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ANR Employees

San Diego community garden in limbo

The San Diego Union-Tribune ran an article today about the uncertain future of a popular community garden. The Santee community garden is on the grounds of the community's county-owned Edgemoor Hospital. Patients are being moved from the facility and most of the buildings are slated for demolition.

Two UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are quoted in the story, 85-year-old Joyce Gemmell, and Judy Jacoby, the co-chair of the San Diego County Master Gardener Association's community gardening committee.

Gemmell, who lives in a mobile home, tends one of the community garden's 30 plots, producing corn, squash and other produce for herself and the Santee Food Bank.

"I've always been a gardener," she was quoted in the article. "I'm the old generation – growing food is important to me."

Jacoby commented on the popularity of community gardens in San Diego County. She said some gardens have stopped adding names to their wait lists because of high demand.

“There is a huge, huge interest,” she told reporter Michelle Clock.

Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Tags: community gardens (2), garden (38)

Comments:

1.
Interesting. Michelle called me last week asking about MG certification; she had interviewed Gemmell who told her she "was certified by the University of California". Michelle was not sure because UCSD had nothing about that. I explained that MG is administered by UCCE, under ANR, and the volunteering requirement upon certification.  
Brief description of ANR and its work for all Californians. She had no clue about this other side of UC! I have her URL for UCCE SD for more story ideas.  
As you see, we really have an identity problem.

Posted by Alberto on May 15, 2009 at 8:05 AM

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