Beth Chisholm
Did you know that there are over 30 community gardens in Whatcom County?
Ever wonder where they are located? Who manages and maintains them?
WSU Whatcom County Extension has a program called Community First Gardens (or CFG), which started in 2008 with ongoing funding through The Mary Redman Foundation. In its 7th year, CFG continues to provide opportunities and connections locally.
Our mission at the CFG Project is to provide funding, technical support and education to new and established community gardens throughout Whatcom County, while fostering cooperative, community building relationships.
What we do: to date we have funded 14 gardens with materials for success; a total of 225 raised beds, three hoop houses, deer fencing, soil amendments, vegetable starts, seeds, tools and more.
We help groups develop a plan and set goals. We work with groups who have a willingness and commitment to helping others in need and help themselves to become more self-reliant. Our garden grants cover items such as soil, lumber, fencing, high tunnel hoops, tools, and more. All the labor is done by volunteers working together to create their garden. In addition to financial help we create networks for gardeners to learn from each other, borrow tools, host workshops. Our local Master Gardener program works to teach and mentor new or existing gardeners. We are thankful for the donations of local farms and nurseries
Who is eligible? Any community garden group can participate in our project. Our goal is to support all community gardens and create a coalition of gardeners who can support and network with each other. The food grown by families is shared and surplus food is donated to food banks. Our project provides opportunities for neighbors to work side-by-side tending their garden plots while building a sense of self-reliance. We accept applications that are community based (churches, clubs, neighborhood associations) that can demonstrate the need for a community garden in their area. WSU can help applicants assess those needs. Visit http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ch/assistance.html
Who runs these gardens? The City of Bellingham has 3 gardens that are managed by the Parks Dept. The other gardens (see list) are run by dedicated volunteers. Many gardens are on Church, private or donated land. Want to find a garden near you? http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ch/cg.html
2015 WSUE Community First Garden Project
Gardens that received garden grants this summer include; Blaine, Faith Lutheran, Sterling Paz, East County Resource Center, York Neighborhood Farm, Maple Falls, Millworks Cohousing Fairhaven garden.
How to get involved
Want to lend a hand? Community gardens are busy cleaning up for fall & donating surplus produce to meal programs & foodbanks. Here are a few examples of gardens that give to food banks and meal programs:
Faith Lutheran grows hundreds of pounds of fresh food ifor Maple Alley Inn program.
Sterling Paz is where Windward HS students will garden each season.
Christ the King operates a large Giving Garden for their food bank.
Community Gardens of Whatcom County
Gardens supported by the WSU Community First Garden Project:
Cordata Community Garden (N. Bellingham)
Ferndale Friendship Garden (Ferndale)
Everson
Maple Falls
Sterling Paz (Birchwood)
Lummi Island Community Orchard/Garden
Sudden Valley
York Neighborhood Garden
Faith Lutheran Garden (Birchwood)
Deming Home Garden (Nooksack Tribal)
East County Resource Center (Kendall)
Blaine Community Garden
Millworks Co-housing (Fairhaven)
Meridian Middle School Community Garden
City of Bellingham Parks & Recreation Community Garden Plots
206 plots operated by the city at the following locations:
Fairhaven Garden, 32nd St. between Taylor Ave & Donovan Ave, city-owned land
Happy Valley Garden, 10th St. & Wilson Avenue, leased land
Lakeway Garden, Woburn St., city-owned land
Neighborhood, Community or Mission-Style Gardens
First Christian Church, 495 E. Bakerview Rd.
Center for Local Self Reliance Garden, Fairhaven
Roosevelt Neighborhood, 2527 Pacific St.
Lydia Place Garden, private facility garden
Lynden Five Loaves Farm, 3rd Christian Reformed Church
Broadway/Lettered Streets, Beth Israel Synagogue (Irving & J)
Guide Meridian/Cordata, Spring Creek Apartments, 196 E. Kellogg Rd
Columbia Neighborhood, 2520 Jefferson St.
Fairhaven College, The Outback Farm, WWU South Campus
RePatch Garden, at the ReStore
Sumas, one-acre garden with 20 plots, 399 Frost Rodeo Drive
Birch Bay, Lynden Road Garden, 50 plots
Christ the King Food Bank Garden, Hannegan Road
WSU Master Gardener Demonstration Garden, Hovander Homestead Park, Ferndale
Bellingham Public School Gardens
Roosevelt School
Happy Valley School
Beach Elementary
Assumption Catholic
Shuksan Middle School
Columbia Elementary
Alderwood Elementary
Kendall school Garden
Geneva Elementary
Parkview Elementary
Birchwood Elementary
Whatcom County School/Club Gardens
Cedar Tree Montessori School
Homeport Learning Center (Karen Saupe)
Homeport Learning Center (Karen Saupe)
Windward High school (Beth Chisholm)
Fairhaven Middle (Jean Andresen)
Lynden Middle School
Lummi Beach School (Ginny Windfield)
Explorations High school (Sarah Lane)
Ferndale HS FFA Shift Program
For more on Bellingham School gardens visit www.commonthreadsfarm.org
If you know of a garden not listed, please contact Beth Chisholm: beth.chisholm@wsu.edu