From Small Beginnings to Bountiful Harvests
Garden City Harvest’s community garden plots have become a cherished resource for many of Missoula’s refugee families, offering a bridge to cherished agricultural roots and a path that can contribute to self-sufficiency. For over five years, we’ve partnered with Garden City Harvest to provide garden spaces for our clients, with a particular interest from the Congolese gardeners!
Many refugee families come to Missoula from subsistence farming backgrounds, bringing with them a wealth of agricultural knowledge. These garden plots serve as more than just a source of food; they’re a way to connect with the land in a new home, preserve knowledge and tradition, and learn new things. This connection between old and new, the pride that comes with a successful harvest, and the simple time spent outdoors has an incredible impact on wellness and mental health. As one family shared, they initially chuckled at the smaller plot size in relation to the larger scale subsistence farming they were used to, but they soon embraced the opportunity to teach their children about gardening and found joy in working in the soil again.
What started as modest plots has blossomed into larger farming endeavors. Several Congolese families have expanded their gardening efforts to Tower Gardens, a part of FARM- Future Agricultural Resources for Montana, where they now cultivate nearly half an acre of land. This growth reflects not only their agricultural expertise but also their determination to provide fresh food for their families.
These larger plots allow families to grow staples like beans and corn on a bigger scale. It’s inspiring to see women working the land with their children, using traditional tools like hoes and often working barefoot.
One of the most exciting aspects of these gardens for the families that work them is the cultivation of culturally significant crops. For example, lenga lenga (amaranth), often considered a weed in the U.S., is a familiar food source for Congolese families and has become a popular crop among Congolese gardeners in Missoula. This is one of many “unique” crops now intentionally grown using these garden plots- highlighting the importance of access to land for preserving cultural food traditions and the adaptability of refugee and immigrant growers.
Nourishing Community: The Garden City Harvest CSA Partnership
Our collaboration with Garden City Harvest’s River Road Farm CSA program has evolved into a vital source of fresh, organic produce for refugee families served by Soft Landing Missoula. Over the past three years, this partnership has grown to meet the unique needs of our increasingly diverse community.
What began as a distribution of surplus produce has transformed into a carefully curated selection that caters to the culinary preferences of our clients. Popular items include onions, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, leeks, and hot peppers. We’ve also discovered a high demand for herbs like parsley, which is beloved by families from Yemen and Syria.
The CSA now functions like a mini farmer’s market at Little Twigs Childcare, another partner of Soft Landing Missoula who employs and serves many refugee and immigrant families in Missoula. This CSA program that Soft Landing Missoula helps administer, serves around 25 families throughout the summer. As one Little Twigs staff member noted, “People are always excited when the fresh vegetables arrive. It’s a huge relief for them to have fresh, organic, healthy food for their families.”
This program has also fostered a beautiful exchange of culinary traditions. Little Twigs has an on-site kitchen where food for the staff and children is lovingly prepared. As their refugee and immigrant staff numbers have grown, so has the diversity of cultures represented, leading to a rich sharing of cooking techniques and ingredient uses. For instance, many women share knowledge about the medicinal properties of various vegetables, such as beets for iron or special preparations for new mothers.
The locally grown, organic produce available to refugee and immigrant families through these valuable partnerships not only provides nutritious food but also helps maintain connections to culinary heritage. It’s not only about feeding bodies, but also nurturing souls, preserving traditions, and growing a more connected, resilient Missoula community.
Special thanks to Garden City Harvest’s Greg, Ian, Rye, Emily, Dylan and Tara at River Road Community Garden and Farm, Tower Gardens, Little Twigs Childcare for making this partnership possible and Soft Landing Missoula’s Director of Community Partnerships & Client Engagement Greta Bates.
