In the Eugene-Springfield community, several great nonprofits are helping residents to grow their own food and reduce their food costs. One of those nonprofits is Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad (Plaza) a Lane County based nonprofit whose mission is to support the lives of Latinx and immigrant community members by creating a safe space that fosters leadership, education, wellness, and connection.
Plaza coordinates the Organic Garden Program, which includes six community gardens in Eugene and Springfield where families grow their own organic food. Cottage Grove will open this spring. Over 200 families receive garden plots and access to tools, fertilizer, seeds, and expert advice. Families come from Central America, Iran, India, and even the Czech Republic. All services and workshops are offered in Spanish, and anyone is welcome to join.
In addition to making gardening more financially accessible, the food is a way to preserve cultural traditions, as many traditional recipes require special types of vegetables and specialty herbs, such as papalo, cactus, chile de agua, and more. Forming community through work parties, festivals, and special food events is also central to the program.
Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad also has five other main programs, including a business incubator, an education center, social services, mental health support, and a substance abuse program.
Recently, I interviewed Luz Fandiño, Plaza’s Garden Program Assistant, to learn more about her work with the Organic Garden Program.
Q: What is your favorite part of your work in the Organic Garden Program?
“My parents are from Mexico, but I don’t know all the traditional recipes. I love getting to know more about my culture, and having a community to speak my language, Spanish.”
Q: Siembra la Cena (Seed to Supper) is a class taught by the gardens staff, which teaches farming from start to finish: growing the seeds, propagation and harvesting, through preservation. What kinds of food preservation are taught?
“We just finished compiling a recipe book that is available to all families. It includes traditional recipes, jams, pickled peppers, salsa, and much more. Translated recipes are now available as well.”
Q: What are the future goals of the Garden Program?
“We’re looking forward to serving more families as our program expands. A brand-new garden in Cottage Grove is in development, and we are excited it will be opening this Spring with space for 64 families to grow food. We are also expanding our existing garden in Bethel.”
Q: Do you have any tips from the program to share?
“Composting is taught to garden members to reduce waste and to reintroduce nutrients to the soil. Members are taught in-ground composting and to put thicker materials, such as corn stalks, in pathways to reinforce garden beds.
“We also receive free leaf deliveries, and this material is added to the beds as a mulch. Free compost also comes from the Love Food Not Waste program, through the Free Community Compost Program with Lane County.”
Q: What is most needed by the Garden Program – volunteers, help in a specific program, items, etc.?
“Potting soil for seed propagation is needed currently, as well as viable seed donations. Volunteers to help with garden projects are always welcome. Monetary donations go to purchase tools and other needed supplies.”
Q: What is the most exciting new thing that’s happening in the Garden Program, or something you want to share?
“A project I’m excited about is our beekeeping. Together with Oregon State University’s Honey Bee Lab, we developed the first Spanish-language Master Beekeeper course in the United States. Some of our staff and program members graduated from the program and share their knowledge via community workshops. We have multiple thriving beehives with lots of happy bees, and last year we harvested over 140 pounds of honey!
“We are also really excited to be doing seed preservation and propagation in our own greenhouse grow-out project. We are focusing on growing culturally important foods in our greenhouse to then distribute to our garden members. We’re looking forward to growing a variety of specialty peppers, herbs, and vegetables that respect and relate to the cultural backgrounds of the families that garden with us.”
To learn more about the great services from Plaza de Nuestra Comunidad, visit their website.
— Tamara Andreas, Lane County Waste Reduction Assistant
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