Gardening - Seed and Starts Exchange

Gardeners,

An inter-agency effort to exchange extra starts and seeds will be taking place on May 20th, 1900 Bldg, 4th flood, 11-1. There was to be a exchange on April 15th as well, but due to the cold weather most of us gardeners don't have starts to share just yet.

Sponsors include BPS, BDS, BES, Water, Fire, & PBOT in partnership with IRCO (Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization). The charitable event will benefit refugees and immigrants in Portland, via IRCO.

Buying produce and eating healthy can be expensive. The goal is to assist immigrants and refugees in getting started with growing some of their own vegetables.

Everyone in the 1900 Bldg. is encouraged to participate, so please spread the word. Infrastructure Bureau managers - please get the word out to your staff in this building. Chris Scarzello will get the word out to BPS.

Here's how it works:
You are encouraged to start extra vegetable plants from seed in the coming weeks. Now is a good time to start them inside.
On the 3rd Thursday in May (May 20th) bring your extra veggie starts to the 4th floor kitchen.
You can take one plant for free for every plant you donate. It's a good way to get a great variety of veggie starts. For example, I am starting a whole bunch of different kinds of heirloom tomatoes from seed, and will want to trade for some spinach starts.
Alternatively, if you aren't swapping plants, then you can buy the veggie starts your colleagues bring in.

Here's how it benefits refugees and immigrants:
If you have questions, please contact Rebecca Esau or Chris Scarzello.
If you would like to volunteer to plant some vegetable seeds for the event, please let me know.
If you want to volunteer to help with either or both of these events, we could use volunteers to help with set up and clean up, delivery of the plants to IRCO, etc.

We hope you'll participate either by planting seeds now and donating the starts, or coming to buy some veggie starts!

Please mark the dates on your calendar --
The extra plants that aren't swapped or sold will be donated to IRCO for them to distribute to those in need so they can grow some of their own vegetables this spring and summer. The money raised will be used to buy trowels, gardening gloves, and other gardening tools, and distributed to those in need by IRCO.

May 20th

If you have questions, let us know. Thanks!
Rebecca Esau (BDS) and Chris Scarzello (BPS)