Across the county, residents are increasingly connecting at local community gardens.
As a social and green space outlet, many gardens have become a town square of sorts for some communities.
They have also transformed into a strong push back against rising food insecurity across the county.
“Food insecurity and food justice is something we want to address,” said Maria Winger, vice president at One Seed, “That is a huge part of why we do what we do.”
With the termination of some pandemic-era food assistance programs earlier this year, many residents are finding themselves without affordable food options for themselves and their families.
Some may find Orange County to be a concrete jungle.
“Orange County is a large place with a lot of concrete,” said Mia Carla Dizon, treasurer at One Seed. “We are so busy every day and community gardens allow us to slow down and reconnect us back to the Earth.”
At-home gardens may not be a possibility for some living in urban areas.
Community gardening bridges that gap.
“One Seed and other community gardens give people who don’t own a home, like me, a chance to have a garden and yard space,” said Grace Chyun, 49, a volunteer at One Seed, who lives in an apartment.
Much of Orange County’s newer cities were planned for higher population densities, and thus, many single-family homes in the county lack yard space to allow for gardening activities, according to a 2022 study by the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.
Neighboring city Santa Ana has 5 city-run community gardens, while cities such as Fountain Valley, Placentia and La Habra have no documented gardens. There are more than 20 gardens across the county, according to University of California Master Gardeners of Orange County.
Tustin is the latest city to expand local access to fresh produce and green space through a community garden.
One Seed broke ground on the community garden in May 2023, turning the vacant, dusty lot at 450 El Camino Real into a thriving green space in the heart of Old Town Tustin.
The garden has cost around $3,200 to construct thus far, and took around two years to bring to fruition, according to Dizon and Winger.
The group was able to secure a $23,000 grant from Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley last year to jumpstart the creation of raised vegetable beds, an irrigation system and to fund future enterprises at the garden.
Tustin Community Foundation (TCF), also gifted the garden $2,500 in 2022 and $500 for a greenhouse in 2023, according to Executive Director Erin Nielson. TCF, a group that provides grants for local nonprofits, is funded entirely through individual and corporate donations.
“My favorite gardens have been in areas that don’t have green space, they build them out of necessity. These people are tending together, building conversations, and taking care of eachother,” said Nielson. “Tustin has a high percentage of low income areas and food insecurity. People can be shown how to eat properly in a positive way, rather than reprimanded for eating improperly or unhealthy. I would like to see more gardens in apartment communities and low income areas, or on rooftops. They strengthen neighborhoods.”
Today, the garden is maintained by twenty rotating volunteers and has plans to continue expanding into the community.
“What we hope the future to look like is one where we can get a space for individual plots that we can offer up to families, households and groups to grow their own vegetables,” said Sam Robertson, president of One Seed and owner of Arvida Book Co., a local bookstore in Old Town Tustin.
One of the greatest barriers to expansion is that many vacant lots are privately owned, according to Robertson. The garden is currently located on city-owned land.
“We also want to establish and strengthen our partnerships with Tustin Unified School District to help manage gardens that exist inside their schools,” Robertson said.
Ten schools within Tustin Unified School District have campus gardens, according to Rina Lucchese, Director of Communications and Community Engagement for the district.
These schools include Arroyo Elementary School, Barbara Benson Elementary School, Guin Foss Elementary School, Heritage Elementary School, Ladera Elementary School, Loma Vista Elementary School, Myford Elementary School, Red Hill Elementary School, Peters Canyon Elementary School, Sycamore Magnet Academy and Tustin Memorial Academy. Additional school sites are in the process of developing campus garden sites, according to Lucchese.
“We want to stay here as long as the city will have us. It’s such an important part of Old Town now,” said Robertson, adding, “We haven’t been here long, but we already have roots here.”
Community gardens provide much more than the vegetables they grow – they provide spaces for intergenerational learning and socializing.
Allowing families to make their mark in the garden.
“Post-covid, we need more opportunities to engage with one another. There aren’t many spaces where diverse age groups can come together,” said Winger. “My daughter is nine, and there are kiddos younger than her that come and work at the garden. There are also people in their 70s working on the garden. The intergenerational learning here is really special.”
Even those with limited gardening skills find themselves growing at the garden.
“Admittedly, I have a black thumb,” said Dizon. “Since starting my role with One Seed, I have learned so much about the Earth and gardening. I can now propagate my own plants at home.”
Winger notes that community gardening in Orange County is unique because of the climate.
“Orange County has beautiful weather that allows us the opportunity to work outside year round,” Winger said.
“We need more community spaces. We need more green spaces. Places where people can gather, talk, learn and work alongside one another,” Winger said. “There is so much to a community garden that goes beyond the planting and the gardening. It produces more than just the plants, it helps us grow as a community too.”
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