were also full of food: strawberries, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, rosemary. Which is why I was surprised to learn, as I reported this story for Green Living, that interest in community gardens—in Portland and all across Oregon—is at an all-time high. In fact, some community gardens, like Colonel Summers (on Belmont and 20th), have over 200 people on their waitlist!
Why are so many people clamoring for plots in a community setting? Many people either don't have backyards or have tiny (or too-shady) backyards. More Oregonians than ever are interested in growing their own food—both for health and economic reasons. (According to the latest census data, Oregon has more residents on food stamps right now than any other state.) An added benefit is that you have fellow gardening experts on hand eager to share their advice on everything from keeping pests away to how to grow the most flavorful tomatoes.
While reporting this story, I spoke to many people who have come to rely on their small patch of land for sustenance. Marc Schiedecker, manager of Portland's Gilbert Heights Community Garden on 130th and Boise Avenue, lost his job at a law firm a few years ago. Thanks to a permeable greenhouse fabric that he uses to cover his crops in the winter, Schiedecker and his wife are able to eat from their garden year-round.
"This is not just a hobby for us. We need this," he told me.
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