Vestal Community Garden

Want to till some soil or lend a hand

2011-11-16T00:55:00.000-08:00

We would love your help. To find out how you can help check out the monthly poster on the garden bulletin board in the main hallway and contact Kathy Garris.

Please Welcome New School Garden Coordinator, Kathy Garris

2011-09-22T22:36:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends and Gardeners,

Please help us welcome our new school garden coordinator Kathy Garris. Kathy's children attend Vestal and she has been very proactive about volunteering in classrooms and with the Garden class this summer. She has many great ideas about uniting the community gardeners with school gardeners, and environmental stewardship.

We will truly miss our Americorps Garden coordinator Ms. Laura Benjamin, but we wish her well in her new endeavors.

Our next School Garden Committee Meeting will be October 17th, at 2:30-3:30 in room 110 of Vestal.

We welcome all parents and vestal community gardeners to this meeting. The primary focus of the meeting will be related to school gardening and outreach.

Thank you,

Mrs. Rowland

A Perfect Day for Pumpkin Planting

2011-07-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday Vestal Summer School students planted pumpkins. It takes 100 days for pumpkin seeds to grow into mature pumpkin plants, so we are hoping to have a bumper crop of wonderfully orange pumpkins just in time for Halloween.
We also have a batch of pumpkins that we planted earlier in the summer that should be ready for harvest at the beginning of the school year in September.
Keep an eye out for vines in the garden pathways and the bright blossoms and pumpkins to follow!

Summer Gardening: Week 4

2011-07-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

For our fourth and final week of summer gardening, students enjoyed art in the garden. Students were busy painting stepping stones and bird houses to help give the garden some unique Vestal personality. The bird houses also help to encourage more birds, insects and other critters to utilize the garden as their home. We were able to use plants from the garden as art supplies. Students learned about how plants can be used to make natural dyes. We collected brightly colored flowers and leaves and pounded them onto white cloth. The pigments from the plants stained the cloth, creating beautifully colored wash clothes.

During our snack time with OSU Nutrition Extension, students prepared an Asian Chicken Salad, using fresh lettuce from the garden and a variety of other vegetables including green onions, carrots, and cilantro.

Thanks to all who participated in summer gardening! Summer gardening at the Vestal Community Garden was a huge success and we are sad that the four weeks are up. Students learned about gardening, soil and compost, worms and insects, and art in the garden. They also harvested and tasted many new fresh vegetables and were able to take home bags of fresh veggies to share with family and friends. Now we are looking forward to the start of the school year in September, when all Vestal students will be back in the garden.

Summer Gardening: Week 3

2011-07-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

For our third week of summer gardening, students learned about worms and insects. We went on a "bug hunt", looking for worms, insects and other critters that live in the garden. A few students found 15 different types of critters living in our garden. It's amazing to know that our bountiful garden that supports a variety of insects including beneficial pollinators, was once just asphalt. Students also learned about insect body parts and made their own insects out of construction paper.

For snack with OSU Nutrition Extension, students made Dragon Flies and Butterflies using celery sticks, peanut butter, pretzels and raisins.
In preparation for an art project next week, students collected and pressed flowers.

Summer Gardening: Week 2

2011-07-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

For our second week of summer gardening, we focused on soil and compost. Students made their own "compost pile" in a cup, learning about decomposition and what ingredients are needed to make compost for the garden. We also learned about the different components of soil and how different plants grow best in different types of soil. With the warm weather, students helped to water the school garden beds everyday. It is quite a task to water 22 garden beds! While we were watering, students discovered they can create small rainbows if they lightly spray water toward the bright sun.
During our snack time with OSU Nutrition Extension, students prepared Personalized Pasta Salad, using broccoli and snap peas fresh from the garden. On the last day of Week 2, students took home a big bag of lettuce to share with their families.

