April Local Food News - 50 Years of P-Patches, GROW, and a new food business incubator

King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 04/27/2023 02:30 PM PDT

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50 years of growth: Seattle’s P-Patch Program celebrates half a century of community gardening

P-Patch Community Gardening 50th Anniversary

The P-Patch Community Gardening Program, managed by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, is the largest municipally managed community gardening program west of New York. Community gardeners grow food, flowers, and herbs on 15 acres of land across the city of Seattle and provide stewardship for an additional 35 acres. All P-Patch gardens are open to the public to enjoy and are utilized as restorative spaces, learning and idea incubators, and venues for community gatherings. Vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers are grown by over 3600 individual gardeners; one rule gardeners must follow is to use organic gardening practices. This rule not only provides the city with healthy food, but conserves green space and provides habitat for urban pollinators and animals. These functions are essential for a dense and rapidly growing city like Seattle, helping the P-Patch Program to thrive throughout the decades.

GROW is growing: from Friends of the P-Patch to a regional community gardening leader

Two GROW gardeners harvesting tomatoes together

As the City of Seattle celebrates 50 years of the P-Patch program, it’s important to recognize a key partner since the early years: GROW. Formed in 1975 as “Friends of the P-Patch,” this volunteer non-profit has served critical roles as a land trust and fiscal sponsor for decades of community gardens. As GROW Board of Trustees President Kristin Parker puts it GROW is “the missing link that makes the system work.”

Food Business Resource Center launches new food and farm business incubator

A new business incubator is coming to King County’s local food scene this spring. The Food Business Resource Center’s incubator program was created specifically for small food and farm producers using locally grown ingredients to develop and test value-added and packaged food products. Hosted at the 21 Acres sustainable agriculture facility in Woodinville, incubator program participants will receive free access to a commercial production kitchen, alongside business coaching and mentorship.

Monique Wachira in front of her business Monique's Hot Kitchen, supported by the FBRC

Announcements

Snoqualmie Valley Agriculture Task Force invites public comment on upcoming Strategic Plan

The Snoqualmie Valley Agriculture Task Force is seeking comments on its draft Agricultural Land Resource Strategic Plan from May 4 through June 5.

Join KCD at Remlinger Farm to learn all about agricultural drainage and fish passage projects on rural lands

Saturday May 13, 9:30am to 12:30pm at Remlinger Farms

Register here

King County project protects fish, farms, and prevents floods in the Snoqualmie Valley

Watch the Griffin Creek redesign video here