City of Portland’s Urban Growth Bounty sustainable food courses

Urban Growth Bounty 2010

“Portland residents know that growing and preserving their own food is great for our personal, environmental and community health,” says Portland Mayor Sam Adams. “The Urban Growth Bounty classes are a great value. There’s always more to learn about how to grow, preserve and eat sustainably on a budget.”

From urban chickens and beekeeping to year-round food gardening, fermentation and preservation, City of Portland’s Urban Growth Bounty triples 2010 class offerings.

More than 700 local residents learned how to transform their yards into “urban farms,” preserve their harvest and keep chickens and bees thanks to the last year’s classes. The overwhelming response has led to a tripling of course offerings for the 2010. The expanded roster includes more cheesemaking and cooking, advanced chicken and beekeeping, innovative gardening and healthful food on a budget classes.

Presented by the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, new partners and well-known experts are on board for the 2010 series, including Oregon Tilth, Naomi Montacre, Monique Dupre, Ivy Manning and the creative hands at Salt Fire and Time and Abby’s Kitchen. Classes for all skill levels are offered from February through November and held at locations all over the city.

As food prices climb, salmonella stalks the supermarket, and fresh and local stake their place at the table, city dwellers are getting back to the land by opening their back doors. With visions of Victory Gardens and sugar snap peas in their heads, urbanites are rediscovering how to turn their lawns and landscapes into lunches and making the most of the region’s bounty.

Classes:

Oregon Tilth: Organic Vegetable Gardening Classes

Advanced Urban Agriculture with David Beller

Organic Vegetable Gardening Series with Your Backyard Farmers

Grow Your Own Organic Vegetables Series with Josh Volk

Growing Fruit In Any Yard with Glen Andresen

Down on the Urban Farm: Chickens and Soil Health with Naomi Montacre

Beekeeping with Glen Andresen

Sustainable Living on a Budget Workshops with Monique Dupre

Making Fresh Cheese At Home: A Three-class Series with Claudia Lucero

Abby’s Table and Salt, Fire and Time

Preserving The Harvest with Laura Ohm

(Nearly) Meatless Mondays with Ivy Manning

Visit Urban Growth Bounty 2010 website here.