Refuge Gardens: Growing Opportunities

Our friends at Refuge Gardens, a program of Mercy Corps Northwest, connect recent refugees with the land, supplies and skills they need in order to improve their livelihoods through small-scale farming. Later this season, you can visit their booth at the PSU and Shemanski Park Markets, where the farmers sell their crops.  In the meantime, read more below to learn about the program and how you can help support it.

By Seth Belber, Program Manager, Refuge Gardens

From farm…

Did you know that Portland welcomes 1,000 refugees into its city limits each year? Mercy Corps Northwest’s Refuge Gardens provides these families with an opportunity to integrate and build healthy lives within our community.

Through our program, families receive access to land and farm training. They grow and market seasonal produce, which provides financial stability and access to healthy food grown without synthetic inputs of any kind.

There are many ways you can help support this program:

CSA SUBSCRIPTION: Receive a weekly box of fresh, local, seasonal vegetables, while contributing to the well-being of refugee families from the Nepali Bhutanese and Karen Burmese community.  (Pick up locations include the Shemanski Park Farmers Market on Wednesdays).  Download the 2014 Refuge Gardens CSA Flyer>>

DONATE LAND: Much of this work is done on small plots donated by the community. If you have an unused parcel of land and want to learn how to put it to use, contact Seth Belber at sbelber@mercycorpsnw.org.

…to market

GIVE: Individual contributions can make a huge difference.  Your donation will help purchase fertilizer, seeds, equipment, and other farming supplies.  Click here to make a donation>>

Thank you for your support!