November 30, 2004

To whom it may concern:

Brenna Bell spoke with me in mid-November about her efforts to protect land on the western border of Tryon Creek State Park potentially slated for development by creating an education center called Try/on Life Community Farm. Turning this site into a facility that would offer community education about urban agriculture and sustainability would both preserve this land and give residents of southwest Portland what Zenger Farm now offers to residents of the southeast sector of the city. If sustainable agriculture and lifestyle practices are to become common in Portland and the northern Willamette Valley, it is imperative that citizens have a chance to see what these practices look like on the ground.

Not only would the plans Brenna and her colleagues are seeking to realize benefit citizens of this part of the city, they would also benefit undergraduate and graduate students at Lewis & Clark College. I teach courses in sustainability and environmental education. The opportunity to use this site to demonstrate theories and principles discussed in the classroom would enhance my students' understanding of course content and strengthen their faith that it is possible to enact more environmentally and socially supportive lifestyles within an urban setting. This site would furthermore give me and my colleagues a venue to share ideas with people not directly associated with the college.

In many respects, our society is at a crossroads. Will we as its members be able to adopt lifestyles that acknowledge the fragility of the eco- and social systems that support us and work with rather than against the natural world? The Try/on Life Community Farm offers one vehicle for making that transition. I hope that you, as well, will support its creation.

Sincerely yours,

Gregory Smith, Ph.D.
Professor, Graduate School of Education
Lewis & Clark College