Community garden project takes root to supply food for needy

Shui Im, 88, waters the zucchini plants he’s cared for in the all-volunteer community garden in Poway as part of the Backyard Produce Project. Photo by Peggy Peattie

San Diego garden

By Vincent Rossi
The Union Tribune
July 30, 2010

Excerpt:

Early this year, Sunshine Care owner Sam Stelletello offered a vacant lot on his facility’s grounds for the Backyard Produce Project to use to develop its own garden. Stelletello’s offer included access to Sunshine Care’s water supply and help from his horticultural staff.

In March, Radatz and other volunteers went to work on transforming the weed-strewn field into a working garden.

“It’s really grass-roots,” said Radatz on a recent day at the garden. “We started out asking questions like, ‘Does anybody have a hoe?’?”

The volunteers include people with gardening experience, as well as others who just want to help. Some participants have unveiled surprising expertise.

For example, when the gardeners needed to link up with Sunshine’s water lines, Mark Devlin, who had started with the Backyard Produce Project as a volunteer picker, revealed to Radatz that he was a former irrigation installer. “Each person has something you didn’t expect,” Radatz said.

By mid-June, a 25-by-50 foot area had been cleared and fenced, with help from a grant from Palomar Pomerado Health. Fencing to keep out rabbits and gophers has been the biggest expense so far, Radatz said.

The first plantings went in June 15. Starter plants were donated by Poway Nursery and Baron’s Marketplace. Other corporate and individual donors supplied fertilizer, tools and other items.

Full article here.