Oregon Garden Cultivates Heritage, Connects Community Through South Asian Cuisine

Hillsboro Market Garden Cultivates Community and Heritage: Edible Stories Connects Generations Through South Asian Cuisine. A small market garden in Hillsboro, Oregon, is doing more than just growing vegetables; it's nurturing a strong sense of community and preserving cultural heritage. Lakshmi Tata, the owner of Edible Stories Market Garden, has made it her mission to cultivate vegetables traditionally used in South Asian cooking. "We decided to try growing some vegetables that are used in South Asian cooking," Tata explains. "Over time, people started appreciating it. It connected them to their heritage." The garden isn't just a source of food; it's a place where families and neighbors connect, sharing stories and traditions passed down through generations. Aanandhi Ganesh, a young farmer-in-training, shares her experience: "When my mom goes out, she'll pick different types of Indian vegetables, and she'll be talking about how her mother or grandmother would cook them." The garden's success demonstrates the power of community engagement and the importance of preserving cultural heritage through food.