Honored Grant Recipients

We would like to share that on Oct. 13th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $8.6 million in grants through the Community Food Projects (CFP) program to organizations that will develop local solutions to food insecurity and increase access to local and independent food systems for low-income communities. Village Gardens is honored to be one of the grant recipients!

Its wonderful news! Its also great knowing that Village Gardens, is being noticed for the amazing and outstanding work that we are doing in the community!

To read more, please click on the link below!

http://nifa.usda.gov/press-release/usda-awards-more-8-million-support-community-food-projects

Farmers Market Celebration

Dear Village Gardens community,

We would like to thank everyone who came and supported the Village Gardens Farmers Market this season. If it wasn’t for all the community support we could not make it happen! We hope that you found delicious food and veggies, wonderful live music, and just a friendly environment and community vibe over all!

Thank you to all the vendors for coming out each week with a huge smile on your face, and with the delicious produce you grew or craft you created, ready to have a great market, rain or shine. Thank you to all the musicians who performed Live and helped create a festive and welcoming atmosphere for all week after week. Thank you for giving a piece of yourself through your music!

We would also like to give thanks to those who maybe did not make it out to the farmers market but who still showed their support for Village Gardens and the work we do as a community in other ways.

We were very lucky to have the talentedIntisar Abioto visit our farmers market in July and take some outstanding photos of our community at work! Intisar “is an adventurer, dancer, photographer, and writer. Originally from Memphis, TN, her work is an active exploration of life through arts, storytelling, and adventure. With an ongoing research focus on the global African Diaspora, her unique form of story inquiry as a way of life has taken her from Memphis to Berlin to Djibouti, seeking the authentic stories of people within the African Diaspora. In 2013, she began photographing The Black Portlanders, an ongoing photo essay, blog, and a cross-modal arts adventure which images people of African descent in Portland, OR.” If you would like to check out her work as a photographer and artist please check out her website at http://intisarabioto.com. Thanks again Intisar for the beautiful pictures that you captured! (Check out some of the pictures bellow)

Lastly, we would like to thank Kaiser Permanente Community Fund and the Northwest Health Foundation for providing the professional photography services of Intisar Abioto.

We hope to see everyone at the Village Gardens Farmers Market next year!

The Village Gardens Team

Volunteer at Village Market

What Are Your Special Talents & Skills? Village Market needs you! You! Your muscle, willing hands, and organizing skill! Your nice smile, ideas, or heart-warming soup! Help us stock shelves, count inventory, and sparkle up pans, Make sure the milk’s chill and the onions don’t stink! Have a blast! Cook! Learn stuff! Make new friends, do good work! Help out just 3 hours a week and earn a discount on store purchases for a month.

We are looking for neighbors, customers, and food lovers to join the Village Market in providing quality, fresh, healthy, affordable groceries to New Columbia and it’s neighbors.Please contact Ryan at rschoonover@janusyouth.org /503.943.5634 to become a Village Market Volunteer.

Volunteer information open house Thursday, October 1st from 3p to 4p. Store tour starts at 2:30p.

Village Gardens Pie Hard Judges

Village Gardens is very proud to be the non-profit partner for Willamette Week’s Pie Hard event, an artisan pizza and fruit pie showdown at Ecliptic Brewing Co. (825 N Cook St.) on Tuesday, August 4 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. 

The Pie Hard event will also feature two Village Gardens community members on the judge panel: Roman, Food Works Crew Leader and Vickie, Community Leader.

Here is a bit about both of them:

Since moving to New Columbia two years ago,Vickie has been an active and engaged community leader.  A mother of five and a grandmother of four, she has been engaged in gardening in Portsmouth Community Garden for the past year and a half and is assisting in the role of a kitchen co-leader in the formulation of the first New Columbia/Tamarack Apartments community kitchen. The kitchen will not only create social connectedness, but will also impart healthy recipes and training in the areas of canning, preserving and baking. Vickie also has been an active volunteer for the past two years with Village Gardens/Portland Fruit Tree Project’s Fruits of Diversity Orchard, learning  the art of fruit tree and vine care.

In addition to all of her volunteerism (and I have only barely scraped the surface of just how much she gives of herself), she additionally is in her final year at Portland State University in pursuit of a Bachelors Degree in Public Health.  Having recently completed Multnomah County’s Community Health Worker Program, Vickie’s plan is to create positive inroads in the arena of health care rights in the queer community.

Roman is a Crew Leader for Food Works, Village Gardens youth run farm and business. He has been a crew member for the last year and now holds the position of summer program crew leader.

