Urban agriculture, Pacifica Gardens

Pacifica Tribune/Jean Bartlett/Features Correspondent, 6/9/15, "Local gardens cultivate future growers."

"The volunteer-driven Pacifica Gardens...  broke ground in 2008... under the guidance of garden manager and project director Loretta O'Brien. ...

Got that weed.

....  Recently the students of Erin Grochowski's first grade class at Vallemar Elementary School arrived for Friday morning lessons on important Garden topics such as: water cycles, photosynthesis, knowing all about seeds — including the seed's "lunch box," or cotyledon, and how important water and warmth are to seeds — and the great significance of plant pollinators and favorite plants of those pollinators like California poppies, sunflowers and the herb borage. The hands-on lessons included creating a bed for a red runner bean seed in a paper cup with an egg shell, soil, and then after placing the seed safely in, covering it over with a hearty blanket of soil. Along with O'Brien, five volunteers taught at rotating stations.

....  Like all visiting Pacifica elementary school students, the 21 Vallemar first graders arrived at the Gardens courtesy of the bus provided by Recology of the Coast. O'Brien said the Gardens have been fortunate to have the support of a number of local companies and caring citizens and she was particularly grateful to Kaiser Permanente who has offered much needed financial assistance since the Garden opened. ....  the recently built 20 by 6-foot wheelbarrow shed which was made possible through the generosity of the Sam Mazza Foundation. The Gardens most immediate need is the means to replace storm-damaged greenhouses. ... comments of sound approval could be heard from students taking in lessons on compost and worm bins."  Read more.

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Reference - "Pacifica Gardens, is a 30,000 sq. ft. urban agricultural project located on an abandoned soccer field at Linda Mar School, 830 Rosita Road, Pacifica, CA.  

Projects underway: biointensive food gardens, permaculture food forest, native plants, herbs, fruit tree mini-orchard, large-scale composting, elementary school field trips, youth community service program, food donation program.  

And look what's new
this year? Planting boxes.

Programs in development: classes for cooking with organic produce."  About Pacifica Gardens, .... "Pacifica Gardens' flagship programs are its garden-based education field trips and food donation program. The education program hosts elementary school field trips from the local school district. The food donation program provides fresh organic produce to the Pacifica Resource Center, which serves families in need. We also offer educational opportunities for teens in our Youth Community Service program. The garden participates with other community groups in events such as Earth Day, Great Sunflower Project Bee Counting, and the Pacifica Garden Club tour. Native plant and vegetable start sales are held throughout the year." AmeriCorps Infrastructure Project - Mar 2015, AmeriCorps NCCC Green Team 5 came to Pacifica Gardens during March 8-20, 2015 to build garden infrastructure: raised beds, propagation tables, storage bays, stone herb circle, and sheet mulching."

Note the above Pacifica Gardens photographs are by Alan Lee, workday 2009, except his AmeriCorp Infrastructure Project planting boxes 3/19/15.  Also see more, archives.

Posted by Kathy Meeh