Friends of Portland Community Gardens

Mission

Friends of Portland Community Gardens supports and expands community gardening opportunities for all Portland-area residents to grow healthy food and build community.

Bottom Line for Portland

Portland’s Community Gardens provide residents with access and opportunities to grow food for families and the community.  Portland Parks & Recreation hosts 58 gardens spread across the city serving gardeners who speak over 100 languages.  Through the Produce for People program, community gardeners grow and donate over 26,000 pounds of produce to more than 24 food pantries, helping feed Portland families in need.  

With our limited budget and all-volunteer board and membership, we provide financial support to each garden, supply plant starts and soil amendments for the Produce for People Program and help to install and maintain mason bee houses at many community gardens. This year, we have partnered with three service agencies to build tub gardens or raised beds at six shelters/villages/apartments for our houseless neighbors.

When you donate you help gardens grow across the city.  Thank you for your support.

Quote

” Friends support for our community garden helps us renew our basic needs, like hoses and common area fruit trees. They provide managers and gardeners alike the tools we most need.” [Garden Co-Manager, Beach Community Garden]

 " This project is not only therapeutic for our folks- it also gives them something to care for and to call their own, we are so grateful for our garden! It gives our folks a chance to get to know each other and the staff." [Staff member, Market Street Shelter] 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We advocate for readily accessible community gardens throughout the city and through community-based partnerships. The Community Gardens Program consists of 58 gardens, with over 2,500 plots.  About 30% of gardeners are foreign-born or live as part of communities of color. Many of the newer gardens are in outer east Portland and serve a population disproportionately higher in communities of color and other historically underserved groups. Through our support for Produce for People and garden opportunities for shelters and safe villages, we help our Portland neighbors enjoy fresh food and our houseless neighbors share in the benefits and joys of gardening. As Portland's community garden program grows across the city, we provide financial support for each garden so that gardeners have the support they need to grow food for their families. We celebrate the Hunger organizations in Give!Guide and invite you to join us all in helping everyone enjoy fresh food.

Incentives

We have three winners of $50 gift certificates from Portland Nursery who joined as a member on the Hunger Group Big Give Day, December 7. Congratulations to Janis Khorsi, Kennedy Birley, and Kate Kula.

Donations of $25 will receive our membership coupons for 15% off on a one-time purchase at Portland Nursery and Concentrates and a FPCG bumper sticker.  

Donations of $45 receive the same benefits as above and a family membership to FPCG.

Donors of $300 or more will receive a Mason Bee house and optional training and working sessions to keep a healthy Mason Bee population. We must have contact info to deliver your bee house.

Business Partner(s)

Portland Nursery - Portland Nursery has everything you'll need to make your garden and home your favorite destination. 

Concentrates, Inc. – Organic Agricultural Professionals Since 1938, specializing in organic soil amendments, fertilizers, feeds, minerals, and salts. (https://www.concentratesnw.com)

 Sustainable Northwest Wood – local wood for the greater good. (https://www.snwwood.com)

And a special thank you to New Seasons New Seasons Market | Grocery Stores in the Portland Metro areafor matching every membership donated through Give!Guide.