A String of Earthy Pearls - Urban Farms in the Rainier Valley

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

A String of Earthy Pearls – Urban Farms in the Rainier Valley

March 28, 2013 by admin

The Rainier Valley has a long history of farming and now with the resurgence in interest in local food and access for all to healthy foods this rich bottom land is being cultivated again.

Like an earthy string of pearls these farms are strung along the light rail line; the Seattle Community Farm is nestled next to the Columbia City station, the Beacon Food Forest is up the rise from the Beacon Hill station and the Thistle P-Patch and Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland are to the west and east of the Rainier Beach station.

Farmer Scott working with youth volunteers at the Seattle Community Farm.

A project of Solid Ground, The Seattle Community Farm transformed a ½-acre of land into a productive farm that educates, encourages, and increases food security for residents of Southeast Seattle. Residents from the Rainier Vista community and participants from the Rainier Valley Food Bank grow and eat the food produced.

Over 4,000 pounds of food was grown last year.

Here’s information on how to get involved:

Volunteer Work Parties: Tuesdays 9am – 1pm, Thursdays 5 – 8pm, and Saturdays 10am – 2pm, March through November
For more information please email urbanfarm@solid-ground.org.

Fruit!

The Beacon Food Forest is one of the first permaculture food forest projects in the nation. This 7 acre site is now under construction.

To get involved:

Stay informed is through the Beacon Food Forest facebook page
Join the interest list to let us know you are interested in this P-Patch

Plots at Thistle Street.

The Thistle Street P-patch was started in the mid 1970s and now covers over an acre of land.

Spring greens glow against the rich, dark soil.

“A visit to Thistle is like a tour of the world. Italian tomatoes grow side by side with oriental shizo. Midwestern row gardens adjoin widely broadcast raised beds of greens. Koreans plant next to Vietnamese, Italians, Cambodians — all Americans, now. Seniors garden next to moms with babies on their backs. Thistle is always a beautiful mixture, but early spring is best time to visit, when the black soil, freshly turned, contrasts with the succulent greens.”

To get involved contact the P-Patch program.
Starts in one of the many greenhouses at the RBUFW site.

The Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland consists of eight acres in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. The Friends of Rainier Beach provide help with community outreach, fundraising, and volunteer support and Seattle Tilth manages the site, programs and day to day operations.

Chickens and bees are at the site and goats periodically come to visit.

The long term vision of the farm is to create an urban agriculture education center. This center will provide nutrition and garden education programs, fresh affordable produce, green jobs training and small business incubation while preserving important wetlands.