Skip to main content

Friday Work Party at Zenger Farm

C and I signed up to attend a Friday afternoon work party at Zenger Farm through the Hands On Greater Portland website. We were excited to learn more about locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables, and the role that the farm plays in educating folks about urban farming.

Zenger Farm is the only urban farm within Portland city limits, and has been in operation since 1999. Produce from the farm is shared with community members through a farm share program. Fruits and vegetables harvested at the farm are sold at the Lents International Farmers Market, open in the summer through October 28. Given the diversity of households in outer Southeast Portland, it's quite fitting that the Lents market is Portland's only internationally focused market, providing fresh, affordable, and culturally unique produce, while also offering a unique marketing opportunity for immigrant and emerging farmers and new business owners.

We very much enjoyed our volunteer tasks at the Friday work party: pulling weeds from the kale and beets grow. During the farm tour, we learned that Zenger Farm has dedicated a plot of land to be used by the Lao community to grow vegetables native to southeast Asia.

Zenger Farm hosts work parties from 2-4pm every Friday, from March through November. A tour of the farm is offered at 4pm for those interested learning more about the farm's offerings. Learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Popular posts from this blog

Lucky Tomorrow: Stories

Deborah Jiang-Stein's debut collection of short stories explores the lives of people who are often overlooked. From flower street vendors to families torn apart by ambition, to a woman on death row awaiting redemption amidst a tumult of memories, Jiang-Stein vividly depicts their struggles. Each story is set in various cities where she has lived: Seattle, Minneapolis, and Tokyo. While these settings differ, they share a common indifference toward human suffering. In "Lucky Tomorrow, " each vignette offers a glimpse into harsh realities that are often difficult to confront, yet are grounded in the lived experiences of those frequently unseen and cast aside. The stories convey powerful themes of longing and fleeting hopes for fresh starts that may never arrive. Although the themes are specific to the characters, they resonate with the universal human experience. As an activist and advocate, Jiang-Stein has made a significant impact through her extensive work with women...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...