Community gardens grow healthy food and strengthen neighborhoods by bringing people together across age, experience, culture, and income. They foster connection, improve health, build food security, and add beauty to our communities.
Marion Polk Food Share supports a network of more than 50 gardens in Marion and Polk counties, including gardens with plots that are available for rent.
Grow a Garden
Join an Existing Community Garden
The community gardens supported by Marion Polk Food Share are great places to learn how to grow your own healthy food and are open to all members of our community.
Find the nearest public garden here. Contact the garden coordinator listed next to that garden to ask about available plots.
Join our Network or Start a Community Garden
If you manage a garden and would like to join our community garden network, or are interested in starting a garden in your neighborhood, contact our community garden team to learn how we can help.
Seed to Supper
In Marion and Polk Counties, the Seed to Supper Program is now being managed by OSU Extension. For more information, please call 503-588-5301.
Support a Garden
Donate Funds – Your financial donation will support the community gardens that low-income neighbors rely on to grow their own healthy food. Visit our donation page to give today.
Donate Supplies – The following is a list of the most needed items:
- Plant starts
- Seeds
- Tools
- Lumber
- Landscaping materials
- Small machinery
Volunteer
Get involved by using your time and skills. Fill out an individual volunteer or group volunteer application to get started.
Types of projects we need support with:
- Hauling wood chips or soil
- Building new garden beds and other garden infrastructure
- Mulching pathways
- Removing invasive vegetation
Garden Resources
Click here for resources on a wide variety of gardening topics.
Click here for additional Marion Polk Food Share Community Garden resources.
Use SNAP to Garden
SNAP recipients can spend their benefits on seeds and food-producing plants. Gardening can help extend benefits at the grocery store if you grow some of the food you already need at home.
- Not all retailers who accept SNAP sell food-producing plants and seeds. Find a SNAP retailer located near you.
- If the cashier says that the plants/seeds are not eligible for SNAP, ask to talk to a manager. Show the manager the resource page of items eligible to purchase with SNAP.
- El Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program o SNAP
