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The Real Dirt
Strides Made at the Middletown Community Garden
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Filed in: Community Gardens | Raised Beds
For the past year we have been working to put in a community garden in Middletown with the generous help of Calpine Corporation. We are finally on the final stretch with hopes to be completely done by early June. We were featured last week in the Lake County Record Bee!
To read the rest of the article click here!
READ MORE >Saved From the Gophers! Thanks CCC
Thanks to the California Conservation Corps crew members for all their hard work gopher-proofing and cleaning up the Mendocino College Preschool Garden! It was a beautiful fall day. Keeping the gophers and other burrowing critters out of the garden beds will definitely allow the preschoolers to see the fruits of their garden labor!!
We dug out the raised beds, laid in gopher-wire metal mesh, and nailed it to the bender boards 3 - 4 " apart. We then filled the beds back in with a mixture of the original soil and compost. In addition to keeping the gophers out, this work helped aerate and add important nutrients to the soil.
Want to see more photos?
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A Year in Review
We are often asked, "How many Gardens do you have?"
Our Reply? "NONE!"
However to this date, the Gardens Project has facilitated the development of 34 community gardens in Mendocino and Lake counties.
Just in the past year, we've developed two new community gardens in Ukiah, hosted leadership development training for gardeners, updated and expanded the capacity of several existing gardens, and strengthened partnerships with many.
Here's a summary of all the fun we've had in the last year!
Garden Leadership Trainings
Over the last three years, we've trained 60 gardeners in Mendocino County to become leaders for their community gardens, increasing the sustainability of gardens and building community. Since January, we've worked with 20 of those leaders of on coast, and a group of leaders in Willits from our 2013 training have continued to meet. The Willits leaders hosted a garden tour on August 25th.
The capstone project of a year long leadership training is the Photovoice Project. Participants take photos from their gardens and add captions to capture aspects of their garden experiences to share with community members and policy makers. Click here to view Photovoice Projects.
Autumn Leaves Senior Apartments
20 new raised beds were created in Early Fall 2013 for Autumn Leaves. The Gardens Project partnered with and the Pinoleville Pomo Nation YouthBuild Program to create the raised beds. North Cal Wood Products donated redwood and Cold Creek Compost donated compost to fill all the new beds. All three have donated their time and resources to many other gardens working with the Gardens Project. See all the photos of the beds being constructed by these resourceful youth at our Autumn Leaves Photo Album!
Vinewood Park Community Garden
Vinewood Park Community Garden is a collaboration between the City of Ukiah and The Gardens Project. The Garden is located along the North end of the park, along the fence line in an area previously underused and covered in ivy. The garden provides 12 wheel-chair accessible raised beds serving the Walnut Village Senior Apartments as well as 16 additional beds for neighboring families and individuals. Pinoleville YouthBuild, our most valuable partner in garden construction, built the fence, raised beds and communication board for the garden. See more pictures of the garden!
Village Circle Community Garden
Village Circle Community Garden was developed in partnership with private land owners. This garden is one of the largest community gardens in Ukiah with 49 plots, second only to the State Street Garden which currently has 54 garden plots. Gardeners from the Cleveland Lane Community Garden have transitioned to this new garden in preparation for their garden closing due to expansion of the Grace Hudson Museum. Directly south of the garden are the Summer Creek apartments, who's residents are also participating in the garden. Thank you to Jason Dolan and Dark Horse Farming Company for providing labor and materials for the fencing, and also Ukiah Natural Foods for awarding the Gardens Project with a $2,000 grant to purchase fencing.
New Communication Boards
Five boards were created for gardens to post communications, gardening information by the students of the PinolevilleYouth Build Program.
Gardening Workshops
Starting in Janurary 2014, the Gardens Project started a series of workshops that take a new gardener step by step through the gardening cycle. We are so thankful for all of our workshop presenters, and are looking forward to the ones still to come!
Past Workshops in 2014
Janurary: Planning your Garden with Brooke Wilder
March: Seed Starting and Transplanting with Carolyn Brown
April: Water Conservation with Linda Macelwee
May: Bed Preparation with Luke Howerter
June: Drip Irrigation with Peter Reynolds
July: Natural Pest Management with Dan Storm
Upcoming Workshops
Oct 11th:Composting with Luke Howerter
Oct 18th: Row Cover Season Extension with Gloria Jarrell
However to this date, the Gardens Project has facilitated the development of 34 community gardens in Mendocino and Lake counties.
Just in the past year, we've developed two new community gardens in Ukiah, hosted leadership development training for gardeners, updated and expanded the capacity of several existing gardens, and strengthened partnerships with many.
Here's a summary of all the fun we've had in the last year!
.jpg) |
| Coastal Garden Leaders at their first meeting in Janurary 2014, they graduate next month! |
Garden Leadership Trainings
Over the last three years, we've trained 60 gardeners in Mendocino County to become leaders for their community gardens, increasing the sustainability of gardens and building community. Since January, we've worked with 20 of those leaders of on coast, and a group of leaders in Willits from our 2013 training have continued to meet. The Willits leaders hosted a garden tour on August 25th.
