- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Editor: Michele Tabor
- Contributor: Nicole Ogosi
- Contributor: Itzel Palacios
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The CalFresh Healthy Living Program at UC Cooperative Extension (CFHL, UCCE) in Riverside County has two garden projects with Riverside Faith Temple and the Community Settlement Association in Eastside Riverside. In early 2020, we received Small Sparks Neighborhood Matching Grants from the City of Riverside, Community and Economic Development Department to expand and continue our garden activities. However, these projects were on hold for over a year due to the pandemic closures. With the recent reopening of the community, our gardens are growing again.
The Riverside Faith Temple organized a planting event on Saturday, May 15th, 2021. The event drew a crowd of 23 people, mostly church members, who came out to spend 3 hours helping to assemble two new garden boxes and plant a variety of vegetables including tomatoes, corn, zucchini squash, eggplant, onions, edamame, pole beans, cantaloupe melons, bell peppers, strawberries and basil. UCCE Master Gardener Michael Fisher was also there to give advice about what to consider before planting. The garden now has six raised beds and is growing in community support. Pastor Duane Sims in partnership with CFHL, UCCE started this community garden in June 2019 with the hope that it will be a platform for the church family and neighbors to learn and grow together in healthy living and friendship. On the day of the event, it was nice to see old friends, make new friends and to work together to build and grow this garden. The enthusiasm of this group was great, and they were a bright light on an otherwise gray May morning. 
At the Community Settle Association (shown below), the CFHL UCCE team led a group of seven volunteers to help clean debris, pull weeds and plant tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, bell peppers, corn, onions, serrano chiles and parsley on April 28th and May 3rd, 2021. Although the pandemic had put a pause on this garden, it did not dampen the spirits of the group. Another event is being organized on May 26th to bring the garden families and volunteers back together to celebrate restarting of the CSA community garden that has been in existence for 7 years. The community continues to value this garden and the opportunity to grow their own food.
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Nicole Ogosi
A small edible garden has started in the Eastside neighborhood of Riverside with funding from the City of Riverside's Small Spark Community Development Block Grant. Also assisting with the garden are the CalFresh Healthy Living team from the University of California (CFHL,UC), as well as UCCE Master Gardeners, Michael Fisher and Thurman Howard. The UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Advisor helped Riverside Faith Temple apply for the grant to start a community garden earlier this year (2019). The small grant was used to purchase materials and supplies for four garden beds and a garden shed.
Help was also provided by the Inland Empire Job Corps youth who came out three times to help clean up the lot and put together the garden shed. It took the Job Corp youth and Pastor Duane five hours to assemble the shed in about 100-degree weather in September. They had not planned on working that long that day, but the IE Job Corps team demonstrated great team work and perseverance and got the job done. The four small garden beds are just the first step. The lot, which is about 1.5 acres in size, will need a lot of assistance and time to turn into a community garden. The Faith Temple is currently looking for a grant or donations to help pay for a water meter. If you know of any funding that might be able to help with this project, please email the UCCE Advisor at cganthavorn@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Claudia Carlos
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Eva Mayer, UCCE Master Gardener
Earlier this school year, over 50 students, parents, Master Gardeners and school staff, including Principal Jeffrey Diulio gathered after school in the school garden to watch Chef Sean Stewart cook three delicious fall soups: pumpkin, Green Goddess, and Acqua Cotta (“Cooked Water”). UC Master Gardener Eva Mayer said, “Presentation was gorgeous, it looked as good as it all tasted! The pumpkin soup had a crème fraîche swirl and pumpkin seeds on top - sorry I didn't take a photo before eating it." With Eva's guidance, garden club youth transplanted cardinal vines seedlings, which hummingbirds love, and sold them for 25 cents each. Chef Sean's 6th grader sold flowers grown in her home garden to raise money for future cooking demonstrations in the garden. Her flower arrangements and sales brought in $34.00! Youth garden club members were very pleased to try the fall soups with toasted French baguette and even purchased seedlings to support their own school garden.
CFHL,UC and UC Master Gardeners partnership has introduced youth, parents and staff to gardening, cooking skills and trying new vegetables such as spinach, kale, and pumpkin grown in the school garden. CFHL,UC has seen an increase in garden club participation from just 3-5 students on Friday mornings before school to groups of 10-15 twice a week.
Arizona Middle School, CFHL,UC and Master Gardeners are especially grateful for parent champions, Raquel and Sean, for recently submitting a garden grant and for donating their time, talent and for generously providing so much to the Arizona Middle School Garden.
- Author: Claudia Carlos
- Author: Chutima Ganthavorn
- Contributor: Itzel Palacios-Sanchez
On the first Thursday of every month at the Community Settlement Association in Eastside Riverside, garden club members gather to participate in a monthly club meeting with CalFresh Healthy Living, UC's Nutrition Educator Itzel Palacios-Sanchez. Members shared that participating in the garden club has given them a community engagement opportunity to build new relationships and learn skills they take home to help educate their families.
On December 5, 2019, Itzel invited the Master Gardener Mike Horak to present on how to prune fruit trees. CSA has several fruit trees and some are not currently producing quality fruits. CSA garden club members had the opportunity to ask questions and get advice from the fruit tree expert. After Mike's engaging and informative presentation, CSA garden club members gained the knowledge and confidence to properly prune the fruit trees and protect their trees from diseases such as the Asian citrus psyllid.
Afterward, club members celebrated the holiday season with a family day potluck. Members brought food and shared their homemade dishes, including holiday favorites such as pozole, atole de guayaba, arroz con leche and buñuelos.
For 2020, CSA club members will continue to acquire garden skills to sustain their personal garden beds at CSA as they make new friends and volunteer in their local community garden. They hope to grow enough fresh produce to supplement the weekly food distribution at CSA.
