December 4, 2004

Dear Members of Tryon Farm,

What an important and positive connection the Tryon Community has been for us here at More Gardens! Knowing so many of you kind, dedicated souls has surely aided in our common cause of creating more open green spaces for community sharing and learning. We at the More Gardens! Coalition feel that Tryon Farm is one of the most important projects of environmental education and conservation currently being implemented in the Portland area. We feel that the Tryon Community non-profit educational facility will be a huge success, given the quality of support it has, and the time and energy already invested in it. Even from all the way in New York City, we know and hear of the farm as an important community space, and we visit it whenever we find ourselves in the Pacific Northwest.

More Gardens! has had fruitful exchanges with Tryon Farm over the past couple of years. Our members have returned with abounding knowledge of native plant use, natural building, often taking part in building projects and other organizing projects at the farm. And of course, the land itself has been a key part of bringing in the hundreds of people that you have been able to reach thus far. As an environmental conservation group, one of our goals is to create a strong community of like-minded people and shared work, so that each individual member has something to contribute to the larger whole. We feel extremely aligned with Tryon Farm, and that both of our non-profits are carrying out the same kind of environmental and educational work. Our connection with Tryon and other such groups has been invaluable to our development as a greening Coalition.

How shocked we were to hear of the impending measures to evict Tryon Community Farm from its current space, and of the proposed development on the now natural and vital land! How much we want to be there, helping in any way we can with the organizing of the non-profit, and concordantly with the prevention of this heinous development! We certainly are very concerned and extend our utmost support to you, not only as our friends, but also as environmentalists. Taking measures to secure funds to purchase the land from the current owner is a wise and correct choice, we feel. We know that as a community, you are capable of accomplishing any task you set your collective mind out to do! We wish to extend our support in this leg of your endeavor, as we will in any endeavor you take on. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you in this pressing time!

In support,

The More Gardens! Coalition