Ballard P-Patch farmers raising money to save 43-year-old garden

Meghan Walker Ballard

The Ballard P-Patch is at risk of losing their land, pending the sale of the privately owned half-acre plot (8527 25th Ave NW) on which they farm.

“The garden is at risk,” the farmers write on their website. “Economic pressure to develop real estate in this neighborhood means that this fertile ground will literally be sold from under the feet of the Ballard P-Patch.”

In order to save their decades-old garden, the farmers of the Ballard P-Patch have started a Mighty Cause fundraiser to buy the land. As of midday on Tuesday, they’d raised $4,475.

The P-Patch’s programming runs deep: their Giving Gardens program donates 1,300 lbs. of produce yearly to the Ballard Food Bank; they are the Ballard Emergency Hub Location, providing on-site disaster recovery supplies; they offer garden tours for local schools with agricultural education; and they’ve hosted the annual Art in the Garden Festival every year for nearly two decades.

“Now is the time to secure this land, protecting the garden as a community treasure for generations to come,” they write.

To learn more, visit their fundraising page or their website for details.

Thanks to Sharon for sharing the news on the My Ballard Group!

21 thoughts to “Ballard P-Patch farmers raising money to save 43-year-old garden”

    1. Don’t grow food for yourself or the food bank because of drought? That makes no sense. Seattle is not currently in the drought stricken part of the state…..but why would facts matter anyway?

    1. The land belongs to Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church. The church needs money for upgrades, so they’re selling the land to pay for them. What goes there next will depend on the developers.

  3. I really hope they are able to raise the funds to save this garden. Community gardens are such an incredible asset to the neighborhood.

    1. How so? Spending a bunch of hours to grow $2 worth of carrots? Seems like that that could better be spent volunteering at St Lukes

      1. “Teach the junkies (those experiencing heroin addiction) to grow their own food.”

        This could be a big campaign platform for one of the woketards on the City Council.

        1. C.H. where is this quote that YOU quoted from?:
          “Teach the junkies (those experiencing heroin addiction) to grow their own food.”

          1. VH, they’re all the same sockpuppet account; don’t waste your time. In the years you & I have not posted here, he’s been posting his daily petty hate screed. Pretty pathetic to have that little of a life.

          3. I was wondering how many of the regular negative commenters were all a single person. It’s hard to imagine that there are that many people who never have a nice thing to say no matter the subject matter.

            We all know that Bucky has multiple accounts. He is the herpes of the comment section. The admins get rid of him but he just keeps coming back.

      3. Hey smart guy, please explain to us how factory farming, herbicides, and shipping veggies and fruit across the country on trucks makes sense? Keeping it local and small is better for both the community and the environment.

  4. Every park in Seattle is a pee patch. What’s the big deal?
    And somebody tell Freja she needs to get this photo banned – it’s clearly of a white male (at least I think he’s male this is Seattle after all).

  6. so the church (tax free) is really without other avenues for a money grab? nice gift to the community there, our redeemers…ooh! maybe a a crappy apodment????!! one can only wish.

  7. Our Redeemer is playing a losing game and the P-Patch is a victim. As the church cashes in all of its one-time assets, and as its congregation ages, eventually the church will have to close and they’ll sell the building, too. Why not read the writing on the wall and just give the land to the community instead of putting lipstick on a pig they’re going to lose within a few years, anyway?

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