Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Fallbrook's Community Garden is full of possibilities

For Mission Resource Conservation District, the idea of providing a community garden for Fallbrook residents with no space to grow their own has been germinating for 10 years. Although Fallbrook is full of groves and nurseries, it is also home to many apartment complexes, senior retirement homes and mobile home parks.

Back in 2006, Mission Resource staff "had difficulty locating a place for <a garden>" said district manager Judy Mitchell, "we were grateful to the [Fallbrook Public] Utility District" which offered the plot of land at 1717 Alturas Road for lease.

In the years after the plot was fenced in, several Boy Scouts contributed to the project by building raised beds with concrete blocks to earn their Eagle Scout rank at the same time. Mitchell explained that the raised beds are necessary as the land borders the Naval Weapons Station where rabbits and squirrels thrive.

Mitchell said there are 29 plots in the fenced-in garden which is accessed through a locked gate. There are three sizes of plots with nominal yearly rental fees: 3' x 8' costs $60, 4' x 8' is $65 and 5' x 8' is $70. The fee includes water and a key to the gate.

While the garden has been available for a long time, it has not seen much use. "If you build it, they will come" may work with baseball fields, but not so well when it comes to gardens. Currently, only four of the plots are being used. The other 25 are sitting vacant.

The garden's community liaison, Veronica Pertusini, wants to change that status by recruiting more gardeners and providing education in organic farming for them.

While the garden has benefited from the volunteer service of the Rainbow Girls and Boy Scouts over the years, Pertusini is looking for organizations and individuals willing to sponsor local families who cannot afford to rent a plot, as well as volunteers to work sponsored plots to grow food for the Fallbrook Food Pantry.

One of the current gardeners is Jose Espinosa who lives in an apartment. His plot barely contains several flourishing plants which produce tomatoes, tomatillo, papalo (an herb similar to cilantro), chiles (jalapeño and serrano) as well as calabasa (a kind of squash). Espinosa said, "I come every day to clean up; it's quiet here and there are nice sunsets." He also waters his plants, the plants in other plots, the nearby olive tree and a loquat tree as well.

The only problem Espinosa has had at the garden is the squirrels, and some rats, which eat his tomatoes. As for dealing with those pests, one condition of using the land is that FPUD requires only organic treatments to be used; no pesticides or herbicides are allowed.

Each plot has its own water spigot and a stand to hold a hose, but one of Pertusini's goals is to eventually have drip irrigation installed. Tools are available for the gardeners to share when needed, but they have to supply their own seeds and plants.

Educating participants, both children and adults, is another one of her goals. "My big vision," she said, "for next summer is to have a youth camp to teach organic gardening, composting, arts and crafts; for adults, an educational series in organic gardening."

She is also working on a budget and a sponsorship packet. With sponsorships, she would like to see those families who "commit to taking care of plots and do this many training hours have a free plot" to grow their own vegetables, fruit and herbs.

Although she gets participation from fellow members of the Fallbrook Latina Heritage Association, Pertusini is a committee of one when working on developing the community garden. She would like to have anyone interested in helping grow the garden program join her on the committee. Other goals are to develop a website and active Facebook page for the garden community.

She said, "We can still add 15 to 20 more plots" to the garden. Plots can be rented any time of the year and the fall planting time is coming up, she added.

To apply for a plot, volunteer to help, or find out more about sponsorships, contact Pertusini at (760) 468-9805 or Mitchell at [email protected] or (760) 728-1332.

 

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