6/20/26
You may recall that back in April I visited a cool installation of Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s trolls, in Raleigh, NC’s Dorothea Dix Park.
But we have one of his trolls here in the Portland area, too! I had intended to visit before I began traveling last fall, but I never prioritized it since it is in the southwestern suburb of Tigard, not easy or quick to reach by bike or transit.
But there is another really cool thing in Tigard: The Tigard Grange Community Food Project. The aim of the project is to prevent food waste from grocery stores. Volunteers collect donated food—close to expiration dates—from area grocery stores, including some upscale ones. They store the food briefly at the Tigard Grange Hall, inviting other area nonprofits with missions to feed hungry folks to come and take all the food they need to serve their communities.
After this, there is still substantial food left over. So, volunteers turn the grange hall into a temporary grocery store. Twice a week on Monday and Thursday afternoons, the public is welcome to come and shop. For a $5 admission donation—which helps to sustain the project—you can fill up to three standard grocery bags with produce (some of it organic), bread products, prepared foods, canned goods, and more. These days, like so many folks, I can use all the help I can get with grocery bills, and I also like participating in a program to minimize food waste. So, although it usually takes significant time and three buses to get there, I go when I have the time.
Fresh back in the Portland area, and excited to be a “tourist in my own city,” I thought I’d combine a grocery excursion with a trip to the troll!
It was cool to take the bus to the Nordia House and historic Fogelbo House, affiliated respectively with Norway and Sweden. Of course it was fitting to have an art installation by a Danish artist tucked into the trees there.
It was a small area, but fun to walk around and feel like I was in a Scandinavian fairy tale for a short while.
When I left, even the city bus stop shelter was decorated in the theme.
After one more bus ride and a short bike ride, I arrived to the grange and walked out with this $5 haul, excited for the mix of fresh and “treat” items that I might not normally get at the store.
Next up: the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, at peak bloom!
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