Spring has rolled into Seattle in the form of cherry blossoms, daffodils, and a little bit of pollen in the air! This weather makes the gardener come out in all of us. While I enjoy digging around in my own dirt, perhaps you don’t have a lot of space or don’t think you have a green thumb? There are many food-related gardening opportunities in and around the neighborhood. Consider getting involved and supporting some great organizations.
City Fruit
City Fruit’s mission is to harvest and steward urban fruit trees to support sustainable and equitable access to fruit. They work year round to steward orchards all over the city, and then share the harvest with community members. Annual City Fruit membership has a fee, but you can volunteer for four hours and earn credit towards your annual membership. As a volunteer, you can have a direct impact on our urban orchards, one of which is located in Wallingford’s Meridian Park, and another among the trees along the Burke Gilman Trail. They also host group volunteering projects if you are a part of a company, local business, school, nonprofit, or other community-organized group looking to do some team building.
The UW Farm
Did you know we have a productive farm right in our back yard? The UW Farm is a 2.5 acre student-powered urban farm, living laboratory, and educational facility located on three growing sites at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. They harvest over 10 tons of produce for campus dining, the UW Food Pantry, and area food banks. They also have a community supported agriculture (CSA) program—you can sign up for a weekly box of produce and support their operating budget in return. The farm allows students opportunities to learn about our food system and farming, and provides a place for innovation, research, and leadership skill development. Here is the schedule for spring volunteer opportunities. They also provide guided tours of the farm, and you can add on a volunteer work party or tour for a group experience.
Tilth Alliance
Tilth Alliance works in community with Washington farmers, gardeners, and eaters to build a sustainable, healthy, and equitable food future. They promote organic and sustainable practices, using farms, gardens, and kitchens as classrooms where people from all backgrounds can learn to grow and eat their own food. One of their headquarters is located at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue N. You can volunteer for many different types of work with Tilth Alliance, such as actually digging in the dirt at one of the community learning gardens, helping pack Good Food Bags (weekly bags of fresh, sustainably grown produce sourced from local farmers), or lending a hand at monthly community dinners.
And don’t forget the annual Tilth Edible Plant Sale, which is coming up on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th from 9 AM – 3 PM at Meridian Playground, 4800 Meridian Ave N. Helping hands are always needed to set up and take down the event, assist customers with their purchases, and provide general support throughout the day. They reserve 100 spots for volunteers to attend the May Early Bird Sale (Friday May 9th) for free! So consider helping out and get rewarded for your work.
Don’t let the lack of a garden or green thumb get in your way of learning about growing and harvesting your own food. You will meet great people and gain membership perks by supporting these local organizations.
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