Garden Education Program Newsletter
June 2020
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Today, June 19th, is the
Juneteenth holiday
marking emancipation of Black people from enslavement. We rejoice and celebrate this holiday while acknowledging that the fight for liberation of Black people is not over. We find ourselves in a moment when the brutality of our society against Black people is on full display to those usually sheltered from it.
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Tony McDade. (Dreasjon) Sean Reed. Nina Pop. David McAtee. Michael Brown. Freddie Gray. Tamir Rice. Walter Scott. Tanisha Anderson. Eric Garner. Sandra Bland
and far too many others
lost to anti-black racist police violence — in just the last decade. We say their names to honor their lives. We say their names because Black Lives Matter. We say their names because our long, painful history of racial injustice must end — and because we know that we cannot end hunger without ending systemic racism.
It is the continued advocacy and direct action within communities of color that has forced these injustices to the forefront of our public debate. We believe in the truth and power of these voices. We believe in the goals and action they call us to. We believe in a shared vision for communities free from injustice,
violence,
hunger and poverty.
Systemic racism and oppression take many forms: disproportional lethal police violence against Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC); disproportional incarceration rates; disproportional impact of COVID-19; pervasive inequities in health and educational outcomes; disproportionate rates of hunger and poverty. The list goes on and on. These issues are driven by the same root cause. So we know that we can’t achieve our mission to end hunger in Oregon and Southwest Washington unless we end root causes like systemic racism.
That’s why it is critical that we all commit ourselves and our organizations to
being and becoming anti-racist
— because our liberation is tied to the liberation of everyone. This is a time to echo, support and lift up BIPOC leaders and organizations that are working to end structural racism in our communities — and join them in the movement. Here is a list of incredible organizations that are leading the way in fighting for justice in the farming and food growing world:
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Garden Programming Updates due to COVID-19
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on community gatherings, our garden programming is currently paused. We are not planning to host Dig In! garden shifts or Seed to Supper classes this season, and we will provide updates via this newsletter for future opportunities for involvement. Gardens and gardeners are resilient, and we look forward to the time in the future when we can gather again!
For those who are looking for ways to volunteer right now, Oregon Food Bank's volunteer calendar lists many opportunities to assist with food distribution in the community. Our community partners need a lot of help as they have shifted their distribution to meet the need. Check out
Offsite Volunteer Opportunities
for more info and to sign up.
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Updates from Seed to Supper Ambassadors
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This is the garden at Gresham Methodist Church, whose members are working in partnership with Sandra Hern
á
ndez from Dulas Latinas and Seed to Supper Ambassador Lourdez Estrada to build this garden during the quarantine. Dulas Latinas funded the garden beds and Lourdez facilitated the provision of soil, compost, plants and seed varieties beloved by the Latinx community such as epazote, beans, chilies, corn, and cilantro. The community is active in the garden and grateful for the partnership to have food and community outdoor space during this time.
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Resources, Information & Action to #EmergeStronger in the wake of COVID-19
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Many Oregonians are struggling to make ends meet. We want you to know that food is available to all who need it. Please share the info at these links with friends and family.
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Oregon Food Bank has also compiled a variety of ways to take action to #EmergeStronger, from donating to filling out the census. Read more and stay up to date on the latest news of this important work.
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Volunteer Appreciation for Plant Starts
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This March, Oregon Food Bank's programming paused just when greenhouse growing is usually heating up. Since our greenhouse work is done during Dig In! volunteer shifts, we knew we wouldn't be able to grow starts like usual this year. However, we wanted to follow through on growing culturally specific crops requested by our Ambassador communities, especially because the desired varieties would be challenging to find through other retail sale avenues. Two volunteers with home greenhouses offered to help, and between the two we were able to provide nearly 1700 plant starts for our community!
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Maye Thompson grew a large number of tomatoes and eggplants, including varieties such as Kamo & Thai Long Green eggplant, and Galahad and Carmello tomato.
Maye's volunteer hours have now crossed the 2,000 hour threshold, with a total of 2042 hours! We will say a virtual "congratulations" now and will celebrate in person later!
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Jan Jeddeloh filled her greenhouse to the brim with peppers, tomatillos, and tomatoes, including container-specific varieties to share with the community.
A small portion were shared with the Westside garden, and Jan delivered the rest to some of our partner agencies in Washington County for planting or distribution. Thank you for this labor of love!
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Jobs and Professional Development
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Job Opportunities:
- Oregon Food Bank is currently hiring several positions in our Development Department and a Movement Building Manager position in our Advocacy, Volunteer & Organizing Department.
- EdenAcres Environmental Education is hiring a School Garden Coordinator in Forest Grove.
- Growing Gardens is hiring a North Portland Community Organizer and a North Clackamas Community Coordinator.
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