Provide Summer Internships to Dallas High School Students. Interns gain job and leadership skills, learn agricultural practices, and become aware of the nutritional needs of our community. |
What We Do1. We provide summer internships to Dallas High School students.
2. Our interns plan, develop and maintain 25’x50’ market gardens using sustainable gardening methods.
3. We donate fresh produce to the hungry in our community.
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We are a 501(c)3 Nonprofit!
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Advisors
Craig Pope (Chair) Susan Busler (V. Chair) Christine Chute (Treas/Sec) Dean Anderson (Coordinator) Sally Davies Kathy Chiles Abby BreMiller Brian Green
Garden Supervisors
Nan Cordy Amelia Gardner
Linda Fox Eileen Shaffer
Partners
Dallas High School Master Gardeners Polk County 4H Polk County Family & Community Outreach Trinity Lutheran Church Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program
Other Links
News Paper Article Facebook Garden Video 2013 Garden Video 2014 Article in the PCMG Newsletter
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Why?
1. Our teens want jobs and need job training. -- Our young adults need jobs and job training. In a recent Polk County Youth Survey, the number one activity youth wanted was job opportunities. (2011/12 PolK County/Extension Youth Needs Assessment) 2. Our teens need to learn about food production and agriculture. -- ”Nowhere is our disconnectedness more evident than in our systems of food and farming. Most consumers, particularly younger consumers, have no sense of where their food actually comes from. They may know that farmers grow crops and livestock, and that someone processes and packages these crops and delivers food to grocery stores and restaurants, but they have little sense of what’s involved in this process.” (From: Reconnecting Consumers and Farmers in the Food System, John Ikerd)
3. Our community has a problem with hunger. -- About 1 in 8 Oregon households lacked consistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food in 2009-2011. About 1 In 20 Oregon households experienced hunger during the same time period. (2013 USDA Hunger Report as reported by Oregon Food Bank)
2013 Our First Year:
We built the
market garden space behind the Trinity Lutheran Church. We provided stipends to six Dallas Area High
School students. We donated over 800 lbs of fresh produce to the Willamette Valley Food
Assistance Program.
2014
We expanded the market garden space behind Trinity Lutheran Church We create a small fruit tree orchard in the garden. We provided stipends to eight Dallas Area High School Students. We donated over 6000 lbs of fresh produce to the Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program.
2015
We doubled the size of our fruit tree orchard We provided stipend so eight Dallas Area High School Students and one alternate We improved our supervisor/mentor structure We expanded our leadership program Our interns did a great job on leadership and teamwork.
2016
We added three fruit trees We provided stipend so nine Dallas Area High School Students and one alternate We improved updated our management structure We completed a great drainage project to improve garden soil We donated over 5700 lbs of fresh produce to the Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program.
2017
We hired nine interns and an alternate We became a 501.3(c) nonprofit corporation We harvested almost 5000 pounds of produced. We improved the footing in the work area.
For more information email Dean at: anderson.dean@dallasyouthgarden.org
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