Bountiful Bethel

04/20/2023

Plant, Seed and Craft Supplies Swap
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
5:30 to 8:00 PM
LCC Longhouse
4000 30th Avenue, Eugene, OR

The community is invited to come share extra plants, seeds and
craft-making items at the LCC Longhouse.
We will have an area set up for seeds and plants as well
as another space just for extra craft-making items to share.

Please bring any seeds and plants you may have extras to share with the community. Please be sure and label items. clearly so others will know what they are getting.

This year we are asking for any unused or unwanted craft-making supplies and materials you may want to pass on. This includes beads, leather, feathers, fabric, thread and miscellaneous findings that are in good, clean condition that you are willing to share.

Even if you don't have anything to share you are welcome to come see what is being offered! We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have questions or would like to help with this event please contact:
Aleta Miller [email protected] or
(458) 205-9022 (text is best!)

05/26/2022

We will be meeting again for our next course in this series of Understanding Our First Relations - the Plant Nation, addressing soil and properly preparing the beds for planting. We have rescheduled our planting day activities for this coming Sunday, May 29th to give the soil and ground more time to warm up. We are also having an ongoing plant sale Thursdays and Sundays through June 12th! Veggie starts, ornamentals and medicinal plants ALL at great prices. We also offer free plants with a minimum purchase. All proceeds will benefit the garden and its projects.

05/13/2022

We are excited to announce a garden program devoted to help everyone learn and understand our First Relations - the Plant Nations. These on-site workshops and presentations will help participants understand the full circle - from beginning to middle to the end - in our relationship with plants as shared by many Native American traditions and cultures. These activities are offered in partnership with the Bethel School District Native American Youth Empowerment Program, which Bountiful Bethel is now collaborating with. All activities in this series are free of charge!

The first segment of workshops will help us prepare ourselves and the land for planting through stories, history and science. Next we will learn about the seeds and plants we will use, and the traditions they come from. Soil and compost will make up the next portion of activities to help us learn about the interconnected of everything with the earth. Planting of the seeds and plants will a special time with ceremony, songs and blessing just for the day. Finally, as we tend the plots that have been planted we will learn about water, weeding and mulching to help get the crops through the summer.

Our First Relations – Understanding the Plant Nations
Discussion, storytelling, curriculum, and hands-on activities for
planting, cultivating, harvesting and processing seasonal and
perennial Native and other food and medicine crops. Participate in all or any of these workshops.

Segment One: the land and seeds –
learning to plant and tend our crops: May 12 through June 9

Sunday, May 15th – 11 am to 2 PM
Preparing ourselves and the land – practices, techniques and stories

Thursday, May 19h – 3:30 to 6:30 PM
Soil geology and amendments – compost use and practices

Sunday, May 22nd – 11 am to 2 PM
Soil preparation and plant stories

Thursday, May 26h – 3:30 to 6:30 PM
Soil geology and amendments – more bed preparations

Sunday, May 29th – 11 am to 2 PM
Planting day with our saved seeds and special songs and prayers

Thursday, June 2nd – 3:30 to 6:30 PM
Plant walk in the wetlands adjacent to the farm site; more plant stories

Sunday, June 5th – 11 am to 2 PM
Tending the plots, mulching, weeding

Thursday, June 9th – 3:30 to 6:30 PM
Preparing the plots for the summer

The workshops will be held at the Bountiful Bethel neighborhood farm site located at 4646 Barger Drive, Eugene, Oregon just west of the Beltline Highway. Enter the school campus complex (of Clear Lake Elementary and Shasta Middle School) on the south side of Barger Drive. Follow the signs to the Bethel Administration building and continue to the far east end of the parking lot. There will be signs to help guide you to the fenced in area, which is the garden site.

Come prepared and dressed for the weather, wear good working shoes or boots; a water bottle, hat and sunglasses are also recommended.

If you would like more information about this event please contact Aleta Miller at [email protected]. We look forward to you participating!

04/10/2022

We are still having our Plant and Seed Swap today. We will be located - out of the rain - in the breezeway entrance of the Clear Lake Elementary school.
Where: 4646 Barger Drive, Eugene
When: Today, 11am to 4pm
Bring your extra seeds and plants to trade and share. Even if you don't have anything to share, please come anyway!

