Grow Portland

Mission

🌷🍒 Grow Portland supports schools and communities by facilitating hands-on garden experiences that foster connections to food, nature and each other.

Bottom Line

🌿 🍎 Even with school budgets stretched tighter than ever, all but one of our partner schools chose to renew Garden School contracts for the 2026/2027 school year! Schools are making room in their budgets because they know kids need hands-on outdoor opportunities to learn, explore, grow food, test hypotheses and connect with nature. Schools are doing their part. Help us do ours!

🌷🫛 Since 2010, Grow Portland has been bringing the joy of gardening and outdoor learning to Portland students. We currently partner with 15 public schools, reaching more than 4,600 students with hands-on garden lessons every month. Kids dig in the soil, grow and harvest food, explore science, taste new foods, and discover their own connections to nature, all in their school garden. We’re especially committed to making sure students who have too often been left out of outdoor learning have a place to belong and thrive, including Black, Indigenous, and students of color, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Our lessons include Chinuk Wawa and ASL, with materials in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, and we use songs, games, visual aids, exploration, and culturally meaningful crops to make learning welcoming and accessible to everyone. We build long-term relationships with each school and shape our programs around the needs of their students and classrooms. Extra produce makes its way into school cafeterias, food pantries, or home with students and families. Together, we’re growing gardens, sharing food, and helping kids feel connected to their schools, their communities, and the natural world. 

Quote

🌳☀️ “In the garden I feel connected to the plants. We can get fresh air and see the sun. In general, I feel happy.” - 4th grader

🌸 🦋 “Students who have difficulty focusing in the classroom and often feel disengaged are present, active and having fun in the garden.” 3rd grade teacher

🌱 🍁 "Gardens are important to our community because they can bring friends and family closer and they can help kids grow up knowing more about the garden, plants trees, birds etc.” 

- 5th grader

Incentives

All of Nov and Dec: 

      🥀 Dove Vivi is giving a half pizza to anyone who donates $100 or more to Grow Portland throughout the entire campaign!  Get cheesy and double your winning!

On 11/1 Kickoff Day:

      🍉   The first four people to donate $50 or more on Nov 1st to kick off our campaign will receive a $25 gift card to Dragonfly Coffeehouse. This charming NW Thurman coffee house is locally owned and operated by a Grow Portland Board Member!

On 11/4 Big Golf Day: 

     🍄 Look amazing on the Green! The first person to donate $300+ on Nov 4th will win a Personal Stylist Appointment from Garnish Apparel (includes a $100 store credit!)

On 11/10: 

    🐸  Eat at Tamale Boy on Nov 10th and 10% of all sales will go to Grow Portland, including pickups and third-party deliveries!

On 11/11 Big (Dinner) Cruise Day:

     🍃  Enjoy an Argentine inspired meal by Portland’s only James Beard Award winning steakhouse! The first person to donate $200+ to Grow Portland on Nov 11th will receive a $150 gift card to Ox Restaurant!

On 11/18 Big Garden Day:

     🌿 On Nov 18th, the first 4 people to donate $50 will get a $25 gift card from Left Field Garden Supply, one of our favorite garden supply stores located on SE Foster Rd. 

                                                                       OR

The first person to donate $100+ will get a $50 Portland Nursery gift card. The first person to donate $200+ will get a $100 Portland Nursery gift card.

On 11/24 Big Restaurant Day:                                                                            

      🐝 The first four people to donate $100+ on Nov 24th will win a $50 Brunch Gift Card to neighborhood Mediterranean smokehouse Yalla of Sesame Collective located in Multnomah Village!

                                                                       OR

    💧 The first two people to donate $200+ to Grow Portland on Nov 24th will receive a $100 gift card to Campana Restaurant! OR Gado Gado Restaurant! (indicate preference in notes field)

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On 12/1 Giving Tuesday/Big Timbers Day: 

     🌱 Shop for delicious Matcha and Japanese Heritage teas and support Grow Portland on Giving Tuesday! Mizuba Tea is donating 10% of sales to Grow Portland on Dec 1st, Giving Tuesday! 

     🐦Plus the first person to donate $200+ to Grow Portland on Dec 1st will receive a $100 gift card to Mizuba Tea as a thank you!

On 12/9 Big Art Day:

     🦋  Grab a bite before or after the Art Museum! The first four people to donate $100+ to Grow Portland on Dec 9th will win a $50 Brunch Gift Card to Dolly Olive of Sesame Collective!

                                                                              OR

     🌽 Maybe it’s your kids who have the talent?! The first two people to donate $150+ to Grow Portland on Dec 9th will receive a gift card (valued at $80) to The Art Room for a No-School Day Camp!

On 12/17 Big Groceries Day: 

     🫐 If you like to cook, you’re going to want this cookbook! The first person to donate $50+ to Grow Portland on Dec 17th will receive a cookbook from Kachka!

                                                                             OR

  ⛅  The first person to donate $80 to Grow Portland on Dec 17th will receive bold authentic Singapore flavors in this OG Sambal Gift Set from SiBeiHo!

