Food For Lane County - Youth Farm and Grassroots Garden

Food For Lane County - Youth Farm and Grassroots Garden

Springfield and Eugene, OR

We learned a lot by visiting both of these locations. They are are both farms/gardens that produce tons of food for the Lane County food bank, work with diverse groups of people, are integral to creating a healthy and connected community, and they are both managed beautifully and successfully!

The Food For Lane County Youth Farm lays in the middle of a low income neighborhood and is on school land that had been left open from the surrounding development. Ted, the farm manager has been with the project for 5 years and has grown the production area to 6 acres and there is still plenty of room for expansion. He was clearly a skilled farmer and leader to get so much done each year while managing and organizing the teenage interns and other various groups that come out to volunteer.

He mentioned that one advantage that they had at the youth farm, was that everyone knew the organization "Food For Lane County" and their mission to end hunger in Lane County. Because they are so well know, it is easy to get volunteer groups, and other businesses donate potting material, manure and equipment, he even had a local farmer stopping by to help with tilling some land!

Here is the SOFT crew with Ted from Food For Lane County Youth farm!

We learned much from Ted in our visit to his farm. He recommended to us that we look into americorps positions and even getting fraternities/sororities or businesses to come out as groups to volunteer their time. He also some practical farming advice to get both sir-up and circle hoes because they are easy for anyone to use, meaning newbies to the farm will kill the weeds but not the crops!!! We asked Ted about vandalization, since his farm is right in a high traffic area. He said that there is some, but he doesn't plant tempting crops near the edges of his field, such as squash and fruit trees. And as the presence of his farm becomes more known in the community more and more people are showing up to help out, and vandalism has decreased.

GrassRoots Garden - Eugene, OR

Ted from the youth farm sent us on our way but told us we needed to see the Grassroots Garden which is also part of Food For Lane County. We showed up at noon and asked if we could take a look around. Mary, the garden coordinator, instantly invited us to lunch so we moseyed around the 2 acre garden as the smells of our lunch cooking in the garden kitchen floated through the fields.
Sitting down to lunch with Mary and her crew of volunteers was a great way to learn about their operation. She left us with several key points that were truly applicable to SOFT and how we can develop to be a successful farm and community.

• Make the farm successful - even if it is small, volunteers want to know that their work is contributing to something that is going to flourish. The farm will grow as more and more people get involved, but it is better to have something small and successful than to take on a project that is too large and bound for failure. It also honors the volunteers efforts by no letting their work go to waste.
  
• Essential to have a coordinator- Mary is at the garden at least 5 days a week. Volunteers know they can show up any time and that there will be work for them to do. Also, she keeps the garden running smoothly as different people and different ideas come and go. This is a tough position to fill. The coordinator need the ability to organize diverse groups of people, and has to be thinking ahead.
• Feed people! - They have a wonderful outdoor kitchen at the Grassroots Garden and all volunteers sit down for a nice lunch cooked mostly with garden produce. This creates a wonderful sense of community and connectedness, but it is also a way to show people how to cook with all the wonderful produce they are growing. Both of these components are essential to meeting the mission of their garden and also the mission of SOFT.

Outdoor kitchen - this is where the magic happens!
Ready for a group of willing volunteers.
Having many tools is key to being ready for big groups.
Showing up at this garden was a magical experience. Tucked away behind a church on a busy street, this was a little pice of wonderland. The garden was meticulously cared for. Lettuce, cabbage, kale, beets, carrots, and all the vegetables thrived in the deep rich (and almost weed free) soil.
Creative use of a bathtub for a cleaning station!