Volunteers grow the San Carlos Community Garden

It takes a village to create a community garden and at the San Carlos Community Garden (SCCG), volunteers are at the organization’s heart and soul.

For more than 10 years, individuals, families, clubs and corporations have volunteered to help build garden beds, arbors, sitting areas and garden sheds; plant and harvest produce; develop and lead education and enrichment programs for the community, and much more.

On the second Saturday of every month from 9-10 a.m., individuals are invited to attend SCCG’s “New Volunteer Workshop,” where participants receive a docent-led Garden tour and overview of ways to get involved.

Held on the fourth Saturday of every month from 9:30-10:30 a.m., the SCCG hosts their Produce Swap, where community members can bring their fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers, recipes and baked goods to swap with one another.

Bree Gonzalez was instrumental in establishing the Produce Swap in 2019.

As a nutritionist at the San Diego State University (SDSU) Foundation and a board member for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for the San Diego District, Gonzalez found the SCCG to be the perfect venue to lend her time, knowledge and cooking talents.

“[The garden] makes me a happier person because I get to mix a variety of my passions — science, nutrition and sourcing of food,” Gonzalez said.

As a SCCG volunteer, Gonzalez helps organize the monthly Produce Swap which often includes a presentation of her fresh-baked treats along with a hands-on craft activity, — providing visitors with an experience that entails much more than food swapping.

“One of my favorite things is to introduce new foods to people and that happens at the swap all the time,” Gonzalez explained. “Everyone is so knowledgeable, we’re always teaching each other.”

Ryan Marshall, a student at Grossmont College, discovered the SCCG while taking an intermediate biology course.

“One of the [class’s] projects involved environmental volunteer work,” Marshall said. “One of the choices was the San Carlos Community Garden. I was already interested in the garden and I thought it would be a good idea to get involved.”

Marshall helps plant, fertilize, and harvest produce; and maintain the garden grounds and pull weeds. His interest in gardening and contributing to the community has kept him volunteering for the SCCG.

“Seeing the plants grow and knowing that a lot of them are going to food banks and helping people, gives me a sense of connecting with those at the garden and those we’re helping,” Marshall explained.

Michael Land (pictured on right in top photo with Ryan Marshall), a hydrologist by trade, contributes his expertise in the quality and resources of water.

Land is a big part of maintaining the SCCG’s pollinator and orchard gardens by planting, mulching, weeding and much more. Land is also particularly concerned in supporting the SCCG’s mission toward stewardship of the earth for future generations.

“Nice things, like the garden, can go away if you don’t support it,” Land said. “We should all want kids to get their hands dirty, to touch soil and make that connection with food. The SCCG helps strengthen these relationships within our community.”

Alphabet Soup is an interactive story time event for young children held on the second Saturday of each month from 10-10:30 a.m. Shannon Pate, a San Carlos local, is a volunteer storybook reader for the event.

“Alphabet Soup opens up with a fun activity to get the kids’ energy out,” Pate said. “Then we go into reading a story or two, which are often nature-inspired. Afterwards he kids and their families can roam the garden to look for treasures found around the garden like lady bugs, butterflies, edible plants or some of the children’s games installed.”

On Saturday, March 11, Pate will read “The Riddle Roo,” her first published children’s book.

Those interested in volunteering can sign up and find additional information at: sancarloscommunitygarden.com.

– Editor’s note: This article was provided by Jessica Mills. Mills is a volunteer for the SCCG and senior at the University of San Diego. Mills helps with communication and marketing projects for the garden and the Youth Ambassador program.