Can the Incredible Edible Garden's Success Be Replicated?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 10:44AMI was just perusing the new online community website wishes4life.com, which focuses on wish expression and development (or what they call “wishworking”). The wishes range from the very personal (“finding the love of my life”), to the social (“I wish people wouldn’t talk so loud on their mobile phones on the train”) and political (“I wish America had high speed rail”). I found an item of interest about a special community garden in the Walnut section of Irvine, California called the “Incredible Edible Park.”
The garden came about as a collaboration between the City of Irvine, Southern California Edison, and the Second Harvest Food Bank. Other sponsors include: the Irvine Ranch Water District, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Windwood Homeowners Associations, Orange County Farm Community and El Camino Real Elementary.
Three years ago, this 7.5 acre parcel was little more than a weed-filled utility easement, that was not only an eyesore, but it cost the city $4500 a year to maintain (basically to spray for weed control). Now the harvest helps the food bank feed 200,000 hungry people every month. The site now also includes a bike trail that connects to the Irvine trail system and the city just announced that additional acres are going to be made available.
According to the founders, Sam and Linda Caruthers, “On our final day on this earth, and as many days before then as possible, we are working to feed needy people in Orange County by running the O.C. Harvest Program through Second Harvest Food Bank. O.C. Harvest farms 8 acres of land in Irvine.”
The garden now grows organic produce year round, utilizing volunteers to pick the crops. The produce is then distributed to over 300 nonprofit organizations, such as soup kitchens, churches, battered women's shelters, children's after school programs, and senior centers, to help needy people in Orange County. The program allows volunteers of all ages to participate, which often includes Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and school classes. It is a great way to instill in children, the value of helping others in need.
Depending on the season, volunteers will be planting seeds or smaller plants, picking weeds, or harvesting broccoli, carrots, onions, strawberries, cabbage, chili peppers, green beans, watermelons and pumpkins. Occasionally, they harvest lemons and oranges from the citrus groves of the Centennial Museum in Santa Ana.
Sam and Linda have posted a wish on wishes4 life.com for more support for their efforts, to help the recruit more volunteers, maintain the land and perhaps purchase additional acreage. Another user has added a second wish that their model be replicated in other locations throughout the world. wish challange
Opportunities to get involved or contact the founders can be found here.
Reader Comments (1)
Whoever said the Irvine Company wasn’t good willed? Kudos to Sam and Linda for revitalizing a wasted space and creating this community garden to benefit our neighbors in the O.C., because contrary to the lusty television series, there are many in need of food assistance and supplements in “the O.C.” I’ll spread the word, what a great model!