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Beech Street Community Garden breaks ground
TIM CURRAN
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

Madison South resident James Helms, left, was one of more than 30 volunteers-including a dozen under the age of seven-working in dirt and mud and through constant rain on a dark Saturday in March breaking ground, and getting the new Beech Street Community Garden underway.
Tim Curran/The Mid-county Memo
More than 30 volunteers-including a dozen under the age of seven-worked in dirt and mud and through the constant rain on a dark Saturday in March, breaking ground and getting the new Beech Street Community Garden underway; part one of a two-part effort in the Madison South neighborhood.

Part two of the effort is to repair two nearby intersections during City Repair's Village Building Convergence in May.

The new community garden should be serving up some early crops by then.

The garden is on property owned by the Park Forest Care Center, on Northeast Beech Street at 87th Avenue. The garden is the first Urban Farm Collective garden east of 82nd Avenue.

Last year, Garden Manager Benjamin Cutler and neighborhood activist Erin Cornell approached Park Forest Care Center management with the idea to transform the site from blackberries and overgrown grass to a community garden and gathering place. Neighbors were more than excited, and the Urban Farm Collective model was an exciting option to the care center administration.

“We partnered with the Urban Farm Collective that has several other gardens across the city, and it really helps us to leverage their status as an urban farm collective, and we don't have to focus on the administrative as much as community engagement,” said James Helms, a neighbor from down the street.

Within two months of Park Forest management signing the contract, neighbors installed the first set of seven 4 ft. x 15 ft. garden beds. By the end of March, there were more, with more than half of the property a blank slate for urban gardening. The clearing work was made easier through donations from Admirable Landscapes, Portland-Rent All and Lewis Rents. An Admirable Landscapes crew donated their time and heavy equipment expertise. In addition, they excavated the area for the first phase of beds and hauled in four dump-truck loads of donated compost. Lewis Rents and Admirable Landscapes picked up the tab on the dump truck. Community volunteers measured, staked, sheet mulched, shoveled, scooped, transported mulch, raked, wheelbarrowed, cooked and delivered lunch, entertained a gaggle of muddy children and worked for the realization of the Beech Street Community Garden.

For the latest in progress photos and ways to get involved, like the garden at www.facebook.com/beechstreetgarden or contact the garden manager Ben Cutler here: Benjamin.a.cutler@gmail.com.
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