Community gardens help Portlanders grow their own fresh and affordable produce, offer a place for neighbors to get to know each other, and are a great way to spend some time outdoors and get a little exercise.

More Portlanders than ever before are discovering the joys of growing their own food in community gardens around town. Many of them are also discovering the joy of sharing their harvest with folks in need in our community.

Since Portland Parks & Recreation’s Produce for People program began in 1995, local gardeners have donated more than 25 tons of produce to emergency food providers like the Oregon Food Bank, the Northeast Emergency Food Program, and others.

There are lots of ways you can help, whether or not you have a community garden plot:

o Plant an extra row in your garden to donate

o Help tend to the Produce for People plots in community gardens

o Donate extra produce from your own garden

o Volunteer to deliver produce

The Oregonian’s Larry Bingham spoke with volunteer Darrell Sanders earlier this week. “I like to garden and I couldn’t possible eat all I produce,” he told Bingham, echoing a motivation to donate shared by many Portland gardeners.

At a time when Oregon ranks among America’s hungriest states, it’s more important than ever than those of us who can share, do.

We’re very proud of this program, and grateful that so many Portlanders choose to take part.

Through our ‘1,000 Gardens’ campaign, we’ll add 1,000 new community garden plots to Portland by the end of 2012. We hope some of our new gardeners will join this important effort!

1,000 Gardens Blog

Community Gardens Toolkit

"Portland Community Gardens program expands alongside effort to bring fresh food to the city's needy" - Larry Bingham in The Oregonian

"Parks campaign donates produce from Portland gardens"- Chad Carter on KOIN

Photo:  Many thanks to The Oregonian's Larry Bingham for letting us use this great photo!