We have some exciting news to report about community gardens!

Last fall, to address the growing demand for community gardens, the Mayor and I launched an Oregon Solutions project.

Working with dozens of community partners, we developed a plan to address several areas of need. Already, we:

- Developed a Community Gardens Toolkit to help Portlanders connect with local resources.

- Updated our maps to include school gardens, faith-based gardens, and the newest gardens in the City's Community Gardens program.

- Created a phone bank to better communicate with folks on the waiting list for plots.

- Committed, as part of the Climate Action Plan, to adding at least 1,000 plots by 2012.

We are developing exciting new partnerships and securing new financial support, from organizations like the East and West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

I am passionate about community gardens: they foster a sense of community, encourage us to engage in healthy outdoor activities, and connect us to the food we eat in a truly meaningful way. And the surplus food goes to local food banks to help those in need.

Working with our community partners, and building on the blueprint we developed through the Oregon Solutions project, we are working hard to deliver more home-grown food to Portlanders than ever before.

Above: The team celebrates after Wednesday night's signing ceremony