Summer Gardening: Week 1

2011-06-30T19:27:00.001-07:00

This past week the Vestal Community Garden held its first week of summer gardening camp. Students learned and reviewed gardening basics ranging from how to plant seeds to how to harvest and properly wash garden produce. Each student planned and planted his or her own garden plot and we look forward to a late fall harvest from the newly planted beds. Over the course of the week, students tasted varieties of lettuce, snap peas, radishes, onions, strawberries, and broccoli. It is so exciting to see kids eager to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. With the help of the OSU Nutrition Extension Program, we were also able to make "Popeye Power Smoothies" using spinach and kale from the garden.

Not only are students learning and growing in the garden, they are also helping with maintenance over the summer- weeding, watering and harvesting from the school garden beds. We look forward to the next week of camp which will focus on soil and compost.

Super Salad Eaters

2011-06-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Vestal students have been enjoying garden fresh salads to celebrate the end of the school year. It was a unique experience for students and teachers to eat fresh lettuce that they grew and prepared themselves. Many of our students are super salad eaters, asking for second and third helpings of fresh healthy veggies.

Our salads included all six parts of the plant: seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. Take a look at the recipe below:

Six Plant Part Salad (courtesy of OSU Nutrition Extension)
Serves 4

Salad:
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
1 Bunch of Broccoli
1 Apple
1 Carrot
2 Ribs of Celery
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

Direcitons: Wash and chop all vegetables into bite size pieces. Mix dressing in a small jar or container. Toss all vegetables and dressing in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Enjoy!

Garden Get Together This Saturday!

2011-06-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Our final event of the school year is our
Garden Get Together this Saturday June 11th from 10 am- 12 pm.
Enjoy time in the garden and meet Vestal families and community gardeners.
There will be an art project for kids and you may bring a snack to share.
We hope to see you there!

Thank you to the fantastic community gardeners who helped out at the work party last Saturday. We spread the remaining wood chips, cleared out the unofficial compost pile, and weeded the native plant hedgerow. We could not have accomplished this without your hard work and dedication to the garden. Thanks again!

Gardening Helps Our Students to Grow

2011-05-27T10:52:00.001-07:00

Upstream Public Health and Farm to School just released a new study showing that garden-based education boosts academic achievement and test scores. You can take a look at the report here.

The Vestal Community Gardens provides students with hands-on outdoor learning opportunities. Over the past year we have seen how working outside of the traditional classroom and applying classroom concepts to real life projects has helped to improved Vestal students' academic and personal success. We are so excited that there is now official research to back-up the positive changes we see in our students.

June Events

2011-05-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

We invite you to enjoy what the garden has to offer Vestal School. We encourage everyone to be a part of the garden and attending one of our June events is a great way to start.

Garden Work Party- Saturday June 4^th 10 am- 12 pm

We will be getting the garden ready for the summer months.

No gardening experience needed. We will supply tools and snacks.

Garden Get Together-

SaturdayJune 11^th 10 am- 12 pm

Enjoy time in the garden and meet Vestal families and community

gardeners. There will be an art project for kids and you may bring a

snack to share.

Questions? Contact Garden Coordinator Laura Benjamin at laurabenjamin.vestal@gmail.com or 503-916-6437.

Hooray for the Sun!

2011-05-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all the wonderful Vestal parents and students who helped out at our Big Spring Planting this past Saturday April 30th. We painted our two new picnic benches, transplanted strawberries, and planted over 20 new plant starts. It was a beautiful sunny day and it was so nice to be outside spending time in the garden.

We are planning a June work party as our last garden event of the school year. Keep a look out for details to come soon.

Big Spring Planting

2011-04-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars! The Vestal Community Garden's BIG SPRING PLANTING is Saturday April 30th from 10 am- 12 pm. We will be planting a variety of seeds and plant starts. There will be seeds for community gardeners and volunteers to take home. No gardening experience required. We will supply tools and snacks. We hope to see you there!

Earth Day

2011-04-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

This Friday April 23 is Earth Day! Founded in 1970, Earth Day is a day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for our natural environment. This coming weekend there are a variety of ways to get involved in Earth Day. Almost all the events are free and family friendly. Take a look here and here for lists of Portland area Earth Day festivities.

