Community roots built in a garden

Rural Organizing Project creates community garden for all to share, cultivate

By Cecelia Haack

The South County Spotlight, May 13, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (3 Reader comments)

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More than 30 volunteers gathered at the Rural Organizing Project’s front yard on South East Maple Street in Scappoose Saturday morning to create a community garden.

Raised beds were built and sod was busted under the guidance of Heather Bee, a newly minted master gardener, and Mike Edera, a professional landscaper.

Volunteers of all ages helped. Fourth-grade teacher Sherri Leeper and her 5-year old son, Liam Leeper-Heiner, weeded a neglected flower and herb garden. Liam helped move bricks out of the way.

Marine Seidl, 4, helped cultivate a raised bed made with hay bales. Under Edera’s guidance, Marine carefully turned the soil, getting it ready to plant with flowers.

The Rural Organizing Project is a Scappoose-based grassroots organization that works with other groups throughout the state on issues relating to human dignity and democracy. One overall goal of the group’s new garden is to provide food to the Columbia Pacific Food Bank, said Bee, the new master gardener.

Within six weeks, Bee hopes there will be enough lettuce grown in the garden to donate it to the food bank.

“It’s not about feeding our faces,” Bee said. “It’s about helping the community.”

Bee hopes the community garden will become a place neighbors will visit and help out at, as well as an inspiration for them to build a garden at home.

The time feels right for home vegetable and kitchen gardens, Bee said.

“Vegetable gardens are in this year,” she said.

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