Pendleton Community Garden

The community garden exists to provide educational opportunities to Umatilla residents. School field trips, educational events and visits, as well as, relevant classes and courses are all available inside the garden space. To learn more about hosting an event, contact Analyah Cruz, UCo Healthy Communities Coordinator at analyah.cruz [at] umatillacounty.gov (analyah[dot]cruz[at]umatillacounty[dot]gov) 

To provide a number of health and education benefits to the citizens of Umatilla County. Including - space to rent for those that want to grow their own food, education opportunities to learn more about our natural environment including how to grow food from seed, how to maintain and care for a garden, to share seeds/recipes/garden tips with other community members. The garden also offers the community a beautiful place to relax, surrounded by natural beauty native to the region and the energy of other community members using the space. Partnerships with the schools, youth orgs and senior centers to utilize the space will enable easy access to activities targeting those populations

The community garden is located at 1020 SW 25th Street in Pendleton, Oregon - a city-owned lot behind the Southgate McDonald’s; to the West of Olney Cemetery and to the North of the SW Ladow St. neighborhood. 

Garden plots are available to rent by any Umatilla County resident. Community members will also have access to the garden space to enjoy the benches and natural scenery. Pendleton’s school age youth have their own small garden plot and the Umatilla County Master Gardeners have a demonstration garden in the space.

The Pendleton Community Garden Project is a collaborative effort between Umatilla County Public Health, Umatilla County Master Gardener Association (UCMGA), and the City of Pendleton. UCo Health is the primary agency organizing the project. The City of Pendleton provides the space and water, and UCMGA will offer guidance and classes.

Amy Jerman serves as Communtiy Garden Project Manager and UCMGA Advisor. 

A community-led “Garden Council,” responsible for advising and “growing” the garden will be seeking community leadership soon. Interested residents wanting to stay tuned can sign up to receive a monthly newsletter at this link or stay plugged into City and County media channels to learn more as details are released. Workshops and events, including a grand opening ceremony and initial planting day, will be announced in early 2026.

The Community Garden Project aims to address some key health outcomes based on Umatilla County’s 2022–26 Community Health Improvement Plan, which identified five key health priorities for the area, including: addressing food insecurity, providing access to health and food education, increasing youth and senior programming and building community around healthy food practices.

These outcomes will lead to a better quality of life for County residents.