Portlanders are a generous people, constantly seeking opportunities to volunteer, help others, and improve their community. Consider the role that Friends of Trees has in keeping Portland green, or the fact that Hands on Greater Portland provides daily volunteer opportunities with 300-plus partner organizations throughout the Portland metro area. According to a recent story in the Portland Tribune, Portland ranks right behind more...

Portland loves its food carts—there’s no doubt about that. While there might be differences of opinion regarding the “best” food cart in town—it’s hard to compare the fishy chips of EuroTrash to the breakfast offerings at The Big Egg—there’s certainly no question that the city’s food cart scene is embraced by the city’s foodie culture as a distinct element that helps more...

Under a cold gray sky on the first day of spring, Jeremy O’Leary apologizes for the appearance of his backyard garden. “It looks about as good as you can have it after spreading three yards of compost,” says O’Leary, a Multnomah County employee who is involved with Transition PDX and also helped the City of Portland develop its Peak Oil plan. In his Centennial neighborhood backyard, O’Leary applies more...

It’s a daunting task to reform the current food system into one that is more sustainable and just. Where do you begin? Unnecessary agribusiness subsidies, or protecting family farmers, or combating the marketing of over-processed, high-calorie, sugary snack foods? For Portland State graduate student Amanda Peden, the answer was the school’s ubiquitous snack vending machines. “[We] saw a public health issue right more...

Food for Thought is a monthly series that examines the progress of the plans to confront economic factors and create a hunger-free Oregon. At the intersection of SE 162nd and Division you will find a former Safeway supermarket that has sat shuttered and empty since closing its doors in March 2011. At one time, the full-service grocery served as an anchor for the Division Crossing shopping center in Portland’s Centennial more...

In the summer of 2010, Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) released a series of food system maps. These maps threw into doubt the city’s reputation as a foodie Shangri-La; a place where, as Rep. Earl Blumeanuer puts it, “you can’t go anywhere without tripping over a New York Times food critic.” These maps describe in a visual manner the very obvious equity issues regarding food access more...

Although our country is technically “out” of the recession, many Americans have found themselves jobless for long periods of time, requiring food stamps to help meet their dietary needs. Increased attention has fallen upon on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)—formerly known as food stamps—as a record 46 million Americans find themselves using the program. A number this high has political more...

With Portland’s ubiquitous farmers markets, a committed locavore “foodie” movement, and the great luck of being located in the Willamette Valley—home to some of the most fertile soil on the planet—how could the Rose City possibly face any food security issues? But the facts don’t lie. According to the Multnomah Food Action Plan, adopted by the County Board of Commissioners in January 2011, there are more...

The first graduates of the Beginning Urban Farmer Apprenticeship program look to make an impact on the agricultural scene of the Portland metro area. more...