FREE EVENT: TO BENEFIT NOVATO COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT
Sat., Feb. 4, 2012: 2-6 PM

Community Acupuncture of Marin will be having a "community building" open house at their clinic to benefit the Novato Community Garden Project. There will be free ear acupuncture, live music, local coupons, drawing, and more! Meet members of the Novato Community Garden Committee and learn more about the project. Surprise hands-on activities planned. We will also be raising funds for the garden. All welcomed: kids, family, friends and neighbors! More info to come.

DATE: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
TIME: 2:00 - 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Community Acupuncture of Marin
7075 Redwood Blvd. Suite H  Novato, CA 94945
PHONE: 415-250-4009
DIRECTIONS: Google Maps

JANUARY 6, 2012 UPDATE:
Novato Community Garden Challenging Businesses to "Match the Patch"    
As a current ad running on network TV touts, "Small businesses are the life-blood of the community," volunteers of the Novato Community Garden Project (NCG) are counting on this as they prepare to send out solicitations to local businesses in hopes of an 'infusion' of that 'B-Positive' blood-type.

The earliest support in the fledgling fundraising effort came from Patch, USA, the parent of our own Novato Patch. "We believe in this," said Erika Perkins from Patch, New York. "It's really important for us to support community projects like these and we like to be seen as a trend-setter. It's pretty typical for media outlets to donate 'visibility,' but you can't build a raised bed with that, can you?" Patch donated $500 in cash in August 2011.

"I'm extremely proud of Patch's contributions to communities all over the country," said local Patch editor, Brent Ainsworth. "But especially here in Novato, my home of 15 years. I'm one of the many people who have cheered on this community garden effort since its inception. I admire all the volunteers who have devoted so much time to this project and I can't wait for the day it opens."

NCG has an allegiance to Patch. They've named their local campaign 'Match the Patch' in hopes of encouraging Novato businesses to donate $500, as well. "We need to raise $175,000 by March 15, 2012 in order to get our hands in the soil in time for the 2012 planting season," says advisory board member, Diet Stroeh. "I've got Ghilotti Brothers lined up to do the permit work, and those guys are brimming with community spirit. They love doing projects like this!"

Stroeh is referring to the engineering aspects of the garden project required by the City of Novato as a stipulation for developing the land for this purpose, which includes grading, ADA compliance, landscaping and hard-scape elements, a compliant 30-foot water tower and the agreed-upon modifications negotiated with Dogbone Meadow's leadership group to the dog park to augment shared access and expanded parking.

Many have commented that it is rather astounding that Novato does not yet have a community garden, which seems especially relevant in light of some of the divisiveness the affordable housing debate has spurred, as it's a place where we can get to know our neighbors-at-large. But in this time of economic stress, the City of Novato could offer no help in financing the garden project--it must all be raised by the community.

Whole-heartedly behind the project, Northbay Family Homes director Clark Blasdell didn't hesitate to be the first in line to 'Match the Patch' with a personal check for $500. "It's my hope that many businesses in our community will understand that by supporting the community garden project, they'll be directly in touch with those who'll note and appreciate that local effort, and turn around and 'shop local' to keep Novato economically vibrant from within."

"We've waited long enough," Diet Stroeh recently told project director Veronica Valero and site designer Don Foster, who have both worked tirelessly to get the City of Novato and Design Review Committee to approve the Community Garden. "We've got the approval, so need to move this forward quickly. All these folks have been patient, but the payoff is planting the plots. Let's make this happen!"

Novato Patch Article (1/3/2012):  
Garden Project Starts By Growing a Crop of Financial Backers
By Karen Pavone
There is a Chinese proverb that is as true today as when it was first said: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

As we pull together in the spirit of community this holiday season, filling our grocery carts with bags of food for our families and also for those families in our midst who are less fortunate, we should take a few moments to consider a more long-range view of feeding ourselves in the future.

