Then there are neighborhood community gardens. The Common Ground Garden in the
Friendly neighborhood is a great model for neighbors gardening together, with a permit, on
public land. Here a group of neighbors have come together, with the city’s blessing, to convert
vacant city land to a flourishing garden where volunteers are invited to share in the harvest. It
succeeds because there was considerable interest in the idea from the start, and it was organized
by a dedicated group of people who were willing to put in the time and sweat to make it fly.
One of those neighbors is Anne Donahue, who happens to work for the city of Eugene. (She is
currently the city’s compost and urban agriculture coordinator.)
“The whole goal of the garden,” Donahue says, “was to grow food, show folks how to
grow their own food in a cooperative growing situation, show neighborhood children where
their food comes from and inspire other neighborhoods to do the same in their neighbor-
hoods. We hope to provide a mentorship of sorts for other gardening efforts, both individu-
ally and cooperatively.”
Donahue, evidently smitten with the concept, adds,
“I could tell you so many stories about the neighborhood
children that are learning to eat fresh kale and chard,
children whose first stop on their neighborhood walk is
the cucumber patch and green bean tunnel at the garden,
boys that learn to sit calmly while watching a ladybug
crawl from one hand to another and back again. Adults
change their neighborhood walking patterns to visit the
garden regularly to see what we are doing and when we
are doing it.”
The city puts our money where its mouth is by
offering Neighborhood Matching grants for similar
projects. “There are many right-of-way areas that might
— ALICE AIKENS
work well for growing spots,” Donahue asserts. “Find a
likely spot, go down to the permit and information center and ask to speak to a land use staff
person. Whether or not a garden can be grown there will need to be determined before
looking for a neighborhood matching grant to develop it.”
There are still other options for people who would like to grow their own veggies but
lack the knowledge, space or sunshine at home. Donahue suggests looking at utility and
church property. There are often green grassy areas that need maintenance for the utility,
and if gardening is permitted perhaps maintenance can be traded for use of the property.
Several churches in town already follow this example, she says.
Lindsey Foltz is volunteer garden manager of a year-old garden project at the corner of
15th and Taylor. It is supported by Eugene Faith Center, which owns the land and helps
pay for irrigation. Some volunteers are affiliated with the church, but it is not a requirement.
“We welcome new volunteers,” Foltz told me. “We volunteers share produce amongst
ourselves and also donate to the FOOD for Lane County food pantry on the faith center
campus and to the Eugene Mission.” More information can be found at www.
eugenefaithcenter.org
There may be other opportunities on private land. In my own neighborhood, there’s a
small garden starting up on the grounds of the privately owned Reach Center, a
neighborhood activity center at Harris and 25th. Anyone is welcome to stop by, help
cultivate the garden, enjoy the company and take a little produce home (info@
reachcentereugene.com).
FFLC Grassroots Garden on Coburg Road could use more volunteers’ help to maintain
its amazing level of productivity. Director Merry Bradley tells me that in recent years they
never logged fewer than 20,000 volunteer hours per year, and often had many more. This
past year, for a variety of reasons, numbers have dropped.
Right now, volunteers are needed to distribute some beautiful soil that was recently
brought in from the late Courthouse Garden. That garden, the brainchild of federal judge
Ann Aiken, became a unique joint gardening venture between the city of Eugene and the
University of Oregon, and deserved an award for Most Remarkable Community Garden
Setting. It was dismantled this spring after a productive three-year run, and I for one was
sorry to see it go. ■
‘You nurture not
just plants but
people. And I
think it makes
you a more
responsible
person.’
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How to get a garden
To enter the lottery for an available plot in one of the community gardens, return
an application with the appropriate payment no later than 5 pm on Monday,
March 18. The initial lottery round is drawn from the pool of city of Eugene
residents. If plots are still available, there’s a second lottery for other applicants.
Visit www.eugene-or.gov/communitygardens for forms and information.
For information about FOOD for Lane County gardens, write gardens@
foodforlanecounty.org or call 343-2822
Winter Green Farm
Growing A Healthy World since 1980
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eugeneweekly.com • March 7, 2013
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