Growing up in Honduras, Maribel was raised in the community gardens that her grandfather, an agricultural engineer from Spain, had established throughout the city where she lived. From a young age she acquired a love for gardening, and today it connects her to her family and her culture, but she did not always feel that she had the ability to grow food. Living in an apartment in Gresham at the time, she did not have the space and she spoke with people who did not have the resources to access the fresh food that they wanted. Following in her grandfather's footsteps, Maribel started a community garden in Gresham, and within two years they had to expand because so many community members wanted to be involved. Living in Portland now, she shares a back yard space with her next door neighbors and is excited to grow corn and peppers.
When we met her on a sunny May afternoon, Maribel was standing in her front yard with her son, her driveway lined with potted herbs, strawberries, and flowers. She told us of how overwhelmed she used to feel by her garden, realizing that she had taken on more than she could handle by herself, deciding instead that she would master container gardening. She hopes to inspire people that she works with in the greater Portland area who live in apartments, or who feel like they don't have the space or means to grow their own food. Inspired by the ultimate need to return to "mother Earth", Maribel takes joy in knowing that by growing her own food she can take her health into her own hands, and out of the hands of corporations who are gaining more control over food. Before leaving, Maribel reminded us that no matter how busy you are, finding the time to garden, whether in the ground or in a container, is not only healing personally, but is a way to set an example of how to remain connected to the Earth and to the past.
Interview by Emily Garner, Kent Hudson & Francisco Puentes
When we met her on a sunny May afternoon, Maribel was standing in her front yard with her son, her driveway lined with potted herbs, strawberries, and flowers. She told us of how overwhelmed she used to feel by her garden, realizing that she had taken on more than she could handle by herself, deciding instead that she would master container gardening. She hopes to inspire people that she works with in the greater Portland area who live in apartments, or who feel like they don't have the space or means to grow their own food. Inspired by the ultimate need to return to "mother Earth", Maribel takes joy in knowing that by growing her own food she can take her health into her own hands, and out of the hands of corporations who are gaining more control over food. Before leaving, Maribel reminded us that no matter how busy you are, finding the time to garden, whether in the ground or in a container, is not only healing personally, but is a way to set an example of how to remain connected to the Earth and to the past.
Interview by Emily Garner, Kent Hudson & Francisco Puentes
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