Here is Roman in his words sharing his thoughts about Food Works: “What I enjoy at food works is coming to work and spending time with people I want to hang out with!Being untied as a crew. Seeing everyone’s point of view of the program and of life. Hearing others goals and achieving their dreams. Also seeing everyone grow as their own person and as a crew.”

“Working as a team is very important at Food works because we need everyone in the crew to be able to be successful. It sound crazy but it does. Working as a team can be hard, but we’ll live. It’s hard sharing the spotlight but it’s better to share it with everyone. It’s not about what you want, it’s about you and the crew and you decision to come to consensus.  At the farm you need everyone to put in effort because if someone doesn’t the crew can fall behind.”

Roman is a sophomore at Roosevelt High School and wants to become a reality T.V star.

Do you love Pies?

Village Gardens is very proud to be the non-profit partner for Willamette Week’s Pie Hard event, an artisan pizza and fruit pie showdown at Ecliptic Brewing Co. (825 N Cook St.) on Tuesday, August 4 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy pies by locally acclaimed chefs from Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Fire & Stone, PREAM, Tastebud Farms, Ash Woodfired, Ecliptic Brewing, Petunia’s Pies and Pastries, Random Order Coffeehouse, and Pacific Pie Co. Samples of each pie, ice cream by Ruby Jewel and live music by Rio Grands are included in the $22 ticket. The event is open to all ages and guests 21 and over may purchase beer from Ecliptic Brewing Co. at happy hour prices.

Pizza chefs will vie for People’s and Judge’s Choice Awards as they create pies in wood fired ovens on site with ingredients provided by Provvista Specialty Foods. Fruit Pie awards will also be given, as guests will select their favorite pie made with produce from New Seasons Market. Guest judges include Mike Golub of the Portland Timbers, Kurt Huffman or Chefstable Group, Mike Thelin of Feast Portland, David Barbur of Pickelopolis, among others, as well as 2 Village Gardens Community Leaders.

If you are looking for more information about Pie Hard, you can contact Steph Barnhart, events and marketing manager, at 503-­‐445-­‐2764 or sbarnhart@wweek.com.

Village Gardens will be present at the event with an information and merchandise booth. We hope to see you on August 4th for this promising pizza and pie showdown!

The Village Gardens Team

Transitions at Village Gardens

Dear Village Gardens Community,

After nearly 10 years with this amazing program, I have decided to transition out of my role as Program Director of Village Gardens. I have been deeply transformed by the Village Gardens community, and have learned a great deal about what it can mean to partner with people, play my part, follow the lead of others, take the lead when needed, and most importantly to trust in the wisdom of the community to know what it needs.  After a phenomenal decade, it is now time for me to focus energy on my own family and health, and I look forward to my next chapter with more time for my two year old.

Over my time at Village Gardens, I have had the opportunity to work alongside inspiring teenagers as they grew a working certified organic farm business from a small 700 square foot garden.  I have had the chance to see a community come together to open and support the Village Market, start a farmers market, launch new micro-enterprises, expand community gardens and orchards, lead community health promotion, and develop numerous community partnerships.  I have been able to work with an incredible staff made up of some of the most dedicated and generous people that I know. I have been honored to work with the community volunteers of Village Gardens who exceed all expectations with their vision, commitment, and generosity in service to improving their community for their neighbors and families. Together we have worked to create a bit more justice in the world – from healthy food access, to more jobs for teens, to community self-determination and collective voice.

I am forever grateful, and forever changed by this work, and I look forward to seeing the next chapter of the program unfold. I am confident in its future and make this transition believing strongly in its road ahead.  My last day as the director will be July 31st, though I will be available to support the transition period as needed over the next few months, and hope to stay connected to the program long-term as a committed volunteer and supporter. Delphine Criscenzo, who has been our Development Assistant this past year, will be stepping in as Interim Program Director while a full search for a new Program Director is conducted.  She can be reached at dcriscenzo@janusyouth.org and 503-927-0820.  We anticipate that the Program Director position will be posted shortly, and ask for your assistance in sharing the posting widely.

Thank you for your continued support of Village Gardens during this time of transition, and for all you have done to support the work thus far.  It is only because of the strength of your investment that Village Gardens continues to grow.

