The Grassroots Garden, established in 1991, is situated on a 2.5 acre piece of land behind St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Eugene, OR. The garden grows fresh produce for Food For Lane County, which is then distributed to members of the community. The garden has undergone great changes over the years, with each garden coordinator bringing their own vision of what the space should be.
In 1991, Carol McBrian became the garden’s first coordinator. Under her watch, the garden had a small tool shed, ten raised beds, and a few compost bins made from pallets. Brett Fisher took over shortly after. Brett grew the garden to 20 raised beds, from which 2,000 pounds of produce were harvested. Brett hired Jay Boggess, a landscape architecture student from the University of Oregon, to design a plan for an expansion of the garden. Mike Rimmer took over in July of 1992, and he served as the coordinator for 3 consecutive growing seasons. Mike added a tool shed and greenhouse to the garden landscape.
In 1996, Harper Keeler and Pete Barrell took over as full time garden coordinators. Harper was responsible for bringing the Looking Glass Lane Metro Youth Corps to the garden, which was created to work at the Grassroots Garden, and to start another FFLC garden in Springfield, that later became the Youth Farm. Harper stepped down from the position after a leg injury. Pete Barrell then became the full time coordinator and remained so for the next 4 years. Under Pete’s guidance, the garden’s useable land expanded under a soil building program that used donated commercial compost, manure, and donated food scraps from Oasis Foods. Pete planted the fruit orchards on the north and south sides of the church, and teamed up with EWEB and St. Thomas church to have a well dug at the garden.
While Pete was at the garden, Merry Bradley joined the Grassroots family, and started up a comprehensive composting research program. When Pete left the garden in 2000, Merry was a logical choice for the next garden coordinator. Under Merry’s leadership, Grassroots Garden underwent a massive expansion. St. Thomas Church & Food for Lane County installed a pump in the well, and constructed an office/pump house. The large greenhouse was completed, and the shade house was added, as were planting benches for plant starts, vegetable washing stands, and a dry lumber storage area. The garden areas North and East of the new large greenhouse were developed, as were new beds across the swale that cuts through the garden’s grounds. Two grow tunnels were built, and so was a large grape arbor. An area for leaf drop off was created, as was a wheelbarrow enclosure, and a storage shed for garden amendments.
The garden office got a new addition in the form of a porch. A sink with hot and cold running water was installed, a drinking fountain was added, the underground irrigation lines were expanded significantly, and two rock walled flower coves were built.
With all of this new land to grow more food in, the volunteer program took off as well, which meant an increase in both food production and volunteer participation.
Merry took advantage of the leaves the city of Eugene offers up at the end of the leaf season, and uses them to build up soil and paths between the raised garden beds. Merry uses manure and several other soil amendments to increase plant productivity.
These techniques of Merry’s have proved very successful for crop production. When Merry arrived at the garden in 2000, 4,000 pounds of produce were harvested that growing season. By 2004, that number had increased to nearly 35,000 pounds of produce. In the past few years, the garden has produced an astounding 65,000 pounds of produce. Practically 100% of the 2.5 acres of land the garden is situated on is in year round production, thanks to the grow tunnels, shade house, and the greenhouses.
A portion of the produce is made into lunches on a daily basis for the staff and volunteers at the garden, and the rest of it is weighed, boxed up, and sent to a Food For Lane County warehouse, then it’s distributed to members of the community.
Merry wants the garden to be a place that not only grows nutritious food and makes it accessible to citizens of Lane county, but somewhere that Eugenians of all stripes can come and build community, while learning how to grow food organically, and learning what to do with that food once it’s grown. We serve lunch every day because we want to show off what nutritious and tasty meals can be made out of the produce. Merry often says that if you don’t know how to cook the food, and how to enjoy it, then what’s the point?
This tumblr will be dedicated to keeping the community updated about all the goings-on at Grassroots Garden, from what's cooking in the outdoor kitchen, to what needs planting, and what is ready for harvesting, as well as any special upcoming events.
If you are interested at volunteering at the garden, please come on down! We keep open volunteer hours whenever the garden is open, which is currently Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 to 4. Lunch is typically served between 12 and 1, don't miss out! Volunteers are welcome to help out in the kitchen, as well as in the garden beds.
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