We all have enough "stuff" -- more than enough in most cases. We are blessed to live in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, surrounded by some of the most beautiful open space in the state. In fact, Novato is a town whose historic roots are firmly planted in farming. Several multi-generational family farm properties can still be found amid the pastoral rolling hills that spread from our city. With all this as our inspiration, why not consider giving the gift of a sustainable community garden to ourselves and future generations who will call Novato their home.

Currently the Novato Community Garden, a project six years in the making by the Novato Live Well Network, is looking for funding to complete its final stages. Despite many obstacles along the way, the project's board of dedicated volunteers has continued to persevere and find solutions that have kept the garden moving forward. READ FULL ARTICLE...

NOVATO COMMUNITY GARDEN GROUP REACHES AGREEMENT
WITH DOG PARK SUPPORTERS: OCTOBER 7, 2011 PRESS RELEASE:

WOULD YOU LIKE A GARDEN PLOT...
...in the Novato Community Garden? We are accepting "Applications of Interest." You will be the first to know about the progress in obtaining funding to build the garden and the first to receive information on how to apply for a plot. You will also be added to our email list to keep you updated.
Click to Download a "Application of Interest" In English
Click to Download a "Application of Interest" In Spanish/Espanol

WHY A COMMUNITY GARDEN? A recent report from UC Cooperative Extension: Marin County Community Garden Needs Assessment, sums it up by stating, "community gardens have a multiplier effect in relation to improved social, environmental, cultural, nutritional, and financial components of neighborhoods and their residents." Click here to read the report.

Also see our list of benefits of having a Novato Community Garden

September 21, 2011 Update: The Novato Community Garden Committee has completed Phase One of the project. Working with the City of Novato, and with support of our City Council, a suitable garden site has been identified and reserved at O'Hair Park, the site design approved, a well has been drilled with services generously donated by Clear Heart Drilling, and final negotiations for a long-term lease are underway.

NEXT STEPS-PHASE TWO: We need your community spirit: your talents, support and services. Please join in our efforts to raise the funds necessary to complete Phase Two of this project. The City is ready to lease us the land, but at a cost of $5,000 to write the lease, another $2,500 for building permits, and $2,500 is needed for required insurance. To get the garden up and running, $175,000 is needed to build an access road, parking area, garden pathways, water system, and a perimeter fence. Other funds will be also be needed for Phase Three: sheds, nursery, gathering place, etc. We are also looking for major sponsors and construction professionals to help us complete Phase Two of our project, to learn more, Please click on the links below:

• A Letter to the Community 9.21.2011
• A Letter to Businesses 9.21.2011
• A list of Benefits of a Community Garden
• Volunteer & Sponsorship info: Monetary, Materials & Labor Donations

Will 2011 be the year? Only with your help. After over SIX years of hard work, overcoming many obstacles, we are almost there -- but we need the help of the community to build the garden. Click here to donate. Or, call 415-897-2302.

THE DREAM
A community garden is a place where people who have no access to sun-drenched soil, can plant, grow, nurture, and harvest organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. A community garden is also a place where the community spirit can grow. It's a place where a diverse group of people can share, learn, teach, encourage and connect with each other and the land. 

We are fortunate to live in Marin County, surrounded by open-space, Mediterranean-like weather, and fertile soil where we can grow our own food or purchase it from local farmers. Even with our abundance, nearly half of our residents in Novato live in multi-unit dwellings without land to garden. In addition, there are a growing number of residents who cannot afford to buy fresh produce to feed themselves or their families. A shrinking economy and rising unemployment are putting the squeeze on many of us. We urgently need to find new ways to access healthy and affordable produce.

WHERE IS THE SITE? : We have a site at O'Hair Park the City of Novato is willing to lease to us. The site is located on Novato Blvd, past San Marin High School on the west side of the Dog Bone Meadow Park. We need to raise at least $150,000 to build and open the garden. Before we can open the garden we need the entry-way and parking constructed, fencing put up, and the water tower and water system installed. We are asking for “seed” money to help build the garden. Your contributions will help us: (1) build over 60 plots, a mini-farm and a demonstration garden, (2) provide educational workshops open to the public on garden basics, water conservation, composting, and organic gardening principles; and (3) contribute to the health and quality of life in our community. See the Vision.