With a spirit of hope,

Amber Baker

Map to the Farmers Market

Village Gardens Farmers Market
June 18 – September 24
3pm – 7 pm
Music — Vendors
Childrens Activities — Face Painting
Community Booth
Join our Volunteer Task Force and help determine the future of our farmers market

Village Gardens’ Farmers Market  is excited to be returning to New Columbia for our third season! Located outside of Village Market (4632 N. Trenton), the Farmers Market will provide local, seasonal and cultural vegetables grown by Village Gardens Market Gardeners and certified organic produce from Food Works Farm representing the culturally diverse neighborhoods of New Columbia and Portsmouth. The Village Gardens Market Gardeners hailing from several African countries will have a wide variety of  unique and cultural vegetables, such as: Amaranth leaf, squash leaf, bean leaf, African eggplant, chili pepper, tomatillos and squash blossoms to name a few. Please join us Thursday evenings for a fun and festive event, shop for produce, perfumes, and incense.  Enjoy hot food from our soul food vendors, tamales and with aqua fresca, and churros for dessert! This is sure to be a great community event, and a great way to support the neighborhood growers and  producers of these amazing products!

Portland Children’s Levy Update: A HUGE Thank You for Voicing Your Support!

If you haven’t heard the good news, The Portland Children’s Levy Allocation Committee unanimously approved $166,667 in support of Village Gardens! We know this was much in part to the many emails sent by community members endorsing the great work of the program. Thank you to everyone who took the time to send an email on our behalf, and on behalf of the 4,000 children, youth and families in North Portland that Village Gardens helps.

This funding will allow Village Gardens to:

• Provide 2,160 weekly meals and 2,700 lunches during the summer and out-of-school time for low-income children
• Increase organic food production in 75 garden plots to combat hunger
• Create a SNAP and WIC incentive program at Village Gardens’ community-run grocery store that sells high quality food and no alcohol, tobacco products or lottery tickets.

At Tuesday’s Allocation Committee meeting, Village Gardens’ Program Director Amber Baker had the opportunity to speak to committee members and thank them for reconsidering the program for funding in the Hunger Relief category.

“Thank you for considering our programs which do more than just provide a meal, they put youth in leadership as well. Youth are creating their own solutions for hunger in their community and they are very deserving of your support and funding,” Baker said.

Your ongoing support is incredibly valuable to all of us at Village Gardens! On behalf of our community, we thank you!

The Village Gardens Team

Portland Children’s Levy – Village Gardens NEEDS YOUR HELP…

This past year the Portland Children’s Levy (PCL) added Hunger Relief to its funding tracts. Of the 12 applications received in the Hunger Relief category, Village Gardens’ application was ranked third. Recommended for funding by PCL staff, the Levy’s Allocations Committee ultimately elected not to fund Village Gardens’ application.

With $2 million in new funds now available, the PCL will reconsider projects not previously funded at their June 2nd meeting. With funding decisions being made NOW, we need you to IMMEDIATELY email every PCL Allocation Committee member asking them to fully fund Village Gardens in the Hunger Relief category.

PCL funding will mean that Village Gardens can: Provide 2,160 weekly meals and 2,700 lunches during the summer and out-of-school time for low-income children; Increase organic food production in 75 garden plots to combat hunger; Support cooking and nutrition workshops to address chronic health issues; Expand a teen-run organic farm to increase employment; and Create a SNAP and WIC incentive program at Village Gardens’ community-run grocery store that sells high quality food and no alcohol, tobacco products or lottery tickets

Since 2001, Village Gardens has addressed hunger, created jobs for teens and adults and improved health and safety in diverse, low-income North Portland neighborhoods where 95% of residents live at or below the federal poverty level, 69% of residents are people of color, 46% of households are headed by single mothers and 42% of the population is under age 18. Your voice will make a difference for 4,000 low-income Portland children, youth and families that Village Gardens helps.

Members of the Allocation Committee need to hear from you NOW! Email your endorsement tofully fund Village Gardens’ 3-year, $472,859 request in the Hunger Relief track to:

Dan Saltzman, dan@portlandoregon.gov

Deborah Kafoury, mult.chair@multco.us

Julie S. Young, juliesy@me.com

Serena Stoudamire-Wesley, crmk3@aol.com

Mitch Hornecker, mitch.hornecker.pcl@gmail.com

Portland Children’s Levy Staff:

Lisa Pellegrino, Director, lisa.pellegrino@portlandoregon.gov

Thank you so much for your support of the work we do!

The Village Gardens Team

The People’s Institute Northwest is Coming to New Columbia!

Village Gardens has the great privilege to help host the People’s Institute Northwest at the end of April for a two and a half day Undoing Racism workshop.  Please share with your networks and sign up for the training if you are able. We hope to see you there!

