Learn all about how to Naturescape, how to build your own rain garden, or how to make an excellent landscape site plan. We have also added some native plant workshops to the schedule, as well as “Weed Watchers” trainings, to learn how to identify and get rid of invasive weeds!
Register for a workshop today!
“When I was deciding where to put my vegetable garden, I picked the sunniest spot in the yard and started digging. I wanted to get a look at the soil. What I found was great soil for gardening, and some garbage left behind. Because some of the debris was painted, I became concerned about lead in my soil. Since I had planned to test the soil for pH, organic matter, phosphorous, and potassium, I decided to add lead to the list.”Lead is a concern if your garden is near an older painted structure. Lead in residential building paint was common up until the mid-1970’s, when it began to be phased out. To learn more about lead in soil, we recommend reading OSU Extension’s “Evaluating and Reducing Lead Hazard in Gardens and Landscapes.” Besides information on testing, there are also great tips on amending your soil to reduce lead uptake by plants, as well as other options for dealing with lead. For example, adding organic matter to the soil (which is also good for your plants!) can “enhance the formation of organic compounds that bind lead, making it less available in the soil water.”
If you do plan to have your soil tested for lead, be sure to check out our Conservation Directory for a list of local soil testing laboratories in the Soil Testing section.
Some gardeners are also interested in testing soil for pesticides. This can be difficult unless you know what types of pesticides you are looking for, and even then it can be very expensive (as much as $200 per sample). The more information you can find out about what types of pesticides you know or suspect were applied, the easier it will be to test for them and interpret the results. Since any pesticides that stick around would be bound to the soil, we recommend washing your garden produce very thoroughly!
It takes a lot to get a farm business off the ground. Growing skills need to be honed to specific microclimates, markets must be explored and established, and there are business and legal structures to develop, budgets to put together, and weed and pest management strategies to define, to name just a few essentials. However, much of this can’t happen without sufficient capital to make the initial investments in land, equipment, and farm infrastructure.
Our goal with the Headwaters Incubator Program is to identify individuals with farm experience, but who lack the capital necessary to launch their own farm business. To do this, the District makes available tools, equipment, and infrastructure essential to successfully producing in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, these items are so critical that the majority of staff time and budget for Headwaters Incubator Program’s inaugural season was committed to developing these basic assets, including a barn, greenhouse, irrigation system, wash station, and walk in cooler. Continue reading
Dec 2, 2013
Last week I received the news that our Executive Director, Jean Fike is going to resign effective later this month. At the District, we can’t help but be saddened by this loss as Jean has led us through a very successful and exciting expansion of programs over the last nine years. At the same time, we are thrilled for Jean and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, where she has accepted a job as Manager of their Northwest Region.
During Jean’s tenure the District has expanded its ability to protect the natural and agricultural resources throughout East Multnomah County. She oversaw the establishment of a new headquarters on N. Williams Avenue in Portland, creation of a grant program that invests nearly a million dollars annually in East Multnomah County, establishment of the Headwaters Incubator Farm to train the next generation of local farmers, and expansion of a land acquisition and easement program to ensure protection for the most important natural resource and agricultural lands in East Multnomah County. During that same time established programs like the Conservation Technical Assistance and Sustainable Urban Landscapes also extended the reach and range of services they offered, protecting our most valuable riparian areas with StreamCare and teaching Naturescaping classes in underserved neighborhoods. Continue reading
In honor of World Soil day, we celebrate all the soil does for us. Learn about your soil from some of our favorite soil websites!
To learn even more, join us at Soil School on April 5, 2014. There will be three tracks: one for farmers, one for beginning gardeners, and one for experienced gardeners. Click here to register!
Your Local Conservation District is looking for a detail-oriented person with excellent communication skills to help coordinate our events and volunteers and serve as a community connections representative. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of three years of experience with project and volunteer management and event coordination. Additionally, this candidate will excel at community outreach, work well with a wide variety of people, and have experience building successful partnerships in traditionally underserved communities.
Position is in Portland Oregon and is full time with competitive benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer; persons of color strongly encouraged to apply. This position is now closed; applications will be reviewed next. Thank you to all applicants! For details about the job, please see the Outreach and Education Specialist page.
Help get funding to great local projects – your Local Conservation District is looking for a detail-oriented person with excellent communication skills to help administer our grants programs. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of three years of experience with community outreach or with grants and contracts; work well with a wide variety of people; and have experience building successful partnerships in traditionally underserved communities. Position is in Portland Oregon and is full time with competitive benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer; persons of color strongly encouraged to apply.
The application period for this position has closed. To read about the job description, please see the Grants Specialist page.
We are happy to announce the launch of the new EMSWCD website!
You can read more about all of our programs in the About section, or simply click on any section in the menu to learn more. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!