EQUITY BIKE RIDE

September 1, 2011

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http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2011/08/east_portland_equity_bike_ride.html
http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/08/05/equity-ride-set-for-august-26/
http://zengerfarm.org/
The land was purchased by the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) in 1994, five years after Ulrich Zenger Jr.’s death. BES saw in Zenger Farm an opportunity to promote environmental stewardship in a way that would complement BES’ long-term conservation plans for the Johnson Creek Basin and Watershed. BES preserved the farm and its wetland as a collection point for the area’s storm water. It was in June of 1995 that the land became a working farm again. Marc Boucher-Colbert knew good soil when he saw it. He leased the farmland from BES and, through his Urban Bounty Farm, not only cultivated the land but promoted educational and community events on the site. Urban Bounty Farm formed partnerships with the Environmental Middle School and the Portland State University Capstone Program, among others, to broaden the farm’s availability as an open-air classroom.

Zenger Farm’s expanding role as an educational and environmental resource created a need to formalize the farm’s mission and establish a group to maintain it. In 1999, the Friends of Zenger Farm was assembled. They authored the Zenger Farm Master Plan, obtained the City’s approval of the Conditional Use Master Plan, and partnered with BES to secure a 50-year lease of the property. Ulrich Zenger Jr.’s family farm was now, officially and sustainably, a public space.

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WHAT THE HECK IS A EQUITY BIKE RIDE FOR?
FRIENDS OF TREES
Cycling helps all people equally, too. But first people of all backgrounds need access to the resources and support to become cyclists.
That’s one reason for the Equity Ride. The other is to have fun and meet new friends.

COMMUNITY CYCLING CENTER (WHATEVER THAT IS)
The ride highlighted collaborative projects in East Portland to promote equity among the diverse communities that reside there.
Equity can be defined as when everyone has access to the opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential. We consider equity to be a driving force for our organization, so we were very excited to be involved in the ride as a sponsor.



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