THE PEOPLE’S INSTITUTE FOR SURVIVAL AND BEYOND PRESENTS:

UNDOINGRACISM® & COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

PORTLAND WORKSHOP

APRIL 23RD – 25TH 2015

This unique workshop is offered by The People’s Institute, a nationwide, multiracial, anti-racist network dedicated to ending racism and other forms of institutional oppression. Over the last 35 years, the People’s Institute has provided training, consultation, and leadership development to more than 500,000 people in organizations nationally and internationally. Graduates of the Undoing Racism Workshop say that racism often stands in the way of effective organizing and that the workshop helped them deal with both cultural competence and racial dynamics in their work and in community. The People’s Institute moves beyond a focus on the symptoms of racism to an understanding of what it is, where it comes from, how it functions, why it persists and how it can be undone. The workshop’s systemic approach stresses learning from history, developing leadership, maintaining accountability to communities, creating networks, undoing internalized oppression, and understanding the role of organizational gate-keeping in perpetuating racism.

April Workshop:

Thursday April 23rd 9:00am – 5:00pm

Friday April 24th 9:00am – 5:00pm

Saturday April 25th 9:00am – 12:00pm

Workshop Location:

New Columbia

Kandis Brewer Nunn Community Education Center

4625 N Trenton, Portland, 97203

Registration: Registration is $400.00 per person, $350.00 per person for groups or families of 3 or more.

Student/Intern/Community Member/Seniors (65+) registration is $170.00 per person; however reduced rate slots are limited. Please contact Michael Ware directly if interested (contact information below). REGISTRATION is REQUIRED before workshop date. To reserve your space contact Debbie Green at The People’s Institute Northwest Regional Office. Participants must commit to attend the entire Workshop. Space is limited. We look forward to YOU coming.

To Register: Please Contact Debbie Green

The People’s Institute Northwest Regional Office

206-938-1023 (phone) 206-770-7278 (fax) pinwseattle@yahoo.com (email)

For Portland Chapter specific information: Please Contact Michael Ware

503-380-5688 (phone) hapware@netzero.net (email)

Thank you! Our Event was a Success Thanks to you!

What an awesome event! Thank you to all of our supporters, partners, and community members for this inspiring evening of fun, emotions and celebration! We hope you will join us again next year!

Photos by Catharine Zeller

CSA Share Fair: Spring Starts Here

March 21st, 10am-2pm-This is a FREE Event

Calling all Portlanders who have ever wondered about joining a Community-Supported Agriculture program! The Portland-Area CSA Coalition and Ecotrust are teaming up to throw Portland’s first-ever public fair to celebrate CSA farms and the hard-working farmers behind this unique business model.

Join Food Works and other local farmers and come to Ecotrust’s new building, the Redd on Salmon Street, to be matched to the perfect CSA farmer for you and your family, while joining in chef demos, updating your cookbook library, and giving your kids a taste of farm life in the city. As spring dawns, renew your commitment to our local farmers and eat boatloads of fresh food.

Seats are still Available! RSVP Today!

Buy your ticket today and join us on Thursday for Village Gardens Third Annual Spring Fundraising Event! Once a year comes the opportunity for our community, our partners and supporters to be together and celebrate and we would love for you to join us too!

Esbeidi, Roman and Keegan are ready to take your picture at our photo booth on Thursday and to find out why YOU support Village Gardens!

The evening will include food from James Beard Nominee Cathy Whims of Nostrana, a photo booth tended by our youth farmers, a silent and live auction, words from community partners and the premiere of a video directedby Food Works youth farmers!

Event Details

• Thursday, March 12 6:00-9:00pm
• Bauccio Commons, University of Portland

Funds raised at this event will be used to strengthen the work of Village Gardens through programs like Food Works which support youth becoming farmers and strong food system advocates,  assistcommunityleaderstooperatethe  Village Market, Portland’s first non-profit healthy corner store, develop powerful community organizers addressing community health through theCommunity Health Worker program, and strengthen channels for food access and  social capital through community gardens, urbanlivestock, our market gardener and micro-enterprise projects.

Food Works Video Premiere at Our Third Annual Spring Fundraiser!

The Food Works Crew is directing a short video about youth leadership and about their work as organic farmers which will premiere on March 12th at our Third Annual Spring Fundraiser! You don’t want to miss it so be sure to BUY your ticket NOW!

“I can see a huge transformation from the day I first walked into the office to now, being out on the farm. It’s more of a self-growth that I have seen within myself and I have also seen a growth within my family. So the things that you learn at Food Works don’t only stick with you, but they stick with the people you care about the most as well.”  Marshalia, Food Works Crew Leader.

