Serving as both restorative and neighborhood gathering spaces, Seattle’s P-Patch community gardens have strengthened community networks through civic engagement and comradery since their formation in 1973. Giving back to the community through volunteer hours and donations of fresh, organic, and locally grown produce has long been a priority of the P-Patch Community Gardening program. Last year, the P-Patch Giving Garden Program donated 44,403 pounds of organic produce to meal programs and food banks at 26 individual locations across the city.
This achievement was made possible by the hard work and commitment of individuals dedicated to providing nutritious food to those experiencing hunger. Members of more than 61 P-Patches across the city volunteered their time starting seeds, tending garden beds, harvesting produce, and delivering food to ensure that less people worried about where their next meal would come from. Many community gardeners also gave produce from their personal garden plots for donation with more than 12,000 pounds of the 22 tons of donated food being given from gardeners’ personal plots.
“The Giving Gardens are perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the P-Patch. Gardeners give from their own plots when they had extra or when they were out of town and gave permission to harvest.”
-Hawkins Garden P-Patch Gardener
“White Center Food Bank (WCFB) has taken on three plots at our P-Patch. The idea was to create a more engaged partnership between the gardeners at our P-Patch and Giving Garden plots. By having staff and volunteers from WCFB currently working in the P-Patch, the hope is to create better engagement with gardeners to bridge the gap between our P-Patch, the Giving Garden plots and the WCFB.”
-Westcrest P-Patch Gardener
“We do this as part of being a community.”
-Maa nyei lai ndeic P-Patch Gardener
Last year, Picardo Farm, the original and largest P-Patch in Seattle, shifted its food donation program to focus on community partnerships. Rather than just donating to the area’s many food banks, garden leaders at Picardo transitioned their program to focus on long-term community partnerships with three different organizations in nearby neighborhoods. The team dedicated the year to building relationships and donating produce directly to Silvercrest Senior Residences, Sand Point Family Housing, and Idris Mosque.
“We intend for these relationships to be long-term, to keep growing, and to rely on input from the community,” said Picardo gardener Ava Clennon. “We’re now starting to get feedback on what it is that people genuinely want so we can take this giving garden space and use it as the local grocery store for folks.”
As we kick off 2023 and the P-Patch’s 50th anniversary year, we want to extend a big thank you to the gardeners, staff, and partner organizations for their hard work and dedication to this program. Their altruistic commitment to serving others has made a significant impact on the lives of many Seattleites and is a true example of what can be achieved when people work together to benefit the greater good. We look forward to continuing to grow and give together during this milestone year for the P-Patch Community Garden program.
For more information on the reach of the Giving Garden Program, check out our 2022 Sharing Abundance Report: seattle.gov/documents/Departments/Neighborhoods/PPatch/2022SharingAbundance.pdf
