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CONTACT
INFORMATION:
Novato Community Garden
P.O. Box 1084
Novato CA 94948-1084
Veronica Valero, Chair
(415) 897-2302
A Project of :
Novato Live Well Network
www.NovatoLiveWell.org
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APRIL
22: CELEBRATE EARTH DAY WITH US: Our next outreach
& fundraising event is titled: "Our Local Food Shed:
The Hidden Bounty of Marin." Learn about "food sheds." View
the award-winning 30-minute video documentary, "Hidden
Bounty of Marin" written and directed by Steve Quirt and
Ellie Rilla, and produced by Novato Public Access Television.
Have a dialogue with local farmers, educators and Locavores.
Hear an update on the Novato Community Garden Project. Meet
collaborators. Find resources.
When: Thursday, April 22, 2010,
7-9 PM, doors open at 6:45 PM
Location: Novato Unified School District Offices,
1015 Seventh Street, Novato, CA 94945 (Cross street: Grant Avenue)
Donation: $5 to $10, no one turned away
Fundraising Raffle: Tickets sold prior to and during the event.
1 ticket for $5, or 3 tickets for $10. (See
Flyer for more info.)
WE NEED TO RAISE $100,000 TO $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:
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.
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Community gardens provide people from diverse backgrounds with access to
land for raising fruits, vegetables, and flowers for themselves and
others. These
spaces allow people to reconnect with the land and the natural systems
from which our food is grown. In addition to a reconnection with
the land, community gardens foster a sense of community when neighbors
meet neighbors and work together to nurture the garden space. Just
as a garden thrives on diversity, so too does a community. These
garden spaces bring together people from diverse religious, ethnic,
and socio-economic backgrounds, as well as people of different ages and
abilities. There
are multiple health benefits associated with community gardens including,
physical exercise, increased nutrition and mental health. Community
gardens foster a culture of service among members that work together
to plant, nurture and harvest food for themselves and others.
Many Novato residents living in apartments or condominiums lack
access to healthy fresh food and recreational opportunities.
Among these residents we find some of the most vulnerable members
of our community such as low-income families and individuals,
seniors, recent immigrants, and young children. These individuals
are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, a lack of nutrient-rich foods,
overweight/obesity and/or related health problems. Community
gardens offer a sustainable community-based strategy for addressing these issues
by providing people with access to land to grow fruits and vegetables to supplement
their diet.
The Novato Community Garden project aims
to increase the availability of and access to community gardens
to promote healthy eating and active living as the norm in our
community. The project is particularly committed to targeting,
engaging, and including the abovementioned diverse community members
as key to our success in this endeavor.
Community gardens represent the greatest opportunity to bring together diverse
members of the community to support each other, reconnect with natural systems,
reap the rewards of increased nutrition and exercise that a garden provides,
for the least amount of money relative to other projects.
THE NOVATO COMMUNITY GARDEN COMMITTEE
The Novato Community Garden Committee was formed in July 2006
and is comprised of 6-8 volunteer committee members and an Advisory
Board. Committee
members bring diverse interests and experience together with the
common goal of building a community garden for the people of Novato.
(See Committee Member
Bios ) Since July 2006, the committee
has met on a regular basis to create and refine our vision and
to craft a strategic plan. We held an open meeting to assess public
interest in February 2007, with nearly 40 people in attendance. We
have sought ways to leverage existing resources and partner with
related organizations. In
addition, we have met with other community garden representatives
and toured several local community gardens.
WHY NOVATO NEEDS COMMUNITY GARDENS
Novato is the northernmost city in Marin County, compromising approximately
28 square miles. According to the 2000 Census Data, the population
of Novato was 47,630, which broke down to approximately 76.3% White,
13.1% Hispanic, 5.1% Asian, 1.9% Black and 3.6% all other races. The
Marin Independent Journal recently reported that Novato is the
fastest growing city in Marin, thanks in large part to developments at
Hamilton. This
has raised the population of Novato to approximately 52,246 people
as of January 1, 2007. While
the City of Novato enjoys a great deal of open space and parks,
there are currently no community gardens available to the citizens
of Novato.
