Supa Fresh Youth Farm uses food as a means to provide underserved youth with leadership skills and workforce training. Since 2009, Supa Fresh Youth Farm has employed roughly 50 high school and college age residents to work on their three farms. Students help manage the farm, grow produce and sell it to the community – all while earning money and school credit.
The young people who work at Supa Fresh Youth Farm live in communities around the region. For many, transportation is a challenge. One issue: Supa Fresh’s main farm on Locust Drive is not well connected to bus service.
In a recent interview, several Supa Fresh workers shared their perspectives on the community at the farm and in Tigard, hopes for future transportation in the area, and how future students may benefit from the Southwest Corridor light rail project, which is proposed to begin service in 2025. Interview excerpts have been edited for clarity and length.
Kylah is a Portland native and currently lives in Tigard.
Kylah
Kylah is a Portland native who moved to Tigard four years ago. She helps students with disabilities at Tigard High School, and she also enjoys photography and spending time at the mall. She works at Bridgeport Village, but does not own a car, and that makes commuting a challenge.
What do you like best about the community here? What do you wish were different?
I like Tigard a lot. People are nicer than in the Portland area where I was growing up. I would like to have more bus stops, because I work at Jimmy John’s in Bridgeport, and I want to get there more easily. I have to take the bus to Washington Square and Tigard Transit Center to get to work.
Where else do you take transit?
Anywhere. Wherever I want to go during the day. That’s why I like using the bus and being able to be independent and do that stuff.
How do you think transit helps provide opportunities for people?
I know that the kids that I help in the social education, it helps them get outside and takes them places so they can be more independent. This helps other people be more accepting of them.
Christian moved to Tigard four years ago.
Christian
Christian moved to Tigard four years ago. He enjoys drawing and spending time outdoors in the garden and walking around local parks. He also relies on transit to move around the region.
What do you like best about the community here in Tigard?
At Supa Fresh, it’s real nice and quiet and you can talk to some people about their day and work together. In Tigard, I like seeing the trees and plants grow and seeing time change.
How do you get around?
I take the bus – I don’t own a car. Sometimes, I walk to Supa Fresh and sometimes I’m on the bike.
How do you think transit helps provide opportunities for people?
It helps people get to where they need to go – home, or to get some food.
Andrew
Andrew has lived in the Tigard area for the past four years, and he is finishing up high school. He does not have a car, so he travels by skateboard and transit. To Andrew, the Southwest Corridor project will help increase access to education for students living along the route.
What opportunities will the light rail line provide to students when it opens?
It will give people who don’t have that much money easier access to go to school. If they can’t afford a car it will be easier for transportation to school.
How do you think light rail will affect people’s lives?
I think it will give people the ability to have more education, which will help the whole system be better. People will be more educated and have more knowledge.
How do you think transit helps provide opportunities for people?
A lot of people don’t have a lot of money, so it helps them get to their jobs or helps people provide for their family.
Brett was born in Montana, moved to Oregon at 14 and recently returned after a couple years back in Montana.
Brett
Born in rural Montana, Brett moved to the region when he was 14 years old, and after a couple of years away from the region, he moved back just over a year ago. Supa Fresh Youth Farm helps him connect with his Montana roots. But when Brett was returned to Portland, he noticed that traffic congestion had gotten much worse.
What would you want to improve about transit?
I mostly now drive my fiancée’s car, otherwise I’ll wind up taking public transportation. I think this light rail line is going to be a great start. I think there’s just too much traffic on the road nowadays. That’s what I’ve noticed, it feels like it’s tripled since I’ve been back from where it used to be. I hate driving in town because the roads just suck so bad. Anything to get me off the road.
How would you improve transportation in the region?
I can imagine the light rail helping, and I feel that it’s necessary. I voted yes on the Tigard ballot measure, and I’m very glad to hear that it’s coming about. I just think in a couple of years, it’s going to be irrelevant if people keep flooding in to Portland the way that they are.
How do you think transit helps provide opportunities for people?
There have been a couple of times where I wouldn’t have had a job if it had not been for public transportation, so I’m very grateful for it. I see some issues with it, but all in all, I am very satisfied with public transportation. That’s one thing we didn’t have a lot of in Montana – if you didn’t have a car, you were kind of screwed. It’s nice to come out here and be like, “Hey, you can get around for $2.50.”
Luis
Luis has lived all over the region since he moved to Portland when he was in kindergarten. He enjoys spending time at the gym, where he runs and lifts weights. However, Luis does not own a car, and is dependent on transit and walking to get around the region.
What do you like about the community here? What would you want to improve?
I kind of love Supa Fresh and Bethlehem House of Bread. I enjoy volunteering for this type of stuff. There’s also a big mall nearby, I like that. It’s a friendly community. But I wish there were more crosswalks. There’s only three or four on Greenburg Road from the highway all the way to John’s Incredible Pizza (about two-thirds of a mile walk).
How do you get around?
I walk and use public transit. I go from Washington Square to Beaverton Transit Center, all the way to Troutdale, to the Crunch Gym in Beaverton, basically all over the place. I go all the way to Gresham Transit Center – that’s far.
How will this new light rail line help other students in the future?
For some people, definitely, with jobs and schooling, because now they have easier access to transportation to different places.
Tim moved to Beaverton a year ago. He's a student at PCC Sylvania.
Tim
Tim moved to Beaverton a year ago from Florida, and he has moved many times throughout his life. He likes studying math, and he’s learning about automobile maintenance at Portland Community College-Sylvania. At Supa Fresh, he enjoys being outside and spending time with the good friends that he’s made. He uses his skateboard to get around, but he takes transit to go longer distances.
What do you like about the community here?
Everyone’s just so friendly around here. I came up from Florida, where everyone’s really just stuck-up to everyone, and I didn’t care for that. So coming up here, everyone’s just super friendly. I love that. It’s just nice knowing that you can talk to literally anyone around here.
What opportunities will light rail provide to future students?
They will have a lot more transportation to go a lot more places. I know a lot of people don’t want to go out to certain places because it’s just a trip for some people. It makes the trip a lot easier for a lot of people because I know so many students now take the MAX and buses everywhere.
How do you think transit helps provide opportunities for people?
I can’t afford a car, so to be able to take transit as my transportation really helps a lot. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. It helps so many people who don’t really have the money for a car, or who have parents who work late who can’t drive them. Just having the MAX and bus helps so much. It gets people everywhere so they can do so much more.