Spring Has Sprung

2011-03-29T09:37:00.001-07:00

It's officially spring and Vestal students are busy planting their spring gardens. Students are transplanting the snap peas, lettuce, and spinach that they started indoors when the weather was still too cold for outdoor planting. And as the weather warms up, we can plant radishes, carrots, eggplant, chard, and more lettuce and greens directly in the garden. Now we just have to be patient until May when we can begin eating and enjoying our fresh garden vegetables.

Mark your calendars!
Our next work party is Saturday April 30th from 10 am to 12 pm. We will be planting a variety of seeds and starts as part of our "Big Spring Planting". More information to come soon.

Check Out Kitchen Gardeners International

2011-03-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

The Vestal Community Garden is proud to be featured on Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI). KGI works "to empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve greater levels of food self-reliance through the promotion of kitchen gardening, home cooking, and sustainable local food systems." We are proud to be featured on KGI's website and hope that our work at Vestal can be an inspiration for others passionate about gardening. You can take a look at our profile and video here.

One year ago...

2011-03-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

...the Vestal Community Garden opened! It's hard to believe that the garden has only been up and running for one year. In the past 12 months we have:

-Provided hands-on outdoor learning opportunities to the 450 students at Vestal School, instilling environmental stewardship and healthy lifestyle habits.
-Increased parent and community member involvement at Vestal School through garden classroom representative and work party volunteer opportunities.
- Turned an impervious area of black top into a bountiful garden that treats and retains storm water, improving our watershed health.

We look forward to the coming year and all it has in store. Thanks to everyone for helping to make our first year a success!

Super Saturday Work Party

2011-02-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to join our first work party of the year this past Saturday February 26th. Over 20 volunteers including community gardeners, community members, and Vestal parents helped to spread compost and mulch, weed all of the garden beds, and build a 3-bin compost system. Now the garden is ready for spring planting and Vestal students are eager to start growing their own vegetables.
We built our 3-bin compost system using recycled wood pallets and these great instructions from the South Whidbey Good Cheer Garden blog. This type of compost system is extremely inexpensive, easy to build, and can be taken apart and moved if needed.
Thanks again to all of our wonderful volunteers!

Plant Starts Thanks to Annie's

2011-02-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

In preparation for our 2011 planting, several classes at Vestal have started seeds indoors. Seeds are planted in plastic flats and placed under grow lights. In March the plant starts can be moved out to the garden. Students researched a certain type of vegetable plant, including lettuce, cabbage, and arugula, learning how the plants grows best and how it can be used. Once the plant starts are ready to be planted outside, classes will exchange plant starts along with the research they have put together. Vestal students are sharing their gardening knowledge with one another and also helping to ensure that there is a variety of plant starts for the garden.

A special thanks to Annie's Homegrown for their generous contribution to our plant starts through their Grants for Gardens program.

Garden Party- Saturday February 26th

2011-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Join us on Saturday February 26th from 10am to Noon in the Vestal Community Garden to finish readying the garden for spring planting.

We will be spreading compost and woodchips, building a 3-bin compost system, and painting picnic tables. This is a great way to visit our site and learn about our plans for a bountiful year. No gardening experience needed. We will supply tools and snacks.

The Vestal Community Garden is located at 161 NE 82nd Avenue. Questions? Contact Laura Benjamin, Garden Coordinator at 503-916-6437 or laurabenjamin.vestal@gmail.com.

Let it rain!

2011-02-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a generous grant from Vision into Action, the Vestal Community Garden now has a rainwater catchment system. In the Northwest we are blessed with a lot of annual rainfall, but unfortunately most of it ends up going down the drain. By creating a rain water catchment system, we can use our stored water during the summer and drier months. Gutters and downspouts were installed on the tool shed roof. Rain will fall on the roof and into the gutters and collect in two 120 gallon barrels. We will use the collected water on the native plant hedgerow that separates the school and community garden plots. Our new rain water catchment system also provides Vestal School with great opportunities to measure rainfall and learn about watershed health.

If you would like to learn more about rain water catchment systems, take a look at the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability's website.

