Urban Agriculture Services
Village Gardens
Village Gardens, an 85,000 square foot urban agriculture program, uses sustainable organic gardening and farming to increase access to healthy food, improve economic opportunities and build unity with low-income residents of North Portland. Based in the St. Johns Woods public housing development; New Columbia, the Housing Authority of Portland's newly built Hope VI development; and on an acre of Metro land on Sauvie Island, the program includes individual and family garden plots, employment opportunities for adults and teens, after-school and summer activities for children, homework clubs, a mobile market shuttle and a youth-run entrepreneurial business growing and marketing specialty salad mixes at local farmers markets.
Across the country sustainable urban agriculture programs like Village Gardens are proving to be an effective tool in addressing community issues ranging from hunger and food insecurity, community revitalization, environmental stewardship and economic development.
Village Gardens Mission: Village Gardens brings a spirit of hope to people by growing and sharing healthy food, learning and teaching skills and empowering community leadership.
Village Gardens Programs:
Food Works
Food Works is a youth employment and empowerment program that engages 14-21 year old young people in all aspects of planning, growing, selling and donating over 4,000 pounds of organic produce each year from their 1-acre organic farm on Sauvie Island. Food Works Crew Members learn business, leadership, organic agriculture and other important work and life skills through working as team to market their food at farmers markets and local grocery stores, and donating a significant portion of the food they grow back to their community. Crew Members also receive school credit for their work and are supported to transition into other employment opportunities and to succeed in their academic goals (five Food Works' graduates, all immigrants from East Africa, have received college scholarships through Janus' Scholarship program).
St. Johns Woods Garden Project
The 7,000 square foot St. Johns Woods Garden Project enables 30 families living 200% below federal poverty guidelines to grow their own food by providing seeds, tools, fertile land, water, and technical support. Housing Authority of Portland property managers at St. Johns Woods credit the project with reducing vandalism and increasing collaborative problem solving among residents.
Seeds of Harmony Garden
A 11,000 square foot garden, the Seeds of Harmony Garden serves as a community meeting place, a source of food and an educational tool for the diverse residents of the Housing Authority of Portland's New Columbia and Tamaracks housing communities.
Located at St. Johns Woods, the Big Apple Garden Club is a year-round educational gardening club where children 13 and under learn to grow their own food with the help of neighborhood parents, teens and program partners. Each year approximately 10 adults from the community build capacity by working in paid positions leading Village Gardens programs and organizing the community. Providing monthly transportation to local farmers markets, the Market Shuttle serves North Portland residents eligible for Oregon Trail food benefits and WIC/Senior Farmers Market Coupons. Village Gardens has received tremendous community support. Please take a moment to learn more about our community partners. New Seasons Market Children's Garden Club
Community Leaders
Market Shuttle
Links to our Partners
Northwest Service Academy
Portland Farmers Market
Portland Nursery
Proper Eats
PSU Regional Research Institute for Human Services (Program Evaluator)
Sauvie Island Organics
Resolutions Northwest
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Village Gardens currently receives funding from United Way of the Columbia Willamette, USDA Community Food Projects Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, Heifer International, Housing Authority of Portland, Kaiser Permanente, and the Laura Jane Musser Fund