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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 2020)
10 in other words june4 2020 A Word From the Watershed: Nehalem Native Nursery By Corrie Aiuto UNWC operations provided by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). The Vernonia Forestry Class and UNWC have used the space to grow and teach plant production for the past several years. The Nehalem Native Nursery, primarily used to grow native tree seedlings and plants for riparian res- toration work, is now growing vegetable starts in response to the COVID-19 pan- demic. Inspired by the Victory Gardens grown across the United States during World War I and II, the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council (UNWC) hopes to develop the nursery into a viable resource to fight food insecurity in our communi- ty. The UNWC has been growing native plants for restoration work since the beginning in 1996, but did not always have their own nursery. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was an es- sential partner, providing grant funds, surplus seedlings, pots and soil, and fa- cilitating nursery development and op- eration. Eventually satellite nurseries Summer Squash Artichoke sprung up around our region resulting in Once Oregon initiated the Stay Home, Save the Nehalem Native Nursery here in Vernonia. Lives order to slow the spread of COVID-19, Maggie Located north of the Vernonia Schools on Tex- Peyton, UNWC Executive Director, said she was in- as Avenue, the nursery program was adopted by Verno- nia School District 47J and funded by BLM Resource spired by the Victory Gardens during WW I and II. “I just decided to plant some vegetable seeds,” Advisory Committee (RAC) grants, a U.S. Department Maggie says. “We were out there in the nursery, social of Fish and Wildlife grant and capacity support for distanced and potting native seed- lings in the fresh air and sunshine and I thought, ‘We could fill this greenhouse with veggie starts for the community.’ Then the Com- Open Saturdays 10 - 2 munity Garden folks donated some Across from the Mini Mart seeds and asked to use some space in the greenhouse and it all just seemed like a timely productive idea.” During the first and second World Wars, the United States en- couraged the use of private and Vernonia Open Air Market public land to grow food crops to help ease the strain on the agriculture industry and prevent starvation. These spaces were known as “Victory Gardens,” and during WW II there were as many as 18 million such gardens across the nation which produced an es- timated 8 to 9 million tons of fruits and vegetables. To be clear, growing vegetable starts is a new venture for the UNWC. Although well versed in production of native trees and shrubs for riparian restoration, Mag- gie, UNWC staff, and volunteers have never operated the nursery to produce vegetable starts in a way that sustains the nursery and is beneficial to the commu- nity. “This is a new endeavor, and we are excited about it, but it’s going to take time,” Maggie explains. “Nurseries are a lot of work and we are going to have to develop a sustainable plan and then work out the kinks.” PLANT STARTS AVAILABLE The good news is vegetable starts are now available at the Nehalem Native Nursery! Located at 1201 Texas Avenue, Vernonia, the starts are offered by donation (suggested donation $2 each). If you need starts and cannot afford to donate, please come any- way. Our main goal is to provide a resource to the food insecure in our community. Not pictured: dill, cilantro, broccoli, heirloom tomatoes and zucchini, luffa, turnips, beets, sunflowers, watermelon, pump- kin, lettuce, and Oregon Oak tree starts (but don’t eat those). We also accept donations of seeds, heirloom va- rieties preferred. More seeds are being planted so more varieties will be available as we move through the sum- mer season into winter crops. A key element of success has been the involve- ment of volunteers. Since nurseries are so labor inten- sive and funding so tight, the UNWC cannot afford to pay employees to do all that is needed. Volunteers step in and make the magic happen. Would you like to come help in the Ne- halem Native Nursery to grow food for the community? If you want to volunteer and/or obtain veggie starts please contact Mag- gie at (503) 396-2046, maggie@ nehalem.org or visit our website at unwc.nehalem.org. Visit US today for all your financial needs! We saddle shoe. Do you? Muffy’s Josh, Juli, Teresa, Margy Davia, Lisa, and Kaya 905 Bridge Street 905 Bridge Street (503) (503) 429-6271 429-6271 950 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064 503.429.5050 or 866.524.5050 www.muffys.com World Headquarters Vernonia, Oregon usbank.com Member FDIC VNC 503-429-9333 Recreational & Medical Marijuana Dispensary Serving the Community Featuring: • Edibles • Concentrates • CBD Oils, Topicals, & Tinctures • Flower Grams & Pre-rolled Joints Vernonia’s Natural Choice Open 7 days 9am - 9pm 736 Bridge Street, Suite 1 Owned and Operated by Don & Kim Wallace DON WALLACE, PLS Professional Land Surveying 1224 E. Alder St. Vernonia, OR 97064 Phone: 503-429-6115 FAX: 1-866-297-1402 Email: DWallace_KLS@msn.com CORPORATE MEMBER