NEXT COMMUNITY GARDEN COMMITTEE MEETING (open to the public):
NOVEMBER MEETING: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, TIME: 6:30-8:00 PM
LOCATION: Atria Tamalpais Creek Retirement Community. 853 Tamalpais Avenue, Novato, CA 94947: Between Novato Blvd. and Center Road. Meet in the Bistro Room.
PLEASE CALL & CONFIRM: Veronica 415-897-2302
DIRECTIONS: See Google Maps link
Everyone welcome. There will be an update on the project and steps we need to take to move forward. Funding is a critical issue. Come with ideas, share your expertise, and be part of the solution. THANK YOU: to Atria for hosting our meetings!

UPDATE-DECEMBER 13, 2010: The City of Novato staff need to approve the recent documents we submitted mid-November. These include: the archeological report; the site plan with the site design changes requested by Design Review Committee at the Aug. 2, 2010 meeting; and the variance application and fee of $2,100 required for the approved variances (see info below). We are waiting to hear about next steps before we can move to writing up a lease agreement with the City and then having it approved by the City of Novato Council.

AUGUST 8, 2010 UPDATE: Thumbs Up for Community Garden in Novato!
On August, 4, 2010, we presented our Novato Community Garden site design to the City of Novato Design Review Committee (DRC). They loved our project! Thank you all who wrote letters of support, attended the meeting, and spoke on behalf of the project. Special thanks to Don Foster, our Site Development Manger, who designed the site, gave a great presentation, and has been handling all the details in moving this project through the City of Novato departments. He has contributed over a thousand hours of volunteer time and we are indebted to him: Here are the main points discussed at the DRC Workshop:

1. The DRC recommended a few modifications on the Pergola (the future carport). There was also discussion on types of alternative materials to be used in place of gravel on the lower half of the parking lot that would better accommodate those with physical disabilities.
2. The DRC also recommended that any future design alterations be reviewed by the City of Novato Zoning Administrator, as an alternative to bringing the project back to the Design Review Committee for final approval. This should save us money and speed up the project. But, we still need to bring the project before the City Council, and this costs money.
3. Also, because there is no construction classification in the City of Novato’s Planning Department to accommodate such agricultural projects as ours, our project had to be reviewed as a “Residential/Commercial” project. This required that we have such things as gutters in the parking lot, night lighting, a 14-foot vertical clearance for the carport, among other things totally inappropriate for this project. So, we requested a variance on the project. The DRC agreed with our request and recommended to City Staff  to treat the project design as “rural & organic” in nature rather than an “urban” design as is a current requirement of standard parking lots. Although this will save us money on the construction of the project, unfortunately, the variance application that we have to submit costs about $2,000.

This is a significant step forward. There is more work to be done, especially raising funds to pay for these fee and future fees, as well as the project itself: an estimated cost of $175,000. We will update you in the coming weeks regarding “next steps” and opportunities to help us move this forward.

CONTACT US:
Questions about the Site Design: Don Foster: (415) 897-0516
Volunteer Opportunities: David Selzer (415) 342-5922
Sponsorship Other Questions: Veronica Valero: (415) 897-2302

READ AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN that was submitted to the City of Novato. Please note, in the second paragraph it inadvertently stated that Novato Live Well Network was instrumental in bringing Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in town. The confusion resulted in the many hats Veronica Valero wears, one being that she was the founder of the Novato Healthy Food Coalition that did bring these stores to Novato. Our apologies for the confusion. To learn more about Novato Live Well Network, visit our Home page and scroll down to see a list of our accomplishments.