Take a Seat

2011-01-31T09:33:00.001-08:00

We now have two new picnic tables thanks to Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
Students in the Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class built two picnic tables with attached benches, providing Vestal students and community gardeners with additional seating. With our new picnic tables, we can now seat an entire class in the garden, helping to make our garden a functional outdoor classroom.
Mr. Blanchard's 4th Grade class was able to talk to the women about their experiences and interest in the construction trades. We are so pleased to have our new picnic tables and that their construction provided students at Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. and Vestal School with learning opportunities.

Sharing Our Success

2011-01-25T08:57:00.001-08:00

The Vestal Community Garden was very proud to be a part of the 9th annual Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium this past Monday January 24, 2011. The symposium brought together people from various universities, local governments, and non-profit organizations to present and share urban ecosystem research. The Vestal Community Garden partnered with Depave to illustrate how community groups can remove uneccesary asphalt to create an outdoor learning and community gathering space. It was a great opportunity to share our successes with people from all over the Pacific Northwest.

Keep an eye out for weekly blog updates coming in February!

Harvest Celebration- August 14th!

2010-08-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Please join us on Saturday August 14th from 10am-noon in the Vestal Community Garden for our Harvest Celebration!

Vestal students and community members have been hard at work transforming an area once covered by black top into a bountiful garden. Join us to celebrate their efforts and to enjoy time in the garden as summer comes to an end. We will also have a children's art project and garden fresh snacks.

Please RSVP to Laura Benjamin, NWSA AmeriCorps Garden Coordinator at laurabenjamin.vestal@gmail.com or 503-916-6437.

Portland School Garden Tour

2010-07-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Vestal Community Garden was proud to be a part of GROWINGGARDENS School Garden Tour this past Friday July 23rd. Parents, students and garden enthusiasts from the Portland area were able to share ideas and resources with each other and see a variety of different garden programs. You can learn more about the School Garden Tour and see some great pictures at GROWINGGARDEN's Blog.

Another honor for our garden!

2010-06-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

We were picked as one of the Global Top 10 for Project Earth's 2010 World Environment Day Contest! You can learn more here: http://www.projectearth.net/Competition/CompetitionWinners/578ceaa3-6544-4fe0-b8bf-ba37af8260a8 (scroll down to see Vestal's page)

Summer Workshops

2010-06-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Join us this summer to learn about a variety of gardening topics and enjoy a bountiful summer.

Each workshop will run from 10am-noon and will include an informational component and a work project. No registration necessary. Tools and snacks provided.

June 26th- Fall Garden Planning with Portland Community Gardens
July 1oth- Garden Maintenance
July 24th- Garden Maintenance
August 8th- Fall Soil Building with Oregon Tilth

2010 Garden Summer Camp!

2010-06-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

This summer the Vestal Community Garden is excited to offer 6 sessions of summer camp for children ages 6-12. Gardeners will learn the fundamentals of organic gardening in an interdisciplinary, stimulating, hands-on and fun manner. We will also work with the OSU Nutrition Extension program every Wednesday, providing gardeners with a nutritious snack and recipes.

Session 1: Gardening Basics- June 29th-July 1st (9:00am- 12:30pm)
Session 2: Soil and Compost- July 6th-July8th (9:00am-12:30pm)
Session 3: Worms and Insects- July 13th-July 15th (9:00am-12:30pm)
Session 4: Art in the Garden- July 20th-July 22nd (9:00am-12:30pm)
Session 5: Multicultural Gardening-July 27th-July 29th (9:00am-12:30pm)
Session 6: Garden Cooking- August 2nd-August 5th (9:00am-12:30pm)

One session of camp costs $15 per student.

For registration materials please contact Program Coordinator Laura Benjamin at laurabenjamin.vestal@gmail.com or 503-916-6437. Or stop by Vestal School's Main Office- 161 NE 82nd Avenue.

Vestal Fruit Tree Giveaway!

2010-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

The annual Vestal Fruit Tree Giveaway is this Saturday April 17th from 9am-noon in the Vestal Community Garden!

