I hope Encinitas citizens pull through on this one, I'd be so curious to see how it comes together. The benefits of using space in this way have always made me intrigued, and a little jealous, that we have no community garden.
Every spring I tell myself I am going to buy a tomato plant, some herbs, some flowers.. start over again in my little patch of cement I call a back patio. Clear the weeds, repot the dead plants with new, and feel that I am giving and getting back. Buuuuut every year I find I just can't seem to pull it off.
I like the idea that for so many of us who yearn for a primal activity such as planting and picking our own food, yet fail to effectively do so on our own, can still partake in the learning and rewarding process of gardening. Which in actuality was a community activity after all.
It's enjoyable to think that we can get our kids outside to see the cycle of life as it relates to what we put in our body, and let them firsthand experience the gift the soil can provide. Show them how caring for something, or not caring for something, can breed very differentiating results.
I could see there being some downsides to this idea of a shared space, especially if neglected. However, the best town I could think of to pioneer this idea into a reality would be the city of Encinitas. There is already such a strong sense of community, shared especially with a love, appreciation, and respect for nature.
Let's give it a shot!!
By Tracy Kinnaman
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