Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' P-Patch Program oversees 90 P-Patches located throughout the city. Community gardeners grow food on 14.9 acres and provide stewardship for an additional 18.8 acres of public land for a total of 33.7 acres.
Since 1973, P-Patch community gardeners have been
- Growing community
- Nurturing civic engagement
- Practicing organic gardening techniques
- Fostering an environmental ethic and connecting nature to peoples' lives
- Improving access to local, organic, and culturally appropriate food
- Transforming the appearance and revitalizing the spirit of their neighborhoods
- Developing self-reliance and improving nutrition through education and hands-on experience
- Feeding the hungry
- Preserving heirloom flowers, herbs, and vegetables
- Budding understanding between generations and cultures through gardening and cooking
P-Patch is the name given to the City of Seattle's community gardens. The name commemorates the Picardo family who operated a truck farm - a farm dedicated to growing produce for market - in the Wedgwood area in the early twentieth century. In 1973, part of the former farm was acquired from the Picardo family and became the first community garden in Seattle - the Picardo Farm P-Patch. Learn more about the history of Seattle's P-Patch Gardening Program at HistoryLink.
Community gardens are spaces where neighbors come together to grow community and plan, plant, and maintain a piece of open space. As gathering spaces, community gardens strengthen networks through cooperative ventures, become a source of pride amongst residents, and serve as a visible product of land stewardship and a healthier urban environment. Traditionally, community gardens are formed of individual plots for which community members pay an annual fee while shared spaces in the garden are cared for together.
P-Patch Community Gardens come in many shapes, sizes, and ownerships, but all spring from the desire of neighbors wanting to make connections and improve their surroundings. All P-Patch gardens are open to the public to enjoy and are used as restorative spaces, learning and idea incubators, and gathering spaces. Moreover, the gardens provide a way to give back to the community through volunteer hours and by supplying fresh, organic produce to Seattle food banks and feeding programs.
As interest in urban agriculture increases, the P-Patch Program is working to expand the palette of choices available to communities that are interested in establishing a community garden. This includes experimenting with different models of community gardening such as collective gardens that do not have individual garden plots, giving gardens, and food forests.
The P-Patch Program actively facilitates and partners with other organizations to support related market gardening, youth gardening, and community food security programs that serve all Seattle communities with an emphasis on the City's immigrant, youth, and lower income residents.