A Welcome Presence

A new bunch of friends has recently started frequenting the garden. During our February first-Saturday-of-each-month "come-one-come-all" Work Day, a woman excitedly made contact with Randy, Paul, and Al. Cathy lives in Pomona and has been adopted as Grandma by the kids in her neighborhood. Her own story reflects a move from unhealthy to healthy eating (and gardening), and she has a desire to introduce the local children to a better -- more healthy -- way of life. With permission of parents she has launched the Berkeley Kids Growing Co-op for her special friends right here at Tri-City Community Garden.

This amazing woman and the eager members of her co-op have been working hard turning last year's tomato patch into ready-to-go community growing plots. The group, as well as interns from Pitzer College and other active members of the community garden, have worked side-by-side weeding, clearing, and tilling the soil. Last Saturday (at the March Work Day), some initial transplants were set in place.

This promises to be an amazing educational opportunity for these kids. These children are going to receive something too few kids in our industrial world get: front-and-center engagement with growing real honest-to-goodness veggies. They are sure to enjoy the food they grow, since its food they grew. And they'll be learning about soil (not dirt, as they were taught on their first day in the garden!), seeds, cultivation and so much more.

Tri-City Community Garden was founded for just such a purpose. Everyone is very excited to learn with, and from, the kids co-op and their gracious mentor Cathy, as the seasons unfold.

We Value Making New Friends...

We thought the work day would be rained out this Saturday but there was a break in the weather and with it came encouragement beyond our expect-ations. A group of about 9 Pomona College students representing their environmental club came out for a first time tour of the garden hosted by Farmer Randy. They then stayed and weeded the farm demonstration beds and beyond. Thank you Pomona students--you know who you are! Thank you, Deidra, for tipping them off to come our way and for sharing them even in the midst of your own project needs that day. And thanks for everyone else who came out that soggy day. we all know that when it rains, so come the weeds! So Saturday was a real boost to the garden and to our community.