Mission/Vision

The P-Patch Trust builds healthy and diverse communities by fostering community gardens, urban farms and green space. This is accomplished through public engagement, partnerships, leadership development, advocacy, and land acquisition.

Our Shared Values

Advocacy

We champion community gardens as a vital part of urban development by becoming an effective leader in building, sustaining and strengthening community garden opportunities in all of Seattle’s neighborhoods

Eco-Sensitivity

We partner in a grassroots movement towards sustainable urban ecology through the promotion of organic practices and diverse productive green space; for healthy human plant, and animal communities; for restorative activities; and to provide a more livable environment

Partnerships

We develop coalitions, alliances, and partnerships with food security, green, and neighborhood organizations in order to build the strength and diversity of community gardening opportunities and the sustainability movement.

Justice and Equity

We work to ensure equitable access to gardening opportunities and local, organic produce across economic, racial, ability and gender lines through programs in diverse, low-income communities and by sharing our harvest with those in need.

Inclusivity & Respect

We seek to overcome urban isolation by providing opportunities for people to garden together, learn from each other, develop a sense of neighborhood, and create a more livable urban environment.

History

The P-Patch Trust was started in 1979 after years of grassroots organizing by the city’s “P-Patchers”. This original group started as the “P-Patch Advisory Council” representing the interest of community gardeners within city bureaucracy, politics and growing land-use issues. By 1987 the pressures of growth in the region led the Council members to develop a “Land Stewardship Committee” charged with protecting gardens through purchase and landowner relationship development. It was this year that the first truly permanent community garden was deeded to the P-Patch Advisory Council to be held for permanent preservation as a community garden.

In the early 1990′s, the Council took on the responsibilities of forming a 501 (c)3. It was named the “Friends of P-Patch”. This organization was member-based and focused on supporting the City’s P-Patch Program after years of dwindling resources. In combination with pressures to use land for housing or commercial purposes and worsening economic pressures, Friends of P-Patch worked hard to strengthen funds and secure land. It was during this period that the Gardenship Fund was established to offer low-income gardeners financial support in paying their garden fees as well as the “land acquisition fund” specifically dedicating money to purchasing land.

In 2003 the Friends of P-Patch officially changed and became the P-Patch Trust. Programs such as Cultivating Communities and the Gardenship Funds continued in this new form while the focus was strengthened on purchasing and securing land within city limits for community gardening. The change in structure meant the Trust was no longer a member based organization, instead relying on the fundraising skills of its Board and volunteers to perpetuate their mission.

In addition to promoting and supporting community organic community gardening in the Seattle the new Articles chartered the Trust to (1) operate as a nature conservancy by acquiring, owning, conserving, and preserving urban open spaces to be utilized as public community gardens, (2) promote the conservation of urban open space for the use and enjoyment of the general public, (3) to provide sustainable opportunities for low income families and (4) through leadership, coordinated effort and open forum to educate Seattle residents regarding urban ecology and biodiversity through organic gardening.

P-Patch Trust combines, when possible, green-friendly funds, individual, and community support for development of P-Patch sites and community gardens. The Trust seeks to play a leading role in advocating organic principles, ensuring access to low income gardeners, encouraging produce donations to food banks, and preserving gardens through purchase.