Oregon daily emerald., March 16, 1981, Page 8 and 9, Image 8

Harvest your own crop -
land courtesy of Eugene
By BECKYANSHUTZ
Of the Emerald
You don’t need your own plot of land
or necessarily a green thumb to produce
fresh vegetables in Eugene.
The city offers gardeners plots of land
and practical information to grow their
own urban gardens.
The community gardens program runs
four garden sites in the Eugene area —
one at the end of N. Polk Street, one at
15th Avenue and Hayes Street, and one
at 28th Avenue and High Street. The
fourth, at the program center at 301 N.
Adams St., serves as a classroom for 10
beginning gardeners.
The program stresses getting the most
out of a piece of land in an urban
environment, says program supervisor
Carol Brewster.
"You can garden indefinitely as long
as you remember that you need to re
place what you take out,” Brewster says.
Community gardeners use organic
fertilizers. No chemical fertilizers or pes
ticides are allowed.
Rent is $16 per year for a 20- by 30-foot
plot, plus a $10 cleaning deposit. A 20
by 15-foot plot costs $10 per year with a
$5 deposit. The program refunds the
deposit in November when gardeners
remove plastic, boards and dead
vegetation.
The program's general registration
ended March 3. But gardeners can ob
tain one of 30-35 remaining plots by
calling the program office at 687-5323.
Last year, the city rented nearly 186
plots to 500 people by June. Two to three
family members or friends usually work a
plot, Brewster says.
Gardeners supply their own tools to
work the soil. Spigots located between
every tour plots supply tne water.
“After that, it’s up to the individual,”
Brewster says. “You get what you want
to grow in the manner you want to grow
it."
Brewster and four other staff members
publish a monthly news letter of garden
ing advice. A staff person works at one of
the gardens each week, and they are
eager to advise over the phone or in
person any time, Brewster says.
Peas and onions already dot the gar
den sites, and beets and lettuce soon will
appear, she says. Meanwhile, gardeners
are preparing vegetables for transplant
ing.
Brewster says during harvest times,
gardeners worry most about vandals. But
vandals do little besides taking an occa
sional ripe tomato or cucumber. Fences
and garden locations act as deterrents.
Fees fund most of the community gar
dens program, including the courses
offered.
For the neophyte, the program offers a
structured, supervised beginning gar
dening course for 10 people.
Brewster says she would like to see the
program, which sprouted in 1974, ex
pand soon.
“As population density increases in
the city, I think we’ll see an increase in
demand for community gardens. Eugene
has a very self-reliant orientation.”
Other organizations operate commun
ity gardens in the city. Two community
schools rent garden plots at 12th Avenue
and Jefferson Street and at 15th Avenue
and Chambers Street. Lane County
operates a garden at Alton Baker Park,
and the West University Neighborhood
Association has one along 13th Avenue
between Mill and High Streets.
Graphic by Sioux Anderson
Gain agricultural savvy
through ‘Urban Farming’
By DAWN GARCIA
Of the Emerald
Students who enjoy “getting into their
work” will get a chance this spring with a
unique class called Urban Farming.
Started five years ago through the
landscape architecture department, the
class is open to anyone interested in
learning about urban farms and willing to
work on one.
The “classroom” is an urban farm
located on Franklin Boulevard across the
Millrace.
The farm is a 11/2-acre plot of land
divided into 150 raised beds. It includes a
greenhouse, a woodshop, ceramic
workshop, a farmhouse, a wind-water
pump and wooden benches for basking
in the spring sun.
The firm's faculty adviser, Richard
Britz says the program was organized in
hopes students will apply what they learn
in their home environments.
“People don't understand the land,"
Britz says. “I’m interested in helping
people develop eco-systems they can
live with, rebuilding the cities in healthy
ways.”
The size of the urban farm — about a
city block — aids students in envisioning
the size and proportions of such a farm if
it were placed in an urban city block in
Eugene, Britz says.
“A lot of Eugene is built on first-class
gardening soil. Urban gardens are a nice
community builder and allow people to
face their gardens instead of the street.”
In the urban farm program, students
are taught to work together to grow their
own food by making the most of solar
energy, waste recycling, composting
and utilization of other natural re
sources. Crop rotation, planting meth
ods, instructions on maintenance, har
vesting and preserving food all are in
cluded in the course
Changes in seasons bring changes in
farming plans, so each term sees a dif
ferent set of goals for the program, Britz
says. At this stage of winter term,
students are taking care of winter cover
crops, finishing winter maintenance
chores and preparing the farm for spring.
To work their gardens effectively,
students are encouraged to take advan
tage of one of the seven tool libraries in
the area. These locations can provide a
wide variety of tools too expensive for
most students to rent or purchase.
The library at the Urban Farm and the
Action Now tool library at 1555 Agate St.
are the ones located closest to campus.
The educational and material benefits
from such a program are great, Britz
says.
“It shows you how well people can
work together and introduces them to
the economic priorities of this area. And
we sure get a lot of food out of the farm.”
Britz estimates the Urban Farm can
provide 40 percent of a person s food
supply.
“If you have sun, soil and a good water
supply, you’re in fat city," Britz says
grinning.
The philosophy of the program and
specifics for setting up an urban farm
can be found in the book "The Edible
City,” which will be available in the
bookstore in a few weeks.
Urban Farm is a 2-4 credit course
offered through the landscape architec
ture department Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons from 2:30 to 4:30. For more
information, contact the landscape ar
chitecture office at 686-3634
0
174 East Broadway
Eugene
Summer Session *81
UC Berkeley
Eight-week June 88 to
Session August 14
Open Summer Admission
(no transcripts required)
Tuition: $220 for the first 5 units;
$20 for each additional unit.
Enjoy the scenic and culturally diverse
San Francisco Bay Area while studying
under renowned Berkeley faculty and
distinguished visitors.
To obtain a free copy of the Summer
Session Bulletin, containing full infor
mation and an application, call or write:
Summer Session
22 Wheeler Hall
UC Berkeley Telephone:
Berkeley, CA 94720 (415) 642-5611
Name_ . __ ,...
Address ‘ ..
School
HOW
TO PAY
FOR
MEDICAL
SCHOOL
(A) Get yourself accepted
by an accredited Medical
or Osteopathic school.
(B) Call Larry DuFrain in
Portland Collect (503)
221-3041 for interview.
(C) Make your
appointment to see if you
qualify for a Naval
Commission.
(D) After qualifying, go to
Med school with tuition
and fees, books and
supplies, plus a little
spending money ($485
per month).
(E) For more information,
go to step (B).
LET US PAY
YOUR WAY!
The EMU and you...
The Erb Memorial Union Board has the responsibility for
making general policy decisions and long-range plans for the
EMU. They also advise the staff of the EMU in the day to
day management of the Union.
Run for an EMU position in the Spring ASUO Elections.
Filing date closes April 6th, 3:00 pm.
For information — Suite 4, EMU,
or 686-3724