NEXT COMMUNITY GARDEN COMMITTEE MEETING:
DATE: Wednesday, Sept. 1 2010. (NOTE: Next meeting: Wed. Oct. 6)
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.
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.
FOR MORE INFO: Veronica Valero (415) 897-2302
THANK YOU: to Atria Tamalpais Creek Retirement Community for hosting our meetings!

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.

The Novato Community Garden Committee has a solution: build a community garden to teach people how to grow their own food; provide garden plots to those who do not have access to land; and create a source of fresh fruits and vegetables to families willing to work the soil.

We need your help: 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, passed San Marin High School on the west side of the Dog Bone Meadow Park. We need to raise $80,000 to build the garden. We are asking for “seed” money to help build the garden. Your contributions will help us: (1) build over 50 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. Click here to learn how you can help .

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. (To view the site design click on the links Below): 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 $150,000. We will update you in the coming weeks regarding “next steps” and opportunities to help us move this forward.

CONTACT US:
Meet us at the Novato Farmers Market on Tuesdays, from 4-7 PM.
Questions about the Site Design: Don Foster: (415) 897-0516
Volunteer Opportunities: Gisela & Jeff Le Maitre: (415) 898-6893
Funding & other Questions: Veronica Valero: (415) 897-2302

READ RECENT ARTICLES From the Marin Independent Journal:
Aug. 2, 2010, Marin IJ Article
Aug. 6, 2010, Marin IJ Article

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 TO RAISE AROUND $150,000 TO BUILD THE GARDEN!
******** 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. Next one is scheduled on April 22, 2010. See details above.

2. JOIN OUT COMMITTEE and help us move it forward. We have been at it for 3-1/2 years! We can use help in many areas. We'd love to break ground before Summer, 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...

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.

The Novato Community Garden Committee has a solution: build a community garden to teach people how to grow their own food; provide garden plots to those who do not have access to land; and create a source of fresh fruits and vegetables to families willing to work the soil.

We need your help: 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, passed San Marin High School on the west side of the Dog Bone Meadow Park. We need to raise $80,000 to build the garden. We are asking for “seed” money to help build the garden. Your contributions will help us: (1) build over 50 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. Click here to learn how you can help .

To learn more about the Novato Community Garden Project:

• Read Novato Advance "Hard to believe city with 52,000 doesn't have a garden" by Jeanne Santangelo, Lazy Gardener
• Read Marin Voice in the Marin Independent Journal November 23, 2008.
• Read our Sept 3 , 2008 Press Release update.
• Read our Aug. 25 2008 Email update.
• Read our April 21, 2008 Press Release update.
• Read our flyer on how you can participate & support the garden.
• Read about the benefits of a community garden.
• Read our Novato Community Garden Proposal.
• See pictures of other community gardens & proposed Novato locations .
• About the Novato Community Garden Committee BIOS.
• About our Garden Advisory Board BIOS.

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.