In 2001, Community Leaders in the St. Johns Woods apartments (now Cathedral Gardens Apartments) in North Portland, organized with Janus Youth Programs' support to build a community garden in direct response to the poverty, isolation, gang activity and hunger that impacted their community, youth, and families. Janus Youth Programs continued to nurture the growth of the St. Johns Woods Garden project, and later Village Gardens, through 2021.

The St. Johns Woods Garden project grew to be a highly successful effort over its first few years, often credited with reducing crime and vandalism and increasing a sense of neighborhood safety in the apartment complex. The demand for salad greens from garden plots grew at Portland Farmers Market much to the excitement of the youth. In 2005 garden leaders wanted to share what they had done with another community and were invited by Home Forward to expand the project to the New Columbia and Tamaracks communities, two miles down the road. At the same time, neighborhood youth expanded onto donated land on Sauvie Island providing additional employment and capacity to grow produce. For several years youth worked on the 2.5 acre Sauvie Island farm until the program had to close in 2018.

On July 1, 2021, Village Gardens separated from Janus Youth Programs and became Our Village Gardens, an independent organization accountable and working in solidarity with North Portland communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Our Village Gardens was a lifeline for North Portland residents. The Village Market remained open as an essential service and even added grocery delivery.

Today, Our Village Gardens offers over 80 garden plots in the Seeds of Harmony garden to neighbors in North Portland affordable housing communities, cultivates a community fruit orchard, Fruits of Diversity, and employs youth and residents of North Portland affordable housing communities in our healthy corner grocery store, Village Market, in the neighborhood of New Columbia. Garden and Orchard programming continues to engage over 60 local community gardeners in 80 garden plots.

In 2024, the Seeds of Harmony garden provided over 1,800 pounds of produce to residents through the Neighbor to Neighbor program, and over 250 pounds of produce were purchased from community growers for sale in the Village Market.

We encourage you to learn more about us and contribute to our mission here: Grow Our Village Gardens | Our Village Gardens