On 12/26 Big Wine Day:

     🏵️ Woodfired Oven Pizza & Wine go together mighty fine! The first person to donate $100+ to Grow Portland on Dec 26th will get a $50 gift card to Pizzeria Otto!

                                                                             OR

     🌶️  The first four people to donate $100+ to Grow Portland on Dec 26th will win a $50 gift card to Angelina's, a brand new Slabtown restaurant named after a Sicilian Grandmother as a tribute to grandmothers who never let you leave hungry from Sesame Collective!

On 12/27 Big Spa Day: 

    🌸  What’s more relaxing than a massage without leaving your own house? The first donor to give $150+ to Grow Portland on Dec 27th will receive a 90 min at-home massage from Pansy Massage and Bodywork.

                                                                                OR

     🥦Enjoy some hydrotherapy! The first two people to donate $60+ on Dec 27th will win a one hour soaking pass ($30 value) to Common Ground Wellness Cooperative

On 12/28 Big Books Day: 

     🍐Books + coffee = Portland basics! The first four people to donate $50+ on Dec 28th will receive a $25 gift card to Dragonfly Coffeehouse where they can sip coffee and read books to their heart’s content.

On 12/29 Big E-Bike Day: 

     🌻Just in case biking (even e-biking) isn’t your thing… the first person to donate $500+ to Grow Portland on Dec 29th will win a 10 class pass ($300 value) to Studio 45 Pilates!

                                                                                 OR

     💧And if you’re looking to train at a woman owned strength and conditioning gym, be the first person to donate $150+ to Grow Portland on Dec 29th and receive a personal training session with Risio Athletics

On 12/30 Big Culture Day: 

     🐞Culture = Food. The first person to donate $200+ to Grow Portland on Dec 30th will receive a $100 gift certificate to Obon Shokudo, serving plant based Japanese comfort food!

                                                                              OR

     🍓 Look stylish on your trip to the Coast! The first person to donate $300+ on Dec 30th will win a Private Shopping Party from Garnish Apparel (includes a $100 store credit!)

Partner(s)

Campana serves old world and new world Italian fare with hand-made pasta, risotto, fish and meat, house-made desserts, an all Italian wine list, and both classic and contemporary cocktails.

Dove Vivi serving cornmeal crust pizza with all the appropriate accompaniments since 2007

Dragonfly Coffee House: the cozy community coffee house you thought was long gone; independently owned and operated.

Garnish Apparel features an in-house line of limited edition pieces made right here in Portland, Oregon as well as Personal Stylist Appointments and Private Shopping Parties.

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

Sesame Collective is a restaurant group that offers Mediterranean-inspired fare with a distinctive Pacific Northwest twist

Studio 45 is a PNW-based pilates studio. Classes are challenging; instructors and members are welcoming, and you’ll see a transformation in your body in as little as 5 classes.

Tamale Boy offers a seasonally changing menu designed to highlight cuisine from various regions throughout Mexico. We welcome you to visit one of our three locations and experience the creativity and passion of Tamale Boy.

Mizuba Tea strives to uphold tradition, support our partners, and provide a deeper understanding of tea. Join us in taking a Matcha Moment and discover the rich heritage in each cup. 

Obon Shokudo serves plant-based Japanese comfort food. Farm (& foraged) to table, opting for local & sustainable first, national-brand-organic second. Almost everything is made fresh, from scratch including curry, misos, noodles & bread. High quality ingredients make all the difference, & you can taste it at Obon.

At The Art Room it’s all about the process, not the finished piece. Your child is already a brilliant artist. We provide the supplies, and a space to create, make and PLAY. 

Pansy Massage + Bodywork: Bring the spa to your livingroom! Nels (they/them) of Pansy Massage + Bodywork provides an attentive and therapeutic combination of gentle deep tissue, myofascial release, and Swedish massage. They bring all the supplies, including hot stones, hot towels, and cupping.

Ox Restaurant: Argentine inspired Portland food

Cafe Olli makes simple food from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients

Common Ground Wellness Cooperative: a sanctuary in the city, cooperatively owned and open to all

Risio Athletics is a woman owned strength and conditioning gym in Portland, Oregon, where we help everyday athletes build strength and fitness for a full life outside the gym. Located in Southeast Portland, we offer expert coaching and structured programming so you can exercise with intention and purpose. 

Katchka: representing dishes from the former Soviet Union through a Pacific Northwest lens.

PIZZERIA OTTO is devoted to the craft of Neapolitan pizza making - bring your kids, bring your pals, bring your date, or bring your grandparents for a handmade pie and a good ol' time.

SiBeHo: showcasing singapore's sambals, products & flavors.Our Sambals are from our family recipes and we are delighted to share these delicious condiments with you. We believe we are what we eat. Whatever we make is for family and friends; that's why we have used only the best ingredients we could find. We hope you enjoy eating Sibeiho Sambal as much as we do.

Gado Gado: Bustling hangout with pan-Asian & Dutch-Indonesian offerings, plus specialty cocktails.

Left Field Garden Supply: With a combined 30+ years of professional experience that spans small-scale farming, landscaping, plant nurseries, and retail garden centers, we aim to bring well-made, sustainable, and affordable products to fellow gardening enthusiasts in Portland, Oregon.