NOVATO'S HISTORICAL ROOTS IN AGRICULTURE
The hills and valleys of Novato were once the hunting grounds
of Miwok Indians. Their village located north of Novato,
named Olompali, is now a State Historic Park. In 1843,
Olompali was granted to a Native American, Camilo Ynitia, who
raised wheat and became a successful cattle breeder.
Most of the land that is the present day City of Novato was
known as Rancho de Novato and was originally granted to Fernando
Feliz, who served in the Mexican Army.
Photo: Novato History Museum
In 1856, Francis DeLong (left) and Joseph Sweetser (right) formed a
partnership and bought Rancho de Novato. Upon finding the climate
favorable, the pair set out to plant one of the largest orchards in the
world. Fruit grown in Novato was shipped throughout the United
States and to several other countries.
In 1879, Sweetser sold most of his share of the Novato Rancho to his
partner, DeLong. When Francis DeLong died in 1885, he left his estate
to his son, Frank Coye DeLong.
The Home and Farm Company purchased the Black Point Ranch from Frank
DeLong in 1888 and divided the 6,000 acres into lots and sold them as
business and residential sites. That was the "new town of Novato".
According to Jim McNern, a native of Novato and President of the
Novato Historical Guild, “Novato was an agricultural community
with small dairies and chicken ranches and orchards dotting the landscape”.
Today, most of those dairies, ranches and orchards are now subdivisions.
SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL EQUITY
In October of 2003, the Novato Citizens Advisory Committee produced
a Community Strategic Plan titled “Novato 2028 Visions and Strategies – A
Plan for Novato’s Future and How To Get There”. The
plan was the result of more than 25 people working for over a
year to produce a tool that would guide decision makers towards
providing and maintaining an outstanding quality of life for the residents
of Novato.
This community plan stated “The success of the community in the
future will be a collaborative effort of informed citizens, local government,
the business community, education resources, nonprofit agencies, service organizations
and homeowner associations”.
Section II of the community plan focuses on a sustainable community
and includes issues related to the Natural Environment, Economy
and Social Equity. Vision
2(e) specifically recommends, “Develop and implement policies to preserve,
restore, and enhance historical and local agriculture around Novato”.
Developing a network of community gardens offer a unique opportunity
for citizens, nonprofit agencies, faith communities, education
resources, and local government to collaborate in support of a
more sustainable community. A network of community gardens could
also prove to be the first step in restoring a small amount of local
agriculture to Novato.
The changing demographics of Novato, coupled with the alarming
rise in childhood obesity rates make the need for access to land
even more critical. Research
shows that a child’s taste for fresh fruits and vegetables is developed
early. Community gardens provide access to land in order to grow fruits
and vegetables to supplement a family’s nutritional needs.
OUR MISSION & VISION
"Growing A Healthy Community, From The Ground
Up"
The Mission of the Novato Community Garden Association
is to build and support a network of community gardens that enable
people from diverse backgrounds to grow food and foster community in
a sustainable manner.
The Vision of the NCGC is a healthy, sustainable
community where people from diverse backgrounds come together to reconnect
with the land, grow food for themselves and others, and cultivate a truly integrated
community. A series of local community gardens provide the foundation
for growing a healthy community.
- Through advocacy, we help others to envision and support a thriving
network of community-based gardens accessible to people of diverse
ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.
- Through partnerships
with nonprofit organizations, parks and recreation departments,
schools and colleges, and civic and faith-based groups, we work
to empower people through gardening.
- Through our future
website, we will share information and resources, locally and
globally, to
foster a supportive climate for community gardening.
- Through
local workshops, trainings, and networking, we offer technical
assistance to individuals and groups working to establish sustainable
community gardens.
- Through garden-based education
and outreach programs, we help the people of our Novato build
self-reliance and interdependence through community gardening.
- Through
support of anti-hunger initiatives, we encourage gardeners to
give back to the community by sharing their garden produce, skills,
knowledge, and dedication with others.
- Through collaborative projects,
we envision a local food system where more people experience
the rewards of gardening and become healthier through improved
diets, exercise, and positive social interactions.
The Novato Community Garden Committee is a
sponsored project of MarinLink, a non-profit 501c3 organization that offers groups in Marin
County opportunities to work in partnership to leverage resources and
create collaborative solutions. MarinLink is committed to linking
key service areas including: health, sustainability; education; spirituality;
business programs and service.
