Greg and I started meeting about the garden in mid-2021 . Since then , we ’ ve had a few conversations with local leaders and looked at some potential sites . Still , we had no solid commitments from anyone in authority to help get it off the ground . That is , until Greg made it happen .
Since late spring , things have moved fast . Greg carved out space on the property for a garden . He and his staff handled all logistics and all garden prep . I focused on reaching out to existing community gardens , gardening groups , and the UC Master Gardeners Program of Santa Clara County for support and resources . The UC program offered information , encouragement , and support . The great folks at the Morgan Hill Community Garden ; President Joe Elliot , Secretary Mary Kellogg , and Master Gardener Pat Day , took time to meet with Deb and me , and offered their official operating documents as a template for us to create our own docs . This saved us weeks of time . Mike and Mary Cox at Anaerobe Systems in Morgan Hill generously donated their organic fertilizer and soil amendment products ; FERMEGrow and FERMEChar , for the initial soil prep and planting . They also made a commitment to sponsor the garden and our future fertilizer needs . They also made a commitment to sponsor the garden and our future fertilizer needs .
Greg and I reached out to groups , organizations , and individuals we thought would be interested in taking a plot . We found none . At that point , I knew there was one person who could make it happen , that was Jorge Mendoza . Jorge ’ s nonprofit , Nueva Vida Community , has been making a positive impact in the community for many years . He has received numerous awards for his work , including Spice of Life Volunteer of the Year in 2021 . Above all else , Jorge is a kind , caring , and inspiring individual . After one conversation with Jorge , we had our families … all of them ! Just like that , we were at capacity .
We are grateful and overjoyed to have the support of Mike and Mary Cox at Anaerobe Systems , and partnerships with Jorge Mendoza and Greg Bozzo of GB Landscaping Services , Inc . The garden benefits so many families , and it is a great feeling to work alongside everyone in the garden .
“ This ( the garden ) is a family . Everyone is here to help and support each other .” Jorge observed . “ it ’ s wonderful to see all the smiles and happy faces on the parents and kids .” We could not agree more .
As part of our gmhTODAY community initiatives , our goal for the garden is to perfect the operations and management so we have proof of concept . At that time , we hope to re-engage in conversations with the City of Gilroy and local organizations like the Miller Red Barn Association to begin realizing our vision of creating a network of thriving , verdant community gardens throughout Gilroy , benefitting more of our families , neighbors , and friends .
BOTTOM LEFT : Miguel Lopez and CEO Mike Cox deliver Anaerobe Systems FermeGROW and FermeCHAR soil amendment to the garden . NEXT : Greg Bozzo answers questions and helps families with a multitude of tasks . RIGHT : Families pose for a quick photo after planting rows of corn . ABOVE : Families plant and tend to their plots . ABOVE RIGHT : Nueva Vida ' s Jorge Mendoza .
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