WE NEED AT LEAST $175,000 TO BUILD THE GARDEN BASICS:
Entry road, parking, fencing, water tower & irrigation system.
******** Join Us & Support Our Community Garden! ********

COMMUNITY GARDEN FORUM UPDATE: On February, 25, 2010,
We had our first outreach and fundraising event for the Novato Community Garden Project, titled: "Growing a Healthy Community from the Ground Up!" We had a wonder group of panelists that shared with us how they built and sustained their "community" gardens: from childcare, schools, to senior housing--and of course the traditional community garden. We videotaped the event. In the coming months we will have it viewed on our local public access televisions. More info to come. We also raised over $2,000! We used the funds to help pay for the Design Review application fee to begin the process with the City of Novato to get approval of our project.

WELL WATER UPDATE: Thank you Clear Heart Drilling for donating your services to drill for water at the site! We struck it at 50 feet! Now we can move forward working with the City of Novato to lease the property. Read Press Release.

City of Novato VISION STATEMENT: Now includes support for Community Gardens. By participating in the Novato General Plan Update process, we were able to gain support to include wording in the vision statement to support community gardens. It reads: "As we look to the future, we wish to encourage and promote… creation of public gathering places, parks, recreational facilities and community gardens (emphasis added) that provide a sense of community, and allow enjoyment of our natural amenities…"

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1. ATTEND our outreach and fundraising events.

2. JOIN OUT COMMITTEE and help us move it forward. We have been at it since the summer of 2006! We can use help in many areas. We'd love to break ground before the end of 2011, but we can't do it without you! Contact Veronica Valero, 415-897-2302 for more info.

3. SUPPORT THE NOVATO COMMUNITY GARDEN: DONATIONS, small and large, are welcome. We are also looking for material donations and welcome volunteers to help us build the garden. Click here for a donation form and make check payable to: "MarinLink", our fiscal 501c3 sponsor. Write: "Novato Community Garden" in the memo portion of the check. All donations are tax deductible. Mail checks to:

Novato Live Well Network
RE: Novato Community Garden
P.O. Box 1647
Novato, CA 94948-1647
To contact us by phone: 415-897-2302

JULY 1 , 2009 UPDATE: Community Garden Project Takes Root in Novato!:The Novato Community Garden Committee is preparing project plans to submit to the City of Novato for preparation to lease the city’s property at O'Hair Park off of Novato Boulevard. The 1.5 acre site is next to the Dogbone Meadow Park, on the west side. The community garden will have more than 50 plots and a demonstration mini-farm where participants of the garden and members of the community can come and learn how to plant, grow, water and care for vegetables using organic and sustainable principles. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL PRESS RELEASE...

To learn more about the Novato Community Garden Project:
NOTE: Some links no longer available -- we hope to update soon:

PAST ARTICLES & OTHER INFORMATION
(Some articles no longer avail. at www.marinij.com website we are in process of permission to repost these articles.)

• Garden Project No Bed of Roses. Novato Advance, Feb. 23, 2011:
• Plagued by delays, Novato garden project soldiers on. Marin IJ, Feb. 22, 2011 (currently not available)
• Aug. 2, 2010, Marin IJ Article (currently not available)
• Aug. 6, 2010, Marin IJ Article (currently not available)
• "Hard to believe city with 52,000 doesn't have a garden" by Jeanne Santangelo, Lazy Gardener, Novato Advance
• Marin Independent Journal November 23, 2008: Marin Voice
• Sept 3 , 2008 Press Release update.
• Aug. 25 2008 Email update.
• April 21, 2008 Press Release update.
• Novato Community Garden Proposal.
• how you can participate & support the garden.
• benefits of a community garden.

Come help us build our community from the ground up!
Contact Person: Veronica Valero: 415-897-2302

The Community Garden Project is a project of Novato Live Well Network (www.NovatoLiveWell.org). MarinLink is our fiscal sponsor, a California nonprofit corporation, exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. For more info www.MarinLink.org.