Looking for a plot of land? There are some available in Southeastern San Diego, dirt cheap too.
Of course we are talking about garden plots, which you can get for just $5 a month or $60 per year.
You can get one of 11 plots located on the 4200 block of Market Street, what is now known as the Mt. Hope Community Garden, still the only community garden in the area.
The garden gives local residents the opportunity to grow their own vegetables, herbs and spices.
The County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) helped to establish the garden as part of Healthy Works, an anti-obesity campaign that paves the way for the creation of school and community gardens that will teach residents how to grow and raise their own food. The Southeast Economic Development Corporation provided the land.
School and community gardens are an integral part of the County’s Live Well, San Diego! initiative, an on-going plan to improve health, safety and wellbeing in our region.
San Diego County has 6,687 farms, more than any other county in the United States. The region also has the largest community of organic growers in the nation, with 374 farms growing more than 175 crops.
Yet locally grown food is commonly shipped to Los Angeles, aggregated, then sold – often back to San Diego buyers. As a result, residents have difficulty obtaining the freshest produce, local farmers suffer reduced income, and greenhouse gases are increased as a result of transportation.
The goal of the Mt. Hope Community Garden was to help to eliminate the “food desert” in the area, where healthy, affordable food is difficult to find.
“The garden is giving our residents a place where they can grow their own food,” said Barbara Jimenez, deputy director for HHSA’s Central and South regions. “And as the name suggests, Mt. Hope Community Garden gives hope to residents who would otherwise have limited choices for affordable healthy produce. Tending the garden also provides opportunities for physical activity and social connections that in turn lead to a stronger community.”
The first plots were planted about one year ago, along with about two dozen apple, lemon, orange and other fruit trees.
Initial interest in the garden was strong. That is why planners expected to plant about 45 plots. The project has been scaled down to just 25 plots as interest has waned.
Why you ask?
Diane Moss, director of Project New Village, oversees the development of the garden.
She said the project has been a learning experience.
“I’ve learned a lot,” said Moss, adding that the rain, cold weather and the muddy soil kept people away during the winter months. Some of the plots died. The weeds grew.
Fourteen plots are currently planted and residents, two local farmers, and some group homes are growing kale, cabbages, sage, and other herbs and vegetables. The fruit trees remain. Some are flowering and others, like the Bearss Lime and Nagami Kumquat, have borne fruit.
Moss said the two farmers got some plots in exchange for teaching residents how to farm. and how to grow things. The group homes, which work with adults with developmental challenges, use the garden for therapy. Their clients help plant or water the plots.
Spring is here and the season for growing such staples as tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries is just around the corner.
“We are coming out of winter and interest is growing again. People are coming and want to help out,” added Moss, who visits the garden every Thursday morning and every other Saturday. “A community garden moves slowly, but residents take ownership of it.”
So, are you still interested in your own plot?
Priority is given to Southeastern San Diego residents, but if you have “sweat equity” and $60 dollars you can get one too.
For more info, call (619) 262-2022 or email info@projectnewvillage.org.
