The farmers have been working hard this season to bring all the shareholders a delicious selection of vegetables, but they aren’t the only ones reaping the benefits. Since July, 47th Ave. Farms has donated over 1100 pounds of extra produce to the Clackamas Service Center, an organization that gives out food boxes and hot meals to local people in need. Fall is the perfect chance to get out into the community and donate or volunteer; it is a time when we are all busy going back to school and preparing for winter, so it is an especially hard time for nonprofits. There are tons of different opportunities in town to help supply food to your community.
Donate!
Monetary donations go a long way for these organizations because they can often purchase bulk items directly from wholesalers and can fill in gaps where they need specific foods. Food and fund drives are a great way to help support food banks, all it takes is someone (like you!) to organize one in your community. You can also donate extra produce from your garden and cans from your pantry; there are drop-off sites in most neighborhoods.
Volunteer!
There are so many volunteer opportunities in Portland that provide new, fun experiences and help people at the same time. You could teach a cooking class to new moms through the Oregon Food Bank’s Cooking Matters course or prepare meals with the Sisters of the Road. You could put together food boxes at the Clackamas Service Center or gather fruit with the Portland Fruit Tree Project. Whatever your skills, abilities, interests and preferences may be, there is a job out there for you!
www.cscoregon.org
http://secure.oregonfoodbank.org
http://sistersoftheroad.org
www.portlandfruit.org
This has been a fairly mild winter on the farm so far, with temperatures at the beginning of the month reaching into the fifties. It’s not too often you can work in a t-shirt in February! With harvest every other week we have been able to complete many exciting projects on the farm. From research into soil and composts to rebuilding our trailer and repairing the greenhouse, to redesigning the wash station and reorganizing the barn, we have kept ourselves very busy. It’s hard to believe that in a few short months we will be racing the clock to seed, transplant, weed and harvest an abundant variety of vegetables! Here is a picture of the stately red barn with some rough-tilled beds in the foreground, and some chard and parsley fighting to regrow for some spring harvests.