We will have a variety of fruit trees and berry bushes along with care instructions. There is a 3 tree limit per family and we are asking for a $5 donation per tree if possible. Arrive early for the best selection. Most fruit trees sell for $30 each, so this is a great deal. And what a fantastic opportunity to bring fresh fruit to your backyard or community garden plot for years to come.

We hope to see you this Saturday!

Students become stewards

2010-03-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

after opening ceremony

2010-03-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the grand opening of the Vestal Community Garden. The student body of Vestal wrote their hopes and dreams for the garden on flowers and then tied them on surrounding fence. Commissioner Nick Fish recurited the students as honorary park rangers which they enthusiastically accepted.

Next on the agenda. . . getting cisterns!

Oregon live video coverage

2010-03-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Check the OregonLive video out here

http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2010/03/vestal_garden.html

Garden Grand Opening This Friday!

2010-03-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

The Vestal Community Garden Grand Opening is this Friday March 12th at 9:45 am. Join us for guest speakers, a performance by the students of Vestal and a celebration of this amazing garden that was covered by asphalt only a few months ago. We hope to see you there!

Garden Work Party- 3/6/2010

2010-02-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Join us on Saturday March 6th from 9 am to noon to help with garden care.

There will be a brief workshop about how to ready your garden's soil for spring planting. We will also continue building raised planter beds and creating pathways with woodchips. No gardening experience required. We will supply tools and snacks.

Come spend time outside at our fantastic site. Meet your neighbors and learn about how you can grow your own food.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Community Garden Plots Still Available

2010-02-11T09:48:00.001-08:00

A few 20' x 20' community garden plots are still available for $75. With the great sun our site receives and the compost and mulch we have added to our soil, your harvest should be bountiful.

Please call Portland Community Gardens at 503-823-1612 to sign up for a plot. Include your name, address and telephone number. And don't forget to mention if you are a Vestal parent or community member!

Garlic and Peas!

2010-02-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

A special thanks to the volunteers at our February 6th work party. We built five new raised planter beds and spread countless wheelbarrow loads of wood chips to create safe pathways in the garden. Vestal students have now planted garlic and peas in the raised beds and have started lettuce seeds indoors. Our cafeteria will be serving produce fresh from the garden before we know it.

And don't forget the Vestal Community Garden grand opening on Friday March 12th at 9:45 am!

Garden Work Party This Saturday- 2/6/2010

2010-02-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

Join us this Saturday February 6th from 10 am to Noon to finish readying the garden for spring planting.

We will be building raised beds, spreading wood chips and enjoying time in our wonderful garden. Tools and snacks will be provided. No gardening experience needed. We hope to see you there!

The Vestal Community Garden is located at 161 NE 82nd Avenue.

GRAND OPENING 3/12/2010

2010-01-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars Vestal Garden Grand Opening is coming up.
Are you as excited as we are!!

If you haven't already Google earthed Vestal, you should. The next time the satellite takes a picture of our address it will not look the same. We have permanently changed the Vestal landscape for the better.

Be there at 9:45 AM, if you want to witness the GRAND OPENING CEREMONY.

KATU showcases our efforts

2010-01-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

KATU News featured the Vestal Garden's MLK Weekend volunteers in a segment of "Everyday Heroes." You can see the video here: http://www.katu.com/news/specialreports/82471132.html?tab=video

Worms Eat Vestal's Garbage

2010-01-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

Vestal now has 2,000 new residents- red wiggler worms. Two kindergarten classes have indoor worm bins and students are learning about worm anatomy, what worms need to survive and how they help us in the garden. This week the Student Garden Committee built an outdoor vermicompost bin. The red wigglers eat food waste added to the bin. This is a fantastic hands-on opportunity for students to learn how to reduce food waste and in a few months we will have nutrient rich compost and worm castings to add to our garden soil.

What a weekend!

