Agriculture Resources
COMMUNITY GARDENS & URBAN AGRICULTURE The past thirty years have witnessed a revival of the Victory Gardens of the World War II era. Neighbors are now cultivating gardens in hundreds of communities large and small across the country. Jac Smit of the Urban Agriculture Network envisions these gardens as part of an international "edible cities" movement. The American Community Gardening Association provides a wealth of information and sponsors an annual national conference for community garden organizers. Cultivating Communities Cultivating Communities is a collaborative effort of the Dept of Neighborhoods' P-Patch Program and the Seattle Housing Authority to provide gardening and income-producing opportunities to low-income refugees living in four public housing communities. The program now has ten community gardens providing organic gardening space for 120 families. Several of the families grow food for a Community Supported Agriculture program, which provides weekly deliveries of fresh produce to Seattle residents. Kitchen Garden Project The Kitchen Garden Project helps low-income people help themselves through becoming home food producers with high yielding gardens. They install complete vegetable gardens for individuals and families in Thurston and Mason counties either at their homes, as community gardens at low-income housing projects, or at institutions that serve low-income and disadvantaged people. Since 1993, the KGP has given over 1,300 gardens in the greater South Sound. The project was recognized as one of the Founders of the New Northwest. Garden-Raised Bounty Know as GRuB for short, Garden-Raised Bounty sponsors a wide variety of programs for young and old. Through their Cultivating Youth program, young people grow and distribute organic produce for the local food bank & senior center, cook & serve lunch meals at a soup kitchen, and lead educational fieldtrips for daycare programs and other youth projects. In the summer of 2004 GRuB will host the national Rooted in Community Conference. Seattle Tilth Association Established in 1978, Seattle Tilth is a nonprofit grassroots organization that promotes urban self-reliance and builds community through public education about gardening, composting, and urban ecology. The Tilth Gardens provide a learning environment where various organic techniques are demonstrated and the greater community can observe, contribute, and exchange ideas about urban gardening. In 1985 Seattle Tilth initiated the Master Composter Program, which was the first formal home composting training program in the country. Since then the concept has spread across North America as well as to Western Europe and Australia. A full slate of activities is posted on the group's website. Tahoma Food System Comprehensive programs to promote food security, including community gardens, gleaning and support for local food banks. Seattle Youth Garden Works Seattle Youth Garden Works provides opportunities for homeless and at-risk youth through an innovative, entrepreneurial market gardening program. Homeless and at-risk youth are employed at two different garden sites and produce is sold weekly at neighborhood farmers markets, providing participants with the skills and confidence to achieve their personal goals. Seattle P-Patch Program The Seattle P-Patch program is a leader
in the national community gardening movement. Friends
of the P-Patch is a dynamic support organization devoted to
making gardening opportunities available to more people in the city. |