The Food Action Team aims to increase the demand and consumption of locally and sustainably produced food, support home gardening, and ensure that all community members have access to enough food for a healthy & active lifestyle.
Food Action Team Volunteers manage multiple events each year to increase local food consumption and collaborate with other community organizations to support home gardening and a robust, resilient food shed.
PROJECTS & EVENTS
Corvallis Public Seed Library
The Corvallis Public Seed Library is a collaborative project between the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, with educational support from the OSU Extension Service. Located at the Corvallis Library downtown, the Public Seed Library is volunteer run, and stocked exclusively with donated vegetable, herb and flower seed commercial packets. It offers free seeds and educational events including lectures by local area experts, and pop-up plant clinic tables staffed by Benton County Master Gardeners to help answer vegetable gardening questions. Open to all for personal use. This is a seed-sharing library to share sustenance — to help people grow more food locally, and to benefit pollinators and home garden ecosystems, too.
Garden Resource Guide
The Corvallis Garden Resource Guide is your one-stop shop guide of home garden resources for those interested in growing their own food. The guide is updated every January. Printed guides are available or view a PDF online and print your own.
Neighborhood Planters Kiosk (NPK)
Neighborhood Planters Kiosks (NPKs) are colorful front-yard kiosks hosted by Corvallis residents to share their love of gardening, growing food, and community. Weekly flyers are posted with educational materials and announcements. To view previous posts visit their blog. This project is managed in collaboration with the Corvallis Evening Gardening Club, Benton County Master Gardeners, and the City of Corvallis Civic Beautification & Urban Forestry Group.
Edible Garden Tours
Tours stop at several gardens, where residents give a brief overview of their garden — how they transformed the space, selected what to plant, and overcame any challenges. Between presentations there is time for questions and exploration.
Cooks and Books
In-person cooking demo with local chefs followed by an informal discussion, a sample of the dish prepared, and cookbook recommendations to further explore the foods you’ve just seen prepared.
A list of valuable gardening and food resources can be found here.