A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
submitted photo / oregon city news
A group of neighbors joined Oregon City Mayor Alice Norris, far right, to begin the process of turning a small wedge of land into a community garden. Marion Olsen, who lives adjacent to the property, stands behind the sign that she and her husband designed.
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A tiny town in England has inspired an Oregon City woman and her neighbors to find a way to make the city not just a place to live, but a place to thrive.
Last November, Gabrielle Chavez saw an article about Todmorden, a small British town in the Pennines, that the newspaper The Independent calls the “greenest town in England.”
The inhabitants of Todmorden banded together to grow edibles in every corner of the village, including churches and schoolyards. The article noted that a third more villagers grow their own produce and seven in 10 now buy local produce.
After reading about Todmorden, Chavez spotted a small triangle of unused land in her neighborhood at the intersection of 9th and Division. She then contacted the city, put together a garden plan and enlisted the help of Gwen Goss, the owner of the Green Grocer on Molalla Avenue.
Goss had an e-mail list of contacts and a place to hold a meeting, so Chavez scheduled the first organizational meeting of Oregon City Local Harvest 2020 at the Green Grocer on Jan. 19, and 32 people showed up.
“We had one city commissioner, two people with Community Sponsored Agriculture farms, master gardeners, the OC Farmers Market leaders and just regular folks who grow gardens, raise chickens or want to learn how,” Chavez noted.
“We have a mission statement; it is to be growing and enjoying a surplus of food in Oregon City by 2020,” she added.
The city gave Chavez a permit to do an “edible landscaping” project on the right of way that she calls The Wedge. Last Saturday, neighbors and other workers showed up to plant five fruit trees as well as a grapevine, raspberries, herbs and other edible natives.
The road to making the entire city better and greener “starts in our own backyard–literally,” said Marion Olsen, one of the neighbors helping to kickstart this project.
“This particular project is very relevant to me as I live on the property connected to The Wedge. We have been struggling with this area for several years; the grass gets very high in the summer and is a road hazard, as it is often difficult to see around, and also has the potential to be a fire hazard.
“In addition, we have had numerous occasions of unsightly or broken-down vehicles parking in this area and substantial issues with litter. We approached the city about a year ago and were asked to submit a plan. This project provided the follow through for that initiative. Clearly, many people see the potential of this area and want to do something to care for it,” Olsen said.
Both women noted that the project is so much more than a beautification effort.
“This is an opportunity [for neighbors] to connect with one another and produce locally,” Olsen said, “We’re taking a [waste area] and we’re growing things to give back to the environment and the community.”
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