Marin Independent Journal Marin County, California, USA 02/03/2007
Novato gardeners say plot will push healthier habits Carla Bova Novato residents are planting seeds for a community garden. Members of the Novato Community Garden Committee say the benefits of such gardens are more bountiful than their harvest of fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. "It is the best project that can provide the most benefit for the least fiscal cost," committee chair Karen Losee said. "People get to meet their neighbors. They can grow healthy food and start to address the obesity epidemic. It will help to recognize our ecological footprint when we understand that locally grown food takes less resources than food flown in from other parts of the world." Committee member David Haskell, who runs the Garden of Eatin' at the North Bay Children's Center, said community gardens appeal across generations and foster social equity by giving everyone access to a garden. They present the opportunity for lessons in organics, nutrition and sustainability. They encourage activity outdoors and promote healthy eating, particularly for children, proponents said. "When you train a child to love to eat fruits and vegetables as a choice over cookies and cakes, you are training their palate," Haskell said. "You are doing them a favor for the rest of their lives." Community Garden Committee is a project of the nonprofit Novato Live Well Network, which promotes healthy eating through gardening food choices and sustainability practices. The group has been discussing the community garden since August 2006 and is exploring potential sites, including plots at Quest and All Saints Lutheran churches. "Our vision is to build one community garden to start and, from there, an association of gardens throughout the community to serve different populations from seniors to youth groups to people of different faiths and backgrounds," Losee said. Haskell said cost would be minimal, likely erecting a fence and bringing water to a site. "Bringing that land to production is really just a few thousand dollars," Haskell said. While the group hopes to have its first planting in the spring, establishing a garden is in its early stages. The search is under way for volunteers and resources. "Once we get partnerships and funding, we have enough landscaping and gardening experts who will tell us how to put up a fence, how to bring in water and when to plant," said committee member Veronica Valero. "But right now, we are concentrating on community support." --- TO JOIN The Novato Community Garden Committee will meet for a workshop to discuss its next steps in about a month. To participate, contact Karen Losee via e-mail at klosee1 at comcast.net, call Veronica Valero at 897-2302 or visit www.novatolivewell.org. Contact Carla Bova via e-mail at cbova at marinij.com www.marinij.com/novato/ci_5155262