The leadership of MarinLink includes Nancy Boyce, RN, MA, a
resident of Marin County for more than 30 years. Founder and President
of Marin Link, Nancy has been honored as a Public Health Hero by Marin
County’s Department of Health & Human Services for her work
as a school nurse, founding the Marin Integrative Healing Network, and
creating the Pre-School Health Resource Manual. She has served on numerous
boards and councils in Marin and is committed to creating community connections
for the people and programs of Marin County.
Mary O’Mara, MBA, a native of Marin County,
is Executive Director and Co-Founder of MarinLink. A former teacher
and school administrator, she is passionate about contributing
to programs that serve the needs of children and families.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR A COMMUNITY GARDEN
“I
am so happy to see community gardens growing in Novato.
I believe they will yield a healthy harvest of renewed community
spirit.”
Judy Arnold
Marin County Supervisor
P.S. I love fried green tomatoes.
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"I and many others are so excited about the potential
of a community garden in Novato! I read
about other community gardens in cities around the Bay Area
and have been wide-eyed at the work they do. They bring people
together, teach long term care of plants (and land and beneficial
insects), and how to eat what you grow. It brings old and
young together in one place. Now that's a community!
I hope we see a wide range of neighbors, from grandparents
to professionals to kids, of course. What a wonderful way
for Novato to begin to "turn green"!
Perhaps schools and struggling families could receive crops,
and tours could be done as we become an example for the county.
The possibilities seem endless.
The Novato Mother's Club recently started a Gardening
Group which I am currently heading. In my personal opinion
the Gardening Group would welcome the additional land to
sow and would be happy to learn more about organics, mulching,
composting, etc. My spear-head group, Alleyway Allies, could
use cuttings and trimmings from what are sure to be bountiful
plots. I look forward to the announcement of Opening Day!!!!"
Stephanie Kline & family
Novato Resident
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"The Marin Farmers Market Association, a 24-year
old community institution that has served to connect the Marin County community
with the freshest, locally and regionally grown delicious
produce from small farms, is pleased to support the efforts
of the Novato Community to establish a
community garden. With adult and childhood diabetes
and obesity on the rise, as well as our being faced with
a significant environmental crisis due to how large scale
agriculture is degrading our planet, it is so encouraging
to have local efforts such as the Novato Community Garden
emerging to be a positive force in our community. Gardens
like these impact more than just the physical space and the
people directly involved. They bring about a positive focus
on things that really matter – health, community, and
taking care of the planet."
Leah Smith
Director of Outreach
Marin County Farmers Markets, www.marinfarmersmarkets.org
Bringing Farmers and Communities together in the
Bay Area for 23 years
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"Research abounds on the benefits gardening has on
the young, old and everyone in between. Yet for many of us,
me included, our housing situation doesn’t allow us
to garden at our place of residence –yards are too
small and/or Homeowner’s policies prohibit it – quite
ironic that these policies encourage human energy and natural
resources be given to maintaining grass but not food!
Prior to moving to Novato, I was a member
of community gardening in Oakland and New
Hampshire. I know first hand the benefits community
gardening has on individuals, neighborhoods and communities:
better nutritional, physical and mental health; a greater
sense of community and a greater sense of responsibility
to community; a greater understanding and appreciation for
food and the precious resources that are needed to grow it;
neighborhood development and beautification; diversity of
plant and wildlife; community education (organic practices
and pest control, waste minimization, recycling, composting
and mulching).
Community gardens can serve as a catalyst for neighborhood
development, beautification, recreation, therapy, and food
production. Please move ahead with this missing and vital
community service."
Jane McCoy
Novato Resident
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"Community gardens produce food, create community,
and raise awareness about local agriculture and the
connection between healthy soil and a healthy society. I
cannot think of a better and more important use of a small
plot of land."
Helge Hellberg
Executive Director
Marin Organic
www.MarinOrganic.org
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“If you ask most kids today where their food originates
from, you’d probably get the name of some fast food
chain or mega-supermarket or possibly Spongebob’s Crusty
Crab shack. While our kids are becoming more and more electronically
obsessed and overweight, the connection of food coming from
the land is a way of life that is sadly and rapidly disappearing.
