Archive for the “Gardening” Category

Believe Movement studio says “Did you know that several of your neighbors are instructors at Believe Movement Studio?”.  No, I did not!  Check out their class offerings, more are being added all the time,  and sign up for email updates to get information about new classes and specials. Laura says “rates are the lowest in town.  Many discounts available for seniors, students, volunteers and non-profit employees.   We look forward to seeing you soon!”

New business alert: you’ve probably seen the progress that has been made at the soon-to-open Breakside Brewery.  Word is they will open their doors May 1.  Read more about the beer and the food.

Classic Foods recently had a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the opening of their new facility in Woodlawn.  Look forward to the smells of pasta being made in our neighborhood, and keep an eye out for them at local farmer’s markets!

Auntie Kelly’s Hawaiian Plate Lunch food cart will debut at the Woodlawn Sunday Parkways (coming up May 16!) and has invited Woodlawn neighbors to a tasting party, May 2 from 2-4 at 1724 NE Dekum Street. Enjoy teriyaki chicken, world famous “Maui style” kal bi ribs, mac salad, peanut ginger noodles, sticky rice, and organic greens.

There’s not a grocery store in Woodlawn (yet!) but if you are looking for a way to get your weekly fresh vegetables from a local farm, the Dancing Roots Farm CSA (community supported agriculture) is still taking members for this year.  They will have a pick-up site in Piedmont on Thursday evenings, very close to Woodlawn.  Contact Shari at 503.695.3445 or shari//@//dancingrootsfarm.com for more information.

Want more play by play of local businesses and Woodlawn happening?  If you are on facebook, many of our local businesses have a “fan page” and Sarah Bott at the Dekum Street Guest House is running a lively page called “It’s happening on Dekum Street” with up-to-the-minute news and happenings in the Woodlawn area.

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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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Two great events happening Saturday March 13!

The Woodlawn United Methodist Church is starting up a community garden.  All neighbors are invited to take part in the set up.  It will be a great opportunity to meet other neighbors and build community.
1pm – 2:30pm
On the SE corner of the church (15th and Dekum).

Also, Woodlawn neighbors Gregg and Nikki got a grant from the city to build an ecoroof! Gregg says the next deadline for the next round of grants is in about a month… it was really easy. He suggests people who are interested check out

Free Portland ECOROOF event THIS weekend March 12-13th
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. both days
Leftbank Annex | 101 N Weidler Street  Portland, Oregon  97227 Read the rest of this entry »

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Come join us at the Northeast Portland Tool Library on Saturday, February 27th, for a free seed swap and library stock-up event to kick off the new gardening season!  We have a wide range of seeds available that you can take home to start or supplement your garden for 2010.  You may find some interesting local varieties that you wouldn’t see at the store!  If you have seeds of your own that you’d like to share with others or with the library, now is a great time to bring them in.

The event will be from 11AM to 2PM at the Tool Library (in the basement area of the Redeemer Lutheran Church – 5431 NE 20th Ave).  In addition to swapping seeds and stories, we’ll also have info about upcoming gardening and seed-saving workshops.  For more information, please contact Chris Price ( chris// @ //digitalnotions.com ).  Hope to see you there! Read the rest of this entry »

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The deadline for the 2010 Woodlawn Friends of Trees planting is now Monday January 4th. Sign up to get trees for your parking strip, or your yard. Tell your Woodlawn neighbors about this wonderful event!

Go to friendsoftrees.org to register. It only takes a couple of minutes.

More information from Gregg Lavender… Read the rest of this entry »

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Article contributed by Laura Demeri

The back lot of 728 NE Dekum: Once a pile of dirt and weeds but now the thriving home to Sandra Galli’s Buffalo Gardens. The transformation has brought to our neighborhood a beautiful retail garden shop with strategically placed plants that make you feel as if you’re shopping in Sandra’s backyard. The products are reasonably priced and Sandra and Farley, her black lab mix, are always on hand to answer any questions.

Also in residence is Sandra’s registered and approved rooster Sam and his harem of hens. Buffalo Gardens is a great place to bring the family to reconnect to nature. We are so fortunate to have whisked her away from the busy Alberta street location she once occupied. Be sure to stop by and say hello.

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Article contributed by Laura Demeri

There’s still time to sign up for the Woodlawn planting on February 20th.   Before you can purchase these “highly discounted” trees, the city needs to assess the parking strip to determine the proper size and types that can be planted.   Therefore it would be to your advantage to register now in order to take advantage of the inventory that will be available.  Register on the Friends of Trees website.

Lawn signs are a great way to have a $5 discount on your order.  Even if you’re not purchasing a tree this year, support Friends of Trees and get the word out to neighbors by having one on your property.  There are plenty in stock and can be picked up at Believe Movement Studio, 728 NE Dekum Street.

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1st Annual BBQ – Saturday Sept. 26th
noon-3pm at 5431 NE 20th Avenue

Northeast Portland Tool Library (NEPTL) has 650+ members, 1000+ tools. It is free to join and to check out tools. There is even a free seed library at the tool library.Come help us celebrate 1 year of serving the community.  We’re having a BBQ to help commemorate the tremendous success of our first year and would like to invite you to join us. We will also be having a silent auction to raise money for insurance, rent and more tools.  “Thanks” to Buffalo Gardens, Good Neighbor Pizzaria, The County Cork Public House, Chinook Book, and Nyla for donating some awesome auction items already.  If you would like to donate something or would just like to volunteer, please let us know by contacting Tom Thompson at tomscot51// @// yahoo.com
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The Firehouse Restaurant, located at 711 NE Dekum Street, is selling tickets for a five-course dinner benefiting the Woodlawn Children’s Garden. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 6th, 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. Tickets for the event are $50, which includes dinner with wine, and are tax-deductible. The evening will include a short speech by Portland Parks commissioner Nick Fish, and an opportunity to tour the garden from 5:00pm – 6:00pm. Please use the contact information above for tickets and other ways to support the Children’s Garden.

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A few months ago I was planting seeds in the front of my house, hoping they would grow into something tasty.  Neighbor Gina was walking by and stopped to chat with me and ask about the piles of wood chips in my yard, and some gardening methods… Read the rest of this entry »

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