The Learning Garden at Portland Community College-Newberg Center has been a labor of love for many years.
The garden was established in 2016 with seed money from a PCC student-funded grant. Since then, students, volunteers, and staff have contributed countless hours to turn the garden into the space it is today. The garden now boasts several raised beds, an all-natural cob shed, and gathering space, as well as established fruit trees and a focus on native and pollinator-friendly plants.
The garden has been lovingly cared for by the Learning Garden Coordinator, Stephanie Romero. However, recent funding limitations have presented a new challenge for this garden, and so PCC has partnered with Yamhill Soil & Water Conservation District and Edible Landscapes of Yamhill County to ensure that the garden continues to be a beautiful, educational space for the community for years to come.
Over the last several months, the three organizations have held a few Garden Work Parties. These are events for the public to come into the garden, spend some time together, and get their hands dirty!
There will be two more of these parties: one on Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon, and one on Oct. 24 from noon to 2 p.m. Previous work parties focused on prepping the garden for the growing season, planting spring and summer crops, and establishing an herb spiral.
Upcoming work parties will focus on fall and winter preparation and creating an indigenous garden bed. We would love to see more of the community come out and participate in keeping this garden beautiful and functional!
Over time, the goal is to transition the Learning Garden into a community-managed space, maintained by those who enjoy it, so these opportunities to work with Stephanie and see her process and attentiveness to the garden are valuable.
If you are interested in learning more about the garden or in partnership opportunities, please contact PCC’s Associate Dean for Sustainability, Briar Wray, at briar.wray@pcc.edu.