That’s why every town needs a community garden! Not
only will a community garden in Novato beautify
a public space, but it will make a great outdoor classroom
to teach kids and even adults about where “real” food
comes. Community gardens improve the quality of life not
only for the gardeners but for the entire community. Mahatma
Gandhi once said, “ To forget how to dig the earth
and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” I say, “Forget
about what’s on TV and go play in the dirt!”
Annie Spiegelman, the dirt diva
Local author, Master Gardener, garden columnist
www.dirtdiva.com
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"Sustainable community gardens are important for
community development because they can be used to teach a
wide variety of people the importance of a balanced life
style that includes gardening, fruits and vegetables in the
diet, exercise and connection to the land. Community gardens
also build ties in the community and protect and or restore
the environment."
Fernando Agudelo - Silva, Ph. D.
Professor Biology / Env. Landscaping
College of Marin
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"A community garden in Novato could be a joint and
shared activity for the entire family, even intergenerationally.
It can be an outdoor, healthy family focus that includes
planning together, planting, tending, reaping, enjoying.
Young children can gain respect and tenderness toward Nature,
and older kids and teens can develop skills, responsibility
and understanding about reaping rewards from their labors
that will prove valuable in later life.
As a child, I was involved with a community garden in
Brooklyn, NY. It was an experience that stayed with
me throughout my life. The pleasure of the toil and the exhilaration
of seeing food items and beauty grow from seeds began for
me as a young man. There is no better-tasting food
than that which one grows himself.
A garden would create a sense of pride on a personal level
which spills over into pride in our community. Having been
involved with high school age children for many years in
Novato, my wife and I have repeatedly heard similar laments
- "Boring Novato." My own children felt the
dearth of attractions and things for them and their friends
to do in our lovely town. A garden would add an area
of interest and possibilities for kids of this age and genre."
David Bedar
Novato Resident
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"Childhood obesity and the consequential health risks
such as Type II Diabetes are increasing in our communities
at an alarming rate. Health and wellness education for our
students, parents and the community at large is fundamental
in addressing this crisis. The National School Meals
program can assist with administering wellness education
as "Total School Nutrition Environments" are established
in schools. The Community garden can support our goals in
educating the families about the importance of eating fresh,
better yet, growing what you eat. As we develop and grow
school gardens, community gardens can provide further support
and outreach. In addition to growing healthier foods, community
gardens can grow healthier people "
Miguel Villarreal
Director Food and Nutritional Services
Novato Unified School District
San Rafael City Schools
www.nusd.org
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"Novato will reap manifold benefits from the community
gardens coming soon thanks to the legwork of a determined
and visionary group of volunteers. Community gardens heal
the individual, nurture the greater community and make the
healthy benefits of organic gardening available to all. Community
gardeners make new friends, learn from experienced gardeners
and pass on lifetimes of experience from many cultures to
a new generation.
Imagine standing in your garden, eating delicious food
that you have hand-raised and harvested at its moment of
perfection. Discover or renew your relationship with time,
weather and the seasons. Get up close and personal as you
learn the life cycles of the interesting and beneficial small
creatures that share our earth. Experience the joy and pride
of raising beautiful flowers from small seeds or seedlings.
The joys of community gardening and its lessons stay with
you always."
Jeanne Santangelo, Novato Resident
The Lazy Gardener weekly columnist, Novato Advance
www.lazygardener.org
"Sustainable Novato's work involves developing a
healthy eco-system in Novato, integrated with economic vitality
and social equity for all residents. A sustainable community
garden can help address these matters by providing a place
to plant and harvest for those who might not otherwise have
the opportunity. This community effort will reach people
from diverse social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. The
act of gardening will also bring awareness of our limited
natural resources and the responsibilities we have in keeping
our land—our earth—healthy for current and future
generations. Last but not least, what a wonderful way for
our children and their families to learn the value and joy
of gardening and connecting with nature. Sustainable Novato
is pleased to support this grass roots effort to benefit
the community of Novato."
Annan Paterson
President (2007), Sustainable Novato
www.SustainableNovato.org
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