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Port Orford Community Co-op Permaculture Demonstration Garden

A demonstration garden has been an integral part of the original vision for the co-op since the seed for the Port Orford Community Co-op was planted in the community of Port Orford. Thanks to the energy of our amazing garden volunteers, grants from the city of Port Orford, and donations from community members, our demonstration garden has come to fruition! 

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture (permanent + culture) is the practice of creating ethical and resilient human, plant, and animal systems that mimic nature. Permaculture design practices are guided by a series of ethics and design principles. The POCC Permaculture Demonstration Garden hopes to demonstrate these ethics and principles so that Permaculture can ripple out into our community and beyond.

 

Stop by any time to check it out and enjoy the "mess" that is part of making Food Forests a reality in Port Orford.

Contact us to learn about being a garden volunteer!

"All the world's problems can be solved
in a garden"

—Geoff Lawton

An Early POCC Garden Vision

Detailed color sketch of garden layout as seen from above, with paths radiating out from the center and circular paths intersecting the radii. Garden is bounded by trees and shrubs.

The garden has become more "free-form," based on Permaculture principles.

Image ©WildRootsPermaculture

From the Garden - Food is only one result

This is a twined basket made entirely of salt rush (Juncus breweri). Salt rush is a native plant who grows on the Pacific coast from CA to BC. Patches can be quite large, each stem emerging separately from the extensive rhizomes. I made this basket from plants that have grown up through an old parking lot, to find space to thrive in what is now the co-op garden.

I've found salt rush stems to be very tough and flexible when fresh or partially dry, but difficult to rehydrate into a workable state after drying thoroughly. This basket was made with material that spent about one week sitting in my house, except for the very center made some weeks ago from a previous harvest, now dried to an even pale green.

 

- Olivia

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