“Growing Community,” San Carlos Community Garden’s motto, was elevated to a new level in October with a partnership between Garden volunteers and Blue Shield of California.
Combining planning talents, labor expertise plus the generosity of time and money, the collaborators built elaborate fencing cage barriers around plots designated to grow food for the Good Shepherd Food Pantry in El Cajon.
“Protecting the plants from being eaten before a bountiful harvest will increase our ability to work on our goal to help end food insecurity”, said Gayle Mills, Garden SCCG board member in charge of maintenance and volunteers. “We really wanted to contribute to the community, so we began planting and donating produce,” Mills said. “Many of the plots didn’t have any fencing structures and the ones that did weren’t efficient. Our goal was to construct a durable, stable and sustainable structure for the plots.”
SCCG volunteer and gardener Nancy Paige designed the structure’s blueprints and assisted in the building process. Although she does not have a formal engineering background she said “I’ve always really liked woodworking, sawing things, machines, things that come apart and figuring out how they work. I’d like to see other gardeners use my design but I also enjoy the diversity in others’ imagination.”
Blue Shield of California (BSCA), a mutual benefit corporation and health care plan, is particularly committed to community service, environmental sustainability and food insecurity and helped make this project possible.
Not only did 22 employee volunteers build three structures, but the company underwrote all the costs.
BSCA IT Product Manager Claire Doctor said, “Not only did this work help protect what is grown in these plots and help beautify the space, but the food that will be grown in those plots will later be donated to a local food pantry. I can’t think of a better way to spend a morning than showing up to a beautiful community garden with coworkers new and old, and working hard with members of the community to help support an organization that does such meaningful work.”
In addition to the three structures they built, the BSCA employees also harvested 61 sweet potatoes for the pantry and rolled up their sleeves to weed and mulch the Garden’s Orchard.
Alan Comstock and James Hyde, SCCG plot owners and regular volunteers, were also instrumental in the project’s completion and success, contributing countless hours of hands-on volunteerism.
“I was there when they started construction, so I started helping out,” Comstock said. “I figured this was something I could learn to do and something I could eventually build for my own plot.”
“Just initially the structures have been a really fun talking point around the community,” Hyde said. “I’m really optimistic about how they’ll work and all the food we’ll be able to continue to send to the food bank without interference from critters.”
Overall, the San Carlos Community Garden’s commitment to minimizing food insecurity brought together a corporation and individuals of all backgrounds, ages and woodworking abilities to work as a team. They remain hopeful that these structures will maximize the Garden’s ability to help neighbors in need. What better way to “Grow Community”.
The SCCG is open to the public every Saturday from 9 -11 a.m.
Other events this month include:
Storytime in the Garden: Saturday, Nov. 11, 10 – 10:30 a.m.
Landscaping with Succulents: Saturday, Nov. 18, 9 – 10:30 a.m.
Yoga in the Garden: Sunday, Nov. 19, 9 – 10 a.m.
Produce Swap: Saturday, Nov. 25, 9:30 – 11 a.m.
Learn more at: sancarloscommunitygarden.com.
Editors note: Gayle Mills and the article’s writer, Jessica Mills, are related.
(Courtesy photos)
