Garden News from Oregon Food Bank

Garden Education Program Newsletter

July 2018

Greetings from the Gardens!

Hola amigos!

Do you want to improve your Spanish while also having fun outside and helping to fight hunger in your community? Our weekly Saturday Dig In! shifts at the Eastside Learning Garden are now a bilingual (English/Spanish) volunteer opportunity. Join us in the garden while practicing your Spanish with fellow gardeners.

If learning a new language isn't your thing, there are still lots of other ways to get involved this season. We've got cooking demos, Family Day in the Garden, beekeeping sessions, Seed to Supper classes, and more on the calendar so there is something for everyone. We hope to see you soon!

Saludos,

Lisa Waugh , Learning Gardens Program Coordinator

Devin Dinihanian , Statewide Garden Education Coordinator

Christine Hadekel , Statewide Education and Outreach Manager

Garden Volunteer Opportunities

Learn about gardening, meet new people, and take home fresh harvest.

All ages welcome. No gardening experience necessary!

Dig In! at the Eastside Learning Garden

New and experienced gardeners welcome!

Thursday & Saturday shifts are 9am-12pm.

(Saturday shifts are bilingual English-Spanish between June-September)

Tuesday shifts are 4pm-7pm.

It's OK to arrive later than 4:00 if that works better for your schedule!

Grow food together at the Unity Farm

Join Mudbone every Wednesday and the second Saturday of the month from 9:30am-12:30pm.

Come out and help out on the farm as we cultivate community and the soil. We are your community farmers!

Dig In! at the Westside Learning Garden

Volunteers of all ages help harvest, water, weed, and tend the garden.

Wednesdays 9:00-12:00

Saturdays 9:00-11:00

Learn about Beekeeping

at the Eastside Learning Garden!

Renee Alexander, one of our beekeeping leaders, will be onsite for upcoming Saturday Dig In! shifts to introduce you to the bees, talk about seasonal hive maintenance, and allow you to participate in inspections. We have new bee suits available for kids and adults so you can really get up close!

Upcoming Saturdays with Renee are July 14th, July 21st, August 4th, and August 18th . No need to sign up in advance, just show up at 10:00. Renee will meet those who are interested at the barn.

Want to stay informed of upcoming workshops, classes, and activities with our honeybees? Email Lisa to stay in the loop! We will also be scheduling a honey harvest party in September!

Join us for Family Day in the Garden!

Saturday July 21st from 10am-12pm

In partnership with the Multnomah County Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, Oregon Inter-Tribal Breastfeeding Coalition, and Mudbone Grown, we are hosting a Family Day in the Garden . No need to sign up in advance - just show up at the Eastside Learning Garden between 10am-12pm on Saturday July 21st .

Get a tour of the gardens and farm
Try new foods
Learn new gardening skills
Take home a share of the harvest
Receive a WIC nutrition credit for participating!

Updates from our

Seed to Supper Ambassador Program

Our Seed to Supper Ambassadors have been hard at work this season starting up gardens, facilitating Seed to Supper classes, and bring gardening resources to the Ethiopian & Eritrean, Congolese, and Russian & Ukrainian communities of Portland. The Ambassador program will be expanding this upcoming year so stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new program and how to get involved!

Photo on left: Seed to Supper participants are measuring out their garden plantings at their new garden at the Dharma Rain Zen Center.

Photo below: Seed to Supper participants show off their course certificates after completing the 6-week Seed to Supper class at Wood Community Garden.

Taste New Recipes at Upcoming Cooking Demos!

Cooking from the Garden

Dig In shifts are about more than harvesting fresh veggies, it's also a time to try something new! We have cooking demos with seasonal produce scheduled throughout the summer. Join us for an upcoming shift!

Thursday July 19th 9:00-12:00 - Early summer veggie dishes at the Eastside Learning Garden

Wednesday July 25th 9:00-12:00 - Cooking with herbs at the Westside Learning Garden

Saturday July 28th 9:00-12:00 - Mexican cuisine influenced dishes at the Eastside Learning Garden

Wednesday August 22nd 9:00-12:00 - Cooking with summer veggies at the Westside Learning Garden

Thursday August 23rd 9:00-12:00 - Peak season veggie dishes at the Eastside Learning Garden

Volunteer of the Month

Congrats to Renee Alexander, our latest Volunteer of the Month! In addition to involvement as a Cooking Matters and Seed to Supper Facilitator, Renee is now our resident beekeeping expert during Dig In! shifts.

Read more about Renee here , and come meet her and the bees this Saturday at the garden at 10:00!

Jobs and Professional Development

Job Opportunities:

Oregon Food Bank is hiring a Director of Finance & Support Services, an AmeriCorps Cooking Matters member, a Client Engagement Developer, and Class A and B Drivers.
Growing Gardens is hiring a Home Gardens Program Manager, Lettuce Grow Operations Coordinator, and a Lents Community Organizer.
The School Garden Project of Lane County is hiring a Garden Educator.

Volunteer / Professional Development:

Growing Gardens has volunteer activities listed by season, as well as some internship opportunities.
Zenger Farm has a number of volunteer and internship positions open.
Kitchen Commons has some ongoing volunteer and internship opportunities.
Village Gardens has some volunteer opportunities including Food Works Farm and Fruits of Diversity Orchard.

Gardening Classes and Resources in the Community

Below is a variety of community resources and classes. If you would like to take OFB's Seed to Supper 6-week class series, find classes or join the wait list on our Gardening Classes page.