Gardens

Kids harvesting cabbage. text reads grassroots garden   Young girl holding an ear of corn and smiling. text reads youth farm  Kids harvesting corn and smiling. text reads seed to supper & gardening workshops.

Gardens program

FOOD for Lane County’s two gardens — the GrassRoots Garden and the Youth Farm — grow fresh nutritious food for distribution through the FFLC network of partner agencies while providing opportunities for youth and adults to grow, learn and contribute to their community. More than 2,000 children and youth visit the gardens each year, and youth and adults gain skills in gardening, nutrition, and community building.

Now hiring: Youth Farm Adult Intern, 4 positions available

Responsible To: Ted Purdy, Youth Farm Coordinator and Dan Rousseau, Youth Farm Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Length of Internship: March 1st-October 31st; 2 days/week (Tu & Th); 9-5
Intern Stipend: $2,450 total

FFLC interns will receive education and training in composting, nutrient management, plant propagation, orchard management and fruit tree pruning, crop rotation, winter gardening, greenhouse construction and management, irrigation, cultivation and weed management, medicinal herbs and food relief. Additional farm related subjects will be presented to interns depending on their interests. FFLC’s educational program consists of lectures, field trips, hand-outs, literature review and mostly hands-on learning.

Full job description.

To apply: To apply, please submit a letter detailing your interests and availability, a resume and contact information for one reference to Jen Anonia here. Positions will be open until filled.

 

Seed to Supper & Gardening Workshops:

  • Attend a Seed to Supper Class Series
    Seed to Supper™ is a free beginning vegetable gardening course that teaches participants how to garden on a budget. In this interactive class, participants gain new knowledge and skills to be able to start a garden and grow some of their own food. Trained and experienced volunteer educators teach the class primarily indoors with visits to on-site gardens when available.  Students who complete the course have access to a course booklet, seeds, organic compost and fertilizers and other goodies. Course topics:
  • Garden site and soil development
  • Garden planning
  • Planting a garden
  • Caring for a growing garden
  • Harvesting and using garden bounty

 

  • Because of safety, all Seed to Supper classes are cancelled until further notice. In the meantime, check out these Online Gardening Resources

  • Upcoming Seed to Supper Classes:

    All courses require registration. Please click the link for more info!

    No current classes – please check back later!

  • Be a Seed to Supper Volunteer
    Seed to Supper is a comprehensive, six-week beginning gardening course that gives novice, adult gardeners the tools they need to successfully grow a portion of their own food on a limited budget. Seed to Supper Garden Educator volunteers teach classes at community host sites. FOOD for Lane County offers Seed to Supper in partnership with Oregon Food Bank.

  • Attend a workshop
    Contact us for the latest schedule for workshops on beginning and advanced gardening skills.
  • Visit the gardens
    Schedule a field trip and service learning opportunity for your school, organization or business.

The GrassRoots Garden

Due to the pandemic, the GrassRoots Garden is closed to volunteers at this time.

Please email Dan Budd or call him at 541-343-2822 to hear about other volunteer opportunities.

Kids kneel and harvest cabbage.

The GrassRoots Garden is a 2.5-acre garden that includes a City of Eugene compost demonstration site and a full outdoor kitchen. FFLC staff maintain the GrassRoots Garden with help from thousands of children, youth and adult volunteers. Staff and OSU Lane County Extension Master Gardeners teach workshops and lead educational activities in the garden.

Where: 1465 Coburg Road, Eugene, OR 97401 (Behind St. Thomas Episcopal Church)
Volunteer hours: November through April: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 10am – 4pm. May through October: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am – 4pm. Ask for Merry or Zoë.

 

The Youth Farm

We are scheduling small groups of adult volunteers on a limited basis. Please email Dan Budd or call him at 541-343-2822 to schedule.

youth farm sign behind a large amount of fresh produce

The Youth Farm is a 5 acre urban educational farm and a work experience site for youth. Each year, community volunteers assist staff in growing over 100,000 pounds of organic produce, learning while growing. Each summer, a crew of teens works at the farm where they receive job skills and training in gardening, leadership, financial management and nutrition while growing food for FFLC and for a 100+ member Community Supported Agriculture Program and two produce stands.

Where: 705 Flamingo Avenue, Springfield, OR 97477
Volunteer hours:

  • February: Wednesday and Saturday, 10am – 4pm
  • March – November: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am – 4pm – Ask for Ted or Dan
  • December and January: Closed to drop-in volunteers
  • Try our veggies
    Purchase our produce through our Community Supported Agriculture program.
  • Check out our farm stand
    Purchase our produce at our farm stand at the Youth Farm (open to online pre-order customers only):

 

Trillium Veggie RX in Association with the FFLC Youth Farm

veggie rx logo

Trillium Veggie Rx provides access to free fresh fruits and vegetables to patients as a way to help with a variety of health conditions, or if they screen positive for food insecurity using the Screen & Intervene screening tool. The patient takes the vegetable prescription/voucher to the FFLC Youth Farm stand, or gets a subsidized weekly box of vegetables.

Want to become a Community Supported Agriculture member?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) establishes a direct link between food consumers and food growers. FFLC’s Youth Farm currently offers CSA memberships. Find out more about the program here. Please note that the summer 2020 CSA is full.