Dimond garden exchange group makes first match, meets Saturday

Emilie Raguso Fri, 2 Apr at 11:06pm
Dimond garden exchange group makes first match, meets Saturday

A local group that seeks to connect available garden space with neighbors who want to do the work will meet Apr. 3 to share gardening info and resources, and try to link up folks who have land or skills to spare.

Joan Craig, who coordinates the "You Can Eat Well Organic Vegetable Garden Exchange Group," said the group has already made its first match. A woman who had been gardening on someone else's land, Craig said, will now have a garden behind a store on MacArthur Boulevard where the store owner's father used to have a garden.

Meeting info will cover places to get organic seeds or starters, equipment, dirt, compost or any other need for having an organic vegetable garden.

Craig also wanted to remind neighbors about the Earth Day Celebration at the Allendale Recreation and Community Center on Saturday, Apr. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Kids will plant flowers by the playground fence and there will be a cooking demonstration and tasting (leafy green vegetables), as well as the the kickoff and sign-up for summer camp at the Allendale Rec Center. There will also be space for neighborhood groups to set up informational tables.

The You Can Eat Well Organic Vegetable Garden Exchange Group meets Saturday, Apr. 3, at the Dimond Library from 2 to 3 p.m. E-mail Joan Craig at joantheorganizer@yahoo.com for information.

Regarding Allendar's Earth Day plans, anyone with seeds, plants or bulbs to donate to the kids' garden, or vegetables to contribute to the demo/tasting, can get in touch with Elena Bermeo at ebermeo@oaklandnet.com or 535-5635.

About Emilie Raguso
Emilie Raguso is a multimedia reporter in Oakland who focuses on issues of criminal justice, food and Oakland culture. She is passionate about social media, documentary photography and sustainable living. Her work has appeared on Salon and NPR, as well as in The Modesto Bee, Greater Good magazine and the East Bay Express. Write her at eraguso@gmail.com, follow her on Twitter (@emraguso) and see more of her work at http://raguso.us.
KimoraQ commented Array ago

I really salute people who seek gardening in their available lot so that it can produce organic foods which are valuable to them and as well as to the market as well. As cook lover, I really prepared to use ingredients which are madely fresh. Just like the foods that I prepare on our Easter dinner, I choose fresh ingredients such tomatoes and baleys and other stuff on my mother’s garden. I must say that the flavor of the food enhances because of the fresh ingredients that I used plus it saves more money than buying it on the grocery store.