Mark Winne, an author and anti-hunger activist, often says that the most important word in “community garden” isn’t “garden.” I saw this firsthand not long ago.
Standing in the sun between several small garden plots all morning, it may not have looked like much was going on. A few people stood in a circle, chatting. Occasionally, one would leave, or another would arrive. Several others were nearby, working in their garden plots.
Some of the people were black. Some were white. And two—a mother and child—appeared Southeast Asian.
The garden plots were equally varied. One was filled entirely with sugarcane. Another grew luffa gourds. Still another grew banana trees. That’s one of the perks of gardening in San Diego—you can grow your own bananas if you wish.
The focal point of the group was Diane, a woman who identifies first and foremost as a community organizer. She isn’t a gardener, but when she found that her community wanted a place to grow healthy, affordable food, she got to work.
That morning, she was planning her work for the upcoming Saturday. Then, the garden would be full of people, and there had to be enough for them to do. Several volunteers, experts in gardening, helped her plan.
