We help people grow their own food in urban backyards, correctional facilities, and  schoolyards.
October 2016 

What's Growing this Month: Short links to each section
Links
 
 
Screening of CAN YOU DIG THIS    
Join  Growing Gardens on November 4th to see CAN YOU DIG THIS, the award winning documentary by John Legend! Inspired by "Gangster Gardener" Ron Finley, this extraordinary film follows the amazing journeys of four unlikely urban gardeners, whose lives are forever changed when they put their hands in the soil.

We at Growing Gardens teach people to grow food at home, apartments, elementary schools, and in prisons. T his evening screening will celebrate the pioneering work of bringing education and the experience of gardening to incarcerated youth and adults in Oregon's correctional facilities.

Proceeds go to Growing Gardens. Tickets are $25, includes pizza and beer. 

Watch the trailer : http://canyoudigthisfilm.com/

Donate to our Lettuce Grow program (gardening in prisons)  HERE or check out our WISH LIST

Yours in gardening,
Growing Gardens staff

Program News 
 Home Gardens Program: In backyards 
This fall we've recruited twelve amazing Crew Leaders, who are already half way through our garden building season! They attended a day training that covered Growing Gardens' role in our community, fresh food access, and their role as leaders and community members within the food movement. By the end of this month our Crew Leaders will have led close to 80 volunteers and built over 60 garden beds for Portland neighbors with limited resources. Thank you Crew Leaders! 

Each volunteer's participation ensures one of our families an entire year of educational hands-on organic gardening experiences. Please consider donating to our program so we can provide free resources and education- HERE

To donate or sign up as a garden build volunteer contact: cristy@growing-gardens.org 

Youth Grow Program: at schools
    
Celebrate National farm to school month! We celebrated Harvest of the Month at one of our partner schools by playing an apple trivia game during lunch. Kids were excited to eat the local apples served in the cafeteria after learning interesting apple facts! In our partner schools we have been celebrating all the beautiful fall produce our school gardens have provided. Kids love the sweet ground cherries, tender fall lettuce and spinach, and ripe cherry tomatoes. It is such an exciting time of year to be connecting kids to the earth.
Since the start of the 2016-17 school year, Youth Grow has helped get 1,317 students in the greater Portland area experiencing hands-on learning in their school gardens!

President Obama's NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK proclamation:

"In order for our children to join the most prepared and educated workforce in the world, we must remember the connection between what our kids eat and how well they perform in school. During National School Lunch Week, let us reaffirm our dedication to helping America's daughters and sons succeed by guaranteeing they have access to the healthy meals they need. Let us express our gratitude for the school nutrition professionals, educators, and administrators who are helping deliver the promise of a bright future to schoolchildren across America each day." -  President Obama  on  #NSLW : Read more HERE.

Want to help? Volunteer as a after school educator on  Wednesdays at Glenfair Elementary 2-5:15pm (15300 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97230). APPLY HERE.

Lettuce Grow Program: in correctional facilities
This fall we're transitioning from outdoor gardening to indoor garden education. Our Green House and Seed to Supper classes will kick off soon and all of our veggie harvest was used in the chow halls or donated to food pantry locations. Our students are ready to learn new material, and we're recruiting new inmates to join our 101 gardening classes! We're looking for an additional Seed to Supper facilitator who is interested in shadowing our lead Seed to Supper volunteer- message cristy@growing-gardens.org.

Do you want to learn about an inmate's experience in a prison garden? Interested in the garden education work our Lettuce Grow Program offers inmates in Oregon?  If yes, purchase a ticket to the award winning documentary by John Legend- CAN YOU DIG THIS . Inspired by "Gangster Gardener" Ron Finley, this extraordinary film follows the amazing journeys of four unlikely urban gardeners, whose lives are forever changed when they put their hands in the soil.

Tickets are $25. Beer and pizza included. 
Movie Trailer & documentary website: CLICK HERE
Generously sponsored by: 1 0 Barrel Brewing PDX  and  HOTLIPS Pizza
To volunteer with Lettuce Grow contact Cristy: cristy@growing-gardens.org  

Volunteering Opportunities 

Donate RIPE FIGS! 
   
This fall Breakside Brewery is partnering with us to develop a fig newton beer! We're reaching out to our community members with fig trees wanting to donate *ripe figs*. You can drop off at our office: 2203 NE Oregon Street Portland, OR 97232. We're looking to gather between 30-40 pounds of figs. Those who help us with donations will be invited to the beer release! 

Message Jason@growing-gardens.org with any fig questions/donations!
Thank you Harrison! 
   
Growing Gardens would like to extend a huge THANK YOU! to Harrison Hill, a student from the School of Journalism, Broadcasting & Photojournalism at Western Kentucky University, who for three days last month spent hours photographing people involved with all of our programs.
 
Harrison was part of a Momenta Workshop and provided his services pro bono to us. In return for the opportunity to get to know us and our work, we received 100 fantastic professional quality photographs to use in our outreach and marketing efforts. Such a gift! Thanks so much Harrison, you were a pleasure to work with, and we are very grateful for all your time and talent. To see more of Harrison's work visit  harrisonhillphoto.com
Fundraising News  
Juniplanters, order one today!
S upport our programs and create a beautiful garden space
Please keep our Juniplanter garden box in mind as a beautiful, environmentally conscious, and downright exceptional way to grow your vegetables year-round. For more information go to growing-gardens.org/juniplanter. Each purchase supports our programs and directly helps us grow as an organization. 

Questions?: Contact juniplanter@growing-gardens.org.  

 
Supportive projects
Donate your bamboo!

Have extra bamboo? DONATE IT TO GROWING GARDENS! We use bamboo at all of our sites: elementary school gardens, home gardens, and correctional facility gardens. Can't deliver? We're happy to pick up your cut bamboo donation for our programs. 

We can pick up only if you are in the Portland Metro area, and your donation must be a minimum of 100+ non-split poles! Otherwise we are happy to accept your delivered bamboo donations. E-mail cristy@growing-gardens.org


 
Yours in Gardening,
Growing Gardens
2203 NE Oregon Street
Portland, Oregon 97232
503.284.8420