2010-01-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

The Vestal Community Garden hosted two fantastic volunteer work parties over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. Our volunteers made great progress in readying the garden for our first spring planting and somehow managed to avoid the rain. On Friday January 15, volunteers from Hands On Greater Portland spread 15 yards of soil on our community garden plots. Our plots now have a rich blend of soil, compost and other organic material, which will help us to grow a bountiful harvest later in the year. On Monday January 18, Northwest Service Academy AmeriCorps members built raised planter beds for the school garden. The raised planter beds will help to prevent nutrient loss and compaction of our soil and to make gardening more accessible for all Vestal students.

As the winter months approach...

2009-12-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

The weather may be getting colder, but students at Vestal are still busy at work in the garden. 7th and 8th grade students spread compost and marked out where our raised planters will be located. We will begin construction of raised planter beds in January after winter break. More information about a raised planter work party coming soon.

Chad Honl, a 7th grade teacher at Vestal and a driving force behind the garden, recently received the Bill Naito Community Trees Award.
You can read more about it here: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/news/1637.htm

Bring your gardening skills to the classroom!

2009-12-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

Every class at Vestal School that gardens needs volunteers, and one of them could be you. This is a great opportunity to learn more about gardening or put your gardening knowledge to good use. Teachers will be working on several different projects that require a variety of skills, materials, and time. Whether it be weekly, monthly, or occasional visits to the garden, we appreciate all you can do.

All volunteers must pass a background check. Please contact Laura Benjamin, NWSA Americorps Garden Coordinator at laurabenjamin.vestal@gmail.com for more information.

Sign-up for a community garden plot!

2009-11-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

A 20'x20' plot costs $75 per year. Financial assistance is available.
If you are interested in a plot or more information please contact the
Portland Community Gardens office at 503-823-1612 or comgardens@ci.portland.or.us with the following information: your full name, complete mailing address, and current phone number(s). And you can learn more at
http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=39846

The Portland Upside writes about our work at Vestal.

2009-11-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

http://articles.portlandupside.com/2009/11/depave-playground-reclaim-nature.html

Vestal students are working to make our garden grow.

2009-11-03T08:49:00.001-08:00

The Student Garden Committee finished construction on the greenspace kiosk under the guidance of Tim Hahn of Learning Gardens Institute. In the coming weeks, students will paint the kiosk and create fliers and brochures to inform students, parents, and community members about our work to bring natural spaces to Vestal.
As winter approaches, we put the garden to bed and bring our work indoors, saving seeds and planning for spring planting.
And the first shed is complete. Thanks again to Women in Trades for their construction expertise.

Change is happening at the garden!

2009-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

We Have Water!

2009-10-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

Our garden now has a fantastic irrigation system. Soil and compost are currently being delivered and Vestal students will be busy making planter beds in preparation for our winter planting. The students are eager to start working in the garden and the newly formed Student Garden Committee has been brainstorming on possible garden activities for the whole school. Keep an eye out for our garlic and cover crops and stay tuned for a new video update.

The first shed is nearly finished.

2009-09-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

We have witnessed the great work Women in Trades has done on the first shed and it looks great.
What is next?
This week we introduce our new garden coordinator. Her name is Laura Benjamin and she will be a regular at Vestal School and in the Montavilla neighborhood. Welcome, Laura.
She has a very exciting and unique opportunity helping us get the Vestal Garden up and running. Making our dream a reality.
If you are interested in learning more about the garden and the impact this project will have on the students in the community please check out this video.
http://www.edutopia.org/files/existing/edutopianews.html

Asphalt is up, fence posts are in, and shed is coming together.

2009-09-03T02:02:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian writes about our project.

2009-08-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/08/volunteers_depave_portland_sch.html

Chunking out asphalt one slab at a time.

2009-08-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Where the garden is going to be growing.

2009-07-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! Can you believe it!

2009-07-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

For years Vestal parents, students, and teachers have advocated for a gardening space. What started out in raised beds on the south side of the building will now have a bigger space in the northwest corner of the playground.

This year the gardening committee raised roughly 110k in grants and in-kind donations to create Vestal Community Gardens.

Vestal Community Gardens will be a space for families and community members to cultivate gardens and relationships.