The capstone project of a year long leadership training is the Photovoice Project. Participants take photos from their gardens and add captions to capture aspects of their garden experiences to share with community members and policy makers. Click here to view Photovoice Projects.
 |
| Pinoleville Youth Build Students working at Autumn Leaves |
Autumn Leaves Senior Apartments
20 new raised beds were created in Early Fall 2013 for Autumn Leaves. The Gardens Project partnered with and the Pinoleville Pomo Nation YouthBuild Program to create the raised beds. North Cal Wood Products donated redwood and Cold Creek Compost donated compost to fill all the new beds. All three have donated their time and resources to many other gardens working with the Gardens Project. See all the photos of the beds being constructed by these resourceful youth at our Autumn Leaves Photo Album!
.jpg) |
| Vinewood Park at the Peak of the Season! |
Vinewood Park Community Garden
Vinewood Park Community Garden is a collaboration between the City of Ukiah and The Gardens Project. The Garden is located along the North end of the park, along the fence line in an area previously underused and covered in ivy. The garden provides 12 wheel-chair accessible raised beds serving the Walnut Village Senior Apartments as well as 16 additional beds for neighboring families and individuals. Pinoleville YouthBuild, our most valuable partner in garden construction, built the fence, raised beds and communication board for the garden. See more pictures of the garden!
 |
| Village Circle Gardeners, October 2014 |
Village Circle Community Garden was developed in partnership with private land owners. This garden is one of the largest community gardens in Ukiah with 49 plots, second only to the State Street Garden which currently has 54 garden plots. Gardeners from the Cleveland Lane Community Garden have transitioned to this new garden in preparation for their garden closing due to expansion of the Grace Hudson Museum. Directly south of the garden are the Summer Creek apartments, who's residents are also participating in the garden. Thank you to Jason Dolan and Dark Horse Farming Company for providing labor and materials for the fencing, and also Ukiah Natural Foods for awarding the Gardens Project with a $2,000 grant to purchase fencing.
 |
| Tons of information for gardeners to see on the new boards. |
Five boards were created for gardens to post communications, gardening information by the students of the PinolevilleYouth Build Program.
 |
| Seed Starting and Transplanting Workshop, March 2014 |
Starting in Janurary 2014, the Gardens Project started a series of workshops that take a new gardener step by step through the gardening cycle. We are so thankful for all of our workshop presenters, and are looking forward to the ones still to come!
Past Workshops in 2014
Janurary: Planning your Garden with Brooke Wilder
March: Seed Starting and Transplanting with Carolyn Brown
April: Water Conservation with Linda Macelwee
May: Bed Preparation with Luke Howerter
June: Drip Irrigation with Peter Reynolds
July: Natural Pest Management with Dan Storm
Upcoming Workshops
Oct 11th:Composting with Luke Howerter
Oct 18th: Row Cover Season Extension with Gloria Jarrell
Raised Beds for Autumn Leaves
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Filed in: Raised Beds
The 92 senior residents of Autumn Leaves Senior Apartments in Ukiah now have 20 beautiful raised beds to make their garden more wheel-chair accessible. The avid gardeners at Autumn Leaves saw the need to have raised beds so that all residents could participate in growing their own food in more easeful way.
The garden at Autumn Leaves has been around for many years, but focus in the garden has changed over time. Jerrie Woodward, a resident of Autumn Leaves of four years, has had a garden all her life. She said that before she lived there, most of the gardeners used the garden produce for just their families. Now, Jerrie and another woman of Autumn Leaves focus on producing a lot of food to give back to the 92 residents living there.
The Gardens Project partnered with and the Pinoleville Pomo Nation YouthBuild Program to create the raised beds. North Cal Wood Products donated redwood and Cold Creek Compost donated compost to fill all the new beds. All three have donated their time and resources to many other gardens working with the Gardens Project. See all the photos of the beds being constructed by these resourceful youth at our Autumn Leaves Photo Album!
Most of the beds have already claimed by current gardeners needing the upgrade, though four residents will be starting their first garden at Autumn Leaves soon. Simply put, Jerrie says “It’s going to be so great!”
The garden at Autumn Leaves has been around for many years, but focus in the garden has changed over time. Jerrie Woodward, a resident of Autumn Leaves of four years, has had a garden all her life. She said that before she lived there, most of the gardeners used the garden produce for just their families. Now, Jerrie and another woman of Autumn Leaves focus on producing a lot of food to give back to the 92 residents living there.
The Gardens Project partnered with and the Pinoleville Pomo Nation YouthBuild Program to create the raised beds. North Cal Wood Products donated redwood and Cold Creek Compost donated compost to fill all the new beds. All three have donated their time and resources to many other gardens working with the Gardens Project. See all the photos of the beds being constructed by these resourceful youth at our Autumn Leaves Photo Album!
Most of the beds have already claimed by current gardeners needing the upgrade, though four residents will be starting their first garden at Autumn Leaves soon. Simply put, Jerrie says “It’s going to be so great!”
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