Page 36 - Copyright 2013 - Pamplin Media Group

36 Fact Book 2013-14 October 24, 2013
Connecting Our Communities
Community gardens yield friends,
food and learning
If you lack room at home, think about branching out
By KARA HANSEN
Pamplin Media Group
If you want to grow your
own food and flowers but
lack the space at home,
you might find an avail-
able plot at one of the area’s
community gardens.
These typically rentable
spaces offer opportunities to
share and learn and span
generations, promoting per-
sonal health and good eating.
A prime example is Lake
Oswego’s Luscher Farm. The
historical homestead sits be-
tween Lake Oswego, Tualatin
and West Linn and offers an
overwhelming 180 organic
garden plots, as well as class-
es and workshops supporting
gardening endeavors.
Additional plots are avail-
able all across the Portland ar-
ea, including several South-
west locations, such as a gar-
den next to Gabriel Park that
includes a demonstration or-
chard.
Following are some of the
locations you might find a plot
to tend among like-minded
gardeners.
Community gardens
n Luscher Farm is run by the
city of Lake Oswego at 125
Rosemont Road, West Linn. To
learn about renting a farm plot,
call 503-638-0376 or email
luscherfarm@ci.oswego.or.us .
For more information, visit ci.
oswego.or.us/luscher/commu
nity-garden.
n In West Linn, a relatively new
gathering place for communal
gardening exists by the
Robinwood Station community
center at 3706 Cedaroak Drive.
For details, call 503-451-0289
or visit robinwoodgarden.org.
n Wilsonville opens up registra-
tion for the city’s garden plots
as soon as the soil is dry
enough for tilling each spring.
There are 58 in-ground spaces
as well as 15 raised beds at the
site, located down Schroeder
Way just off Wilsonville Road,
according to the city. For more
information, visit ci.wilsonville.
or.us/Index.aspx?page=189.
n Beaverton’s community gar-
dens program offers individual
spaces, but community mem-
bers take care of the overall site
together. For more information,
call 503-526-2665 or visit bea-
vertonoregon.gov/index.
aspx?NID=393.
n Portland’s community gar-
dens program has existed since
1975. It now boasts 50 gardens
throughout the city, including by
Gabriel Park at Southwest 41st
Avenue and Canby Street, Fulton
Community Garden at
Southwest Third Avenue and
Miles Street and Vermont Hills
Community Garden at
Southwest 55th Avenue and
Iowa Street. Plots are assigned
to new gardeners in early spring
through July of each year. For
more information, visit portland-
oregon.gov/parks/39846.
n Tigard launched a 12-plot
community garden near
Greenfield Drive and 132nd
Avenue in 2009. For more infor-
mation, visit tigard-or.gov/com-
munity/parks/community_gar-
den.asp.
n The Tualatin Hills Park &
Recreation District offers gar-
dening opportunities at seven
sites. For a full listing of the
garden sites and program cal-
endar, visit thprd.org/parks/
communitygardens.cfm. To
sign up for a plot, visit the
website or call 503-645-
6433.
PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP PHOTOS: VERN UYETAKE
Luscher Farm, run by the city of Lake Oswego, offers more than 100 plots for community members to
garden in, along with a variety of classes and events supporting gardening endeavors.
Liam Schauer,
left, and Kiley
Baker dig up
carrots from a
plant bed at
West Linn’s
community
gardens at
Robinwood
Station.