Community gardens
Sami Richards
Issue date: 5/14/09 Section: Student Life
The coordinator of Pacific University's community garden can describe all of her tenants by their gardening techniques.
"This woman has one of the most beautiful gardens," she said, passing by a numbered space in the middle of the fenced garden. "And these few are owned by Latino families," she added as she continued walking, "they are really great gardeners."
The university owned operation was started by Ellen Hastay about 12 years ago, and is located on the West side of Cannery Field on Cedar Street. The garden was an inspiration that was given to Hastay by a student she says was eager to do interesting things. In a talk just before her graduation, after the two had grown quite close, Hastay learned that her student wished she could have started a community garden.
In her honor, Hastay decided to take the reigns.
"I have been involved with other community gardens before, I just never thought of starting one myself," she said.
After meeting with the university, she was given a space approximately 60 feet by 100 feet, located on north Cedar Street, west of Cannery Field. Today, there are 17.5 plots that make up the garden.
The project was slated under Pacific's Humanitarian Center because Hastay is the service learning coordinator there (director of the center).
Because the land is connected to Cannery Field, where Pacific sports teams were practicing at the time, water is free and consequently during the initial years the plots were too.
Because Hastay says there was a lack of ownership and upkeep of the space originally, there is now a $25 annual fee for each plot.
"It can still be an inexpensive, significant contribution to a family's food and nutrition," said Hastay.
All of the money earned from the fees is spent on equipment and upkeep for the garden.
Hastay says she is glad there is a mixed demographic of people that own plots in the garden. Currently, there are some Forest Grove residents, some of which she considers low income families, and Pacific optometry students.
"This woman has one of the most beautiful gardens," she said, passing by a numbered space in the middle of the fenced garden. "And these few are owned by Latino families," she added as she continued walking, "they are really great gardeners."
The university owned operation was started by Ellen Hastay about 12 years ago, and is located on the West side of Cannery Field on Cedar Street. The garden was an inspiration that was given to Hastay by a student she says was eager to do interesting things. In a talk just before her graduation, after the two had grown quite close, Hastay learned that her student wished she could have started a community garden.
In her honor, Hastay decided to take the reigns.
"I have been involved with other community gardens before, I just never thought of starting one myself," she said.
After meeting with the university, she was given a space approximately 60 feet by 100 feet, located on north Cedar Street, west of Cannery Field. Today, there are 17.5 plots that make up the garden.
The project was slated under Pacific's Humanitarian Center because Hastay is the service learning coordinator there (director of the center).
Because the land is connected to Cannery Field, where Pacific sports teams were practicing at the time, water is free and consequently during the initial years the plots were too.
Because Hastay says there was a lack of ownership and upkeep of the space originally, there is now a $25 annual fee for each plot.
"It can still be an inexpensive, significant contribution to a family's food and nutrition," said Hastay.
All of the money earned from the fees is spent on equipment and upkeep for the garden.
Hastay says she is glad there is a mixed demographic of people that own plots in the garden. Currently, there are some Forest Grove residents, some of which she considers low income families, and Pacific optometry students.
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