South Wasco Alliance and Tygh Valley Head Start Team Up on Raised Bed Project
Head Start families from across South Wasco kicked off a raised bed project on May 16th and the little ones are already digging in!
The “Raised Bed Project” is supported by a number of partners, including the South Wasco Gardeners, AmeriCorps/RARE Service Members, the Wasco County Extension (Master Gardener Program), and the OSHU Community Research Hub. South Wasco Alliance (SWA) convened the collaborative and is funding the project, in part, through a Wasco County Conservation District cost-sharing program. Vegetable starts have been locally grown and are supplied by Canyon Gardens Nursery in Maupin.
This Project is focused on raised bed gardening, including growing food for home use and food education. Over the summer, participants will identify what might be most helpful for their families, including crop selections, on-site mentoring visits, gardening support resources, infrastructure needs (raised beds, fencing, tools, etc.), and food education options (food preservation workshops, garden-to-table recipes, and events, etc.). The Project began organizing in the Jan-Feb timeframe. SWA held an April 29th Orientation Session (Zoom), followed by an in-person kickoff event at the Tygh School (TSCC) on May 16.
The purpose of the Project is to work with preschool families, local community garden growers, and other support partners to:
increase local food production for home use in South Wasco
improve access to quality nutritious food for more families in South Wasco
provide food education to make using home-grown food easier and more enjoyable
reduce household costs by making quality food more affordable than typical grocery costs, reducing food waste by teaching about how to store and preserve food, and reducing the need to drive long distances to buy food elsewhere (reduced transportation costs)
build valuable life skills
strengthen social connections in our community by helping each other grow food successfully
measure the impact of this project, so we can improve and continue to expand the initiative in future years and other groups
Check out the SWA website at www.southwascoalliance.org to read more about what’s happening and how to get involved.