Join us on March 12th to find out more about Food Works and the difference it is making for Marshalia, Esbeidi, Roman, Keegan and the rest of the Food Works Crew!

You can find all the information you need about our upcoming Third Annual Spring Fundraiser HERE!

We look forward to seeing you on March 12th, 2015!

Save the Date! Our 3rd Annual Spring Fundraiser is March 12th!

Join Village Gardens for our third annual spring fundraising event, an inspiring opportunity to celebrate and learn about Village Gardens’ work to create a more just and sustainable local food system in Portland. The evening will include community participant presentations highlighting program successes, dinner, speakers and a silent and live auction.

Event Details

• Thursday, March 12 6:00-9:00pm
• Bauccio Commons, University of Portland 

Funds raised at this event will be used to strengthen the work of Village Gardens through programs like Food Works which support youth becoming farmers and strong food system advocates,  assistcommunityleaderstooperatethe  Village Market, Portland’s first non-profit healthy corner store, develop powerful community organizers addressing community health through theCommunity Health Worker program, and strengthen channels for food access and  social capital through community gardens,  theurbanlivestock, our market gardener and micro-enterprise projects.

Thank You from All of us at Village Gardens!

THANK YOU so much to all of you who have donated through the Give Guide campaign to support our work at Village Gardens! We could not have done it without your generosity! We have raised over $6,000 that will be invested in sustaining our community programs, Food Works Farm and the Village Market! What a way to start 2015!

Happy Holidays from All of Us at Village Gardens!

What an  incredible year 2014 has been! Thank you for being there with us! We are so excited about the prospects of 2015, but we need your support TODAY! Help us start the New Year celebrating a successful first Give!Guide campaign by making your tax deductible donation to Village Gardens TODAY!

The Village Garden Team sends you their best wishes for 2015 and looks forward to partneringwith you in the New Year. In 2014, our community’s commitment to unit cultures through dirthas continued to guide our work. We have grown our programing and our team of staff and community leaders. And we have exciting plans for the new year, starting with hiring our first Farmers Market Manager to help expend our pilot market.

The Village Gardens Farmers Market will not only create a venue for farm direct sales of produce and prepared foods, it will also act as a central gathering place for community members to meet each other, share their cultural food traditions, keep food dollars in local circulation, and support each other in developing healthy community norms.

We look forward to a great year with you! Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays!

With gratitude,
The Village Gardens Team

Pictures Tell Stories

Last month, the Food Works Crew was introduced to some basic photography concepts during a workshop and got a chance to practice telling stories with pictures. They learned to experiment with framing and lighting and to be creative! Now, they bring you a series of pictures telling the story of their work on the farm and the social bonds it strengthens. Check out their amazing pictures.

Help Us Get Off to a Strong Start and Donate Today!

Village Gardens is excited to be featured in theWillamette Week’s 2014 Give!Guide from November 5th to December 31st. TheGive!Guide offers you an opportunity to contribute to your favorite organization and win fun incentives!

Incentives include Chinook Books, tacos, concert and performance tickets, free ice cream, coffee, car wash, beer, wine and more! At Village Gardens, we will thank every donor personally and will add extra gift incentives! When you donate $25 or more, you will receive a $5 coupon to purchase produce at our Village Market,located 4632 N Trenton St, Portland, OR, 97203. When you donate $50 or more, you will also receive a $5 coupon to purchase produce at one of our Food Works Farm 2015 farmers market booths and one of our Soul Food Tote Bags.

Finally, Laughing Planet is also adding an extra gift for everyone who donates to Village Gardens through the Give!Guide this season. All donors will receive a coupon for a free burrito or bowl to use in any Laughing Planet restaurants. There are so many reasons to donate!

Are you under 35 years old? We need your support! The Give!Guide will add a bonus prize for the organization that gets the most donors under 35 years old!

During Give!Guide season, we plan to bring you the voices of our community through Social Media using photography, audio and video! A lot of fun awaits you on Facebook and Twitter! Look for #GardenPowerPDX

Village Gardens to Host Fall Celebration on October 31

Join Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, Multnomah County District 2 Commissioner Loretta Smith and Regence for the Village Gardens Fall Celebration on Friday afternoon, October 31. Hear updates on program growth, help us dedicate our new outdoor garden-based training space in memory of Trish Couture and participate in an apple cider pressing.

Date: Friday, October 31, 2014

Time: 1 – 3 pm

Location: Seeds of Harmony Garden, across from Regence Boys & Girls Club in New Columbia (4430 N Trenton St, Portland, Oregon 97203)

Cost: FREE