by Judith Dupree, Preliminary Organizer
Greetings, you who are green of thumb . . . and otherwise. Welcome to the beginning of a new adventure in the hills of East San Diego County: Community Gardening.
In today’s world, a garden full of edibles is nearly an anomaly. We are all the poorer for it, as we know. Our small but growing group is convinced that “local is focal,” and that we can help ourselves and others (we will share the “wealth” in an outreach program) to bypass, to some degree, our dependence upon the not-so-supermarket and its imported, largely chemically-grown produce. We believe that the word “organic” applies not only to a growing method, but to a vision for that which is real, unadulterated, functional, and sustainable. Any force of nature that shoves against the mega-mechanized-pesticized practices of the “food chain” is surely a Moral Force. We believe that small and local is beautiful. And do-able and pleasurable and emotionally and physically profitable. As life should be.
We will share the journey on site(s) with any and all who would like to live on the cutting edge of lettuce and dig into the fertile soil of life. In other words, we invite anybody in Pine Valley, Guatay, and environs to come stake your own small territory in the whole of the plot and learn, along with us, all the ins & outs of gardening from those who really KNOW how to make it happen. It is a challenge we consider well worth the sunburn and caterpillars and ravenous rabbits. Bugs Bunny, watch out! No, we will not exterminate him, merely “relocate.” Bugs, non-bunny, are fair game.
We hope the Pine Valley Community Gardens (we have two sites) will become a place to hang out together or alone (sometimes we need one or the other) and work closely with Ma Nature and others in new ways. We hope to do rather well with it, and we recognize that it means that we “grow” along with the radishes or beets. As we will lean hard upon experts in the process, perhaps we can shorten the learning curve. That’s our intent.
Sound interesting? Get in touch with us through Peggy Sargeant at 473-0277 or psargeant619@att.net. We’ll let you know what we’re doing, where we’re doing it, and when. Wish us well— and a good growing season!