10/22/2021

Here is one row of our marigolds from today. We have another row of tall flowers and a row of a dwarf variety.

I will be gathering flowers this weekend for garlands to dry. I am planning on picking for deliveries next Friday, October 29th. Please PM me if you are interested in getting some of these special flowers for your family ofrenda.

10/21/2021

About this time in 2020 we realized that the restrictions from COVID would likely continue into 2021. It was during our fall and winter planning that Nathan Millerohiggins, the other essential part of Bountiful Bethel, suggested we do something different; instead of focusing on food crops - since we had no idea how many people would be able to participate - why not grow lots of flowers? It is beautiful, low maintenance, helps the pollinators as well as attract some attention to the site; sounded good, so we proceeded.

We have a lovely array of mixed flowers at the north end of the farm, displaying broom corn (sorghum), sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, sweet peas and blue morning glories. All of the flowers will gathered for seed next year, selecting for particular colors and traits.

We have some flowering tubers and bulbs we will be getting in this fall. Several varieties of day lilies, Nile lilies, crocosmia and interesting irises will round out our selection.

The most surprising and enjoyable flower that has been grown this year has been the marigolds. I originally started growing them for 4" pots to sell. When I realized that wasn't going to happen I remembered last year when I did an ofrenda for my mother for Dia de los Mu***os and had to purchase marigolds. I understand the cost of agricultural goods and realized, hey, I can grow these things!

I have harvested at least 3 times. I have dried garlands and flower heads in silica to preserve them better and they are truly beautiful. I was more inspired by this plant after reading this wonderful article about how Dia de los Mu***os was re-introduced to a neighborhood in LA in the late 70's - I have included the article at the end of this post.

Although we have not achieved commercial production levels, we for sure have some marigolds. I would love to share them with those who need them for their own family ofrenda. I would like to make this a little bit of a fundraiser for the farm so I am asking for donations for the flowers. I will post again tomorrow to figure out days and times for picking and for delivery.

I will take some pictures of the marigolds tomorrow and post them. Feeling honored to be part of this medicine and the traditions that it represents.

"It's celebrating life, we're not celebrating death"

08/11/2021

Yes, the weather will be hot the next few days - even so we are still planning on work parties at the Bountiful Bethel Neighborhood Farm. The later afternoon and early evening are wonderful times to be busy in the garden! Large black walnut trees shade the west side of the garden creating cool temperatures and delightful breezes.
We will start our efforts at 4pm on Thursday and Friday, August 12th and 13th. We are located at 4646 Barger Drive in west Eugene, west of the Belt Line. Enter into the site at the Shasta and Clear Lake School driveway (turning left at the turn signal off of Barger Drive.) Continue into the parking lot and head east with a left turn. Drive to the end of the east side parking area where you will see a fenced in area, which is the garden.
We have hand tools for use and recommend you dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes, bring your own gloves and water bottle. We will have cold beverages and some other snacks to keep up our energy. We have lots of cucumbers, a few peppers and lots of flowers.
Would be lovely to see you out our way if you are able to make it!
More info contact Aleta at [email protected].

05/14/2021

Looks like warm and sunny weather this weekend, so we are planning another garden party at Bountiful Bethe Neighborhood Farm.

When: Sunday, May 16th, 11 am to 4 pm
Where: Bountiful Bethel Neighborhood Farm, 4646 Barger Drive
What: Garden clean-up, bed creation, planting and irrigation work
Who: Open to all community members, families, kids, individuals

Wear comfortable clothing with sturdy shoes (no sandals, please), work gloves and hat/sunglasses (recommended). Your own water bottle is also a great idea.

We provide some beverages and snacks to keep everyone going. We will use COVID protocols for masking and when we are up close working together, as needed.

To get to the garden area, enter the Clear Lake/Shasta School campus off of Barger Drive at the traffic signal, turning south. Turn left into the large parking area and continue eastward towards the large black walnut trees and more parking. You will see the fenced in garden area - the gate entrance is on the south side.

Bountiful Bethel Neighborhood Farm is a collectively run food producing and community engaging site. We offer hands-on farming and growing activity with all supplies, materials and instructions FREE. All who participate in the farm through the season share in the harvest.

Looking forward to having you join us!