Ecumenical Affordable Housing (EAH)
Point Reyes Affordable Housing/ Walnut Place Resident Gardens
This summer, residents were able to enjoy an abundance of produce grown at the Walnut Place Garden. The resident gardeners harvested a wide variety of squash, tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, and kale. In addition to produce, many flowers were also blooming for the pollinator and residents to enjoy. A bowl of fresh veggies from the garden’s extra produce sits on the counter in the community room for anyone to take.
The team at EAH is currently in the process of deconstructing and reconstructing the current garden boxes at Walnut Place and putting in mobile beds at Point Reyes Affordable Housing (PRAH). There are some beds that are cracking and falling apart, and Gophers are a major issue throughout West Marin. EAH is currently collecting bids to replace the existing garden boxes and collaborating with Green Guardian to create mobile boxes. Plans are for mobile beds to be constructed in time to plant in for winter.
Nicasio School District
Nicasio Elementary School Garden
The Nicasio School garden underwent critical renovations this summer thanks to the MarinHEAL grant. Gopher wire and fresh soil was added to the seven existing raised beds, and eight oak barrels were also replaced and updated to include gopher wire and fresh soil. Most importantly, the dated and damaged tubing for the irrigation system to all the beds and barrels were replaced.
This year the Nicasio Elementary School team hopes to build a garden program that will include the production of foods that can contribute to the school lunch program, where meals are prepared at West Marin School. This work will be done collaboratively with classroom teachers and a garden coordinator to maximize student education and involvement. The focus will be on seasonal planting, production (tracking amounts of food produced) and education around the importance of nutritional foods for health and wellness.
Shoreline Unified School District
West Marin-Inverness Elementary School Garden
There are 32 raised beds at the West Marin School Garden. The placement of the garden allows the crops have access to full sun all day, allowing staff to plant and harvest year-round. Most of the harvest is being used in the kitchen for school lunches or going home with students. Starting in January, a system will be put in place ensuring that each grade of students to get 2 hours of outdoor garden time, to support with maintenance and other activities. The 3rd grade class will be planting crops grown by local indigenous tribes this spring and Fibershed has donated indigo seeds that we will be cultivating and using to dye locally made fabrics. The Inverness Garden club will also be leading an after-school gardening class once weekly in March.
The vision of the garden’s future for the West Marin-Inverness team has a strong connection between the kitchen and garden. Kitchen staff has shared ideas and items that would help them to make more meals from scratch. The garden coordinator at West Marin School is also teaching a cooking class and hopes to upgrade the current processing table and sink into a functional outdoor kitchen where kids could harvest and cook food in the garden. MarinHEAL funds would be useful for construction and kitchen supplies of this infrastructure. Other projects that could be supported through MarinHEAL includes maintenance to the potting shed in order to level the floor, and wire frames will need to be constructed to put over starts to protect them from critters.