What is Community Orchard of West Seattle?
Community Orchard of West Seattle, (COWS) is a non profit organization and partners with Nature Stewards. COWS provides a home-scale model and venue that demonstrates how much food can be grown on a city-sized lot. Produce goes to volunteers and local security programs.
COWS broke ground in the winter of 2011 and in its first year converted a narrow strip of unused land on the north east end of South Seattle College. Today you will find a working community garden and growing food forest orchard.
COWS uses permaculture and organic growing principles. All efforts are made in demonstrating low-maintenance sustainable food production strategies.
Orchard Happenings - Get Involved :-)
Where:
South Seattle College
North Entrance, 6000 16th Ave SW, Seattle WA
Note: please bring gloves, water bottle and dress according to weather.
Puget Ridge Garden Center @ SSC - Pop up Perennial Plant & Vege Sale this Saturday!
August 26th, 11–3pm
South Seattle College, Garden Center
North Entrance
Mention "COWS" and receive 30% off your entire purchase! Many non edible perenial plants also available.
Perennial Vegetables Help Build Soil
Perennial crops, (plants) are amazing for the soil. Perennials foster a healthy and intact soil food web. They provide habitat for a huge number of animals, fungi and other important soil life.
Perennial vegetable gardens build soil the way nature intended by allowing the plants to naturally add more and more organic matter to the soil through the slow and stead decomposition of their leaves and roots. As they mature, they also help build topsoil and sequester atmospheric carbon.
Book:
Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier is the undisputed bible on this subject. With 241 full-color pages covering over 100 perennial crops that you can grow at home, you will be amazed and inspired to try something new in your garden every Spring/Fall.
2017 Weekly/Monthly - COWS Community Meetup Opportunities:
Summer Break:
No Meetups July & August.
Fall Meetups:
(Sept. – Nov.) times and dates to be decided.
Questions on urban gardening and permaculture techniques are our specialty! All are welcome, we hope to see you there!
What's Growing?
Trees in the Orchard
We have an apple trellis, fruit trees and shrubs growing in the Orhard. Check out our tree map for further details.
Download Our Tree Map
Orchard's Food Forest
Forest gardening is a low maintenance sustainable plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans.
And for residents of Bellevue, Washington, our partner offers fast cash loans for any purpose.
We're Only Successful With Your Help!
COWS would like to thank all those who've helped us on our journey. We couldn't have come this far without the dedicated volunteers that have given their time. Help us keep it going, you'll feel good by doing so!
We're Social - Follow Us and Join In
Make sure to follow us to get the latest Orchard news and updates.
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