COMMUNITY Garden
About me
Hello my name is William Lau. I am Science major at Portland State University, Much of my focus has been in the Electrical Engineering field as well as Systems Science. I served in the Army for 6 years as a Helicopter Mechanic, I have had the fortune to travel the world and see many great places. One of my hobbies is gardening, I find growing fresh fruits and vegetables to be very therapeutic and calming. Planting a seed and nurturing that seed to grow to provide lots of tasty veggies and fruits is very satisfying.
The Community Gardens program has provided gardening opportunities for the physical and social benefit of the people and neighborhoods of Portland since 1975. There are 57 community gardens located throughout the city, developed and operated by volunteers and Portland Parks & Recreation staff, offering a variety of activities.
Vegetables lose between 15 and 77 percent of their vitamin C within a week of harvest, according to a 2007 University of California Davis paper published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Vitamin C degrades rapidly after harvest, and this degradation continues during storage Vitamin C losses in vegetables kept refrigerated for 7 days after harvest range from 15% for green peas to 77% for green beans. Fruits and vegetables grown in North America may spend up to 5 days in transit before arriving at a distribution center, and another 3 days on a grocery store shelf, before they are purchased by the consumer, who may store them for up to 7 days prior to consumption. |
Produce for the People
Portland Parks & Recreation’s Produce for People (PFP) program, which sprouted in 1995 to combat Portland’s high poverty rate, is a grassroots effort in which community gardeners turn their ability to produce food into an opportunity to fulfill the needs of the hungry. In concert with hunger relief agencies, the program seeks to provide Portland’s emergency food shelters with fresh, nutritious, organic, locally grown food.
Produce for People, supported by amazing gardeners at 31 community garden sites, donated over 26,000 pounds of produce to more than 24 different food pantries in the 2018 garden season! |
Reflection
Living within the Urban environment of buildings, streets and concrete, it is nice to have a spot dedicated to growing. I have found the community garden is much more than just a spot to plant but a environment that cares to the health and well being of multitudes of people. Each garden space is made up of many members that become their own community, helping each other with their knowledge of gardening. Many gardens provide much needed food to those that otherwise would be without. All of the members are caring and friendly, willing to help the newbies with their new adventures in gardening. I have found this space to be a welcome calm in the sea of chaos that we live in.