Food in the City
Click here for a Food in the City Brochure.Food in the City is a program consisting of a web of community gardens, vineyards, orchards, forest gardens and neighborhood centers. Neighborhood centers are small meeting places with teaching kitchens/incubator spaces. The program encompasses teaching all aspects of how to grow food, and how to harvest, prepare and preserve it. The meeting spaces are available for community gatherings such as planning meetings, NPO meetings, etc. The kitchens are also available for use by new small businesses centered on food products
Objectives
Research: To model diverse urban-based food production and distribution systems.Education: To assist families to learn how to grow, prepare and preserve a substantial portion of their own food. To provide space and support for re-knitting community: empowering the community to build an effective voice in their day to day lives and in their neighborhoods. To provide an incubator space and educational support for the development of community-based businesses centered on food products.
Land Protection: To demonstrate the value of ag lands in urban spaces.
OSALT Support: To provide valuable programs that agricultural, environmental, business and educational communities will support.
Methods
Make available lands in cities for community gardens, vineyards, orchards and forest gardens, along with education about how to grow food, fiber and medicinal crops.Develop and make available community centers, along with education about how to prepare and preserve food, fiber and medicinal crops. Each community center includes a small single family residence for the caretaker/manager and family.
Make available community meeting space and educational support for nurturing community-centered initiatives.
Make available commercial kitchen space and educational support for nurturing community-based businesses centered on food products.
Successful if
Community gardens are filled and active.Community centers are in frequent use for such activities as classes, community canning parties, neighborhood meetings, incubator kitchens, etc.
Each community develops a volunteer group that integrates the use of the center into strengthening the community.
Funding
After the initial expenses very little funding will be needed as program fees will cover ongoing expenses. Initial lands have come from a private land owner and Multnomah County. Future lands will come from individual land owners, the City of Portland and/or the Counties of Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington. Initial funding comes from individuals, community organizations, various social service agencies as well as private funders.Click here to contact the Food in the City program director
