What smells do you most associate with your childhood? My dad was, and still is, an obsessive gardener (I come by my addiction honestly), so the sharp smell of compost is pleasant to me – it reminds me of being a kid. And I can clearly recall the first time my leg brushed up against a tomato plant, and the pleasing odor that rose up making me salivate at the thought of the impending fruit. I learned so much in that garden – about science and food, about hard work and the joy of watching something I’ve toiled over grow and serve me well. It was a good childhood, made so much more so by the presence of a beautiful garden, and the bounty that it produced.
I grew up in an era when Fluffinutter sandwiches on Wonder bread were the lunch of choice, so I knew I was lucky, even then, to be surrounded by fresh food. Now, more than ever, there are plenty of kids who grow up without those experiences. Kids who see tomatoes as those things in grocery stores that sit on a Styrofoam tray, covered in plastic. Some of these kids live right here in our own neighborhood. I believe that kids – regardless of socio-economic background – deserve to delight in the smells of a childhood spent outside, in the dirt, getting to know where good food comes from.
Here in Portland, we pride ourselves on our green spaces. When the choice is available, we make an effort to eat locally produced foods, to spend time outside in this awe-inspiring part of the country, to preserve the wild places. The miles-long waiting list at most of the Portland Community Gardens is a testament to how much stock our community puts in the great privilege of growing one’s own food. My hope is that a new generation of Portlanders will grow up feeling this same compulsion. I hope that we can help grow the gardeners of tomorrow, through important programs like the Woodlawn Children’s Garden.
The Children’s Garden Program
The Children’s Gardening Program began in Portland in 1992. Providing free classes for the entirety of the growing season, this program is unique educational gardening opportunities for youth in Portland. Students get hands-on gardening experience, enjoy freshly-prepared snacks, and take home a share of the harvest. Remaining produce is donated to nearby food shelters, providing up to 400 pounds annually.
While it used to exist in three Community Gardens throughout the district, Woodlawn is the only active children’s garden site remaining. The program is co-sponsored by Portland Parks and Recreation and the Friends of Portland Community Gardens. However, the garden coordinator position, integral to the viability of the program, is reliant on grants and donations; without the coordinator, the future of the garden is grossly uncertain. “The garden is a vehicle for teaching life lessons as much as it is for teaching science, nutrition, or art,” program coordinator Mara Reynolds comments. “Spanning seasons as well as subjects, the garden bridges an educational gap that schools often struggle to fill on their own.”
The Firehouse Benefit Dinner
Just as they did last year, the Firehouse Restaurant is hosting a benefit dinner for the garden. The event will be held on Tuesday, May 11th, with a no-host cocktail hour beginning at 6:00pm, followed by a family-style supper featuring fruits and vegetables grown in the Children’s Garden. Tours of the garden will be held from 5:30pm – 6:00pm.The $50, tax deductible tickets include dinner with wine. Please contact Firehouse for tickets.
“We are dedicated to supporting this program,” says Matthew Busetto, chef and owner of The Firehouse. “Not only does the garden give these kids access to and education about organic food, but it also gives them a connection to the earth and their community.”
You can also help support the program through donations made to the Friends of Portland Community Gardens. You can learn more about them on the web:
http://www.friendspdxgardens.org/children.htm
or send them an email:
info@friendspdxgardens.org
There is always a need for volunteers with varying skills. Please contact:
Mara Reynolds, Children’s Gardening Coordinator
Alice Froehlich, Children’s Gardening Educator
childgard@ci.portland.or.us,
503.823.1617
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