Garden plots in two sizes will be available at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Garden in Oak Park Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. Approximately nine of the several dozen original plots are still available. A 10x10 plot costs $25 per calendar year, and the 10x20 plot costs $50 per calendar year. A $25 refundable cleaning deposit is also required for both sizes. “I will throw in the rest of this year, plus free seeds,” said Bill Maynard, director of the city’s community gardens. Since the grand opening in August, community gardeners have grown and harvested corn, Swiss chard, spinach, peas, Brussels sprouts and flowers. Garden plots are laid out in rows, curves, or in any manner that garde

Saturday morning was warm enough to draw more than 38 people to Martin Luther King Junior Community Garden for seminars and discussions on composting, cover crops, vermicomposting and the benefits of ladybug larvae. More than a dozen people attended the first of two composting seminars, led by Bill Maynard, master gardener and director of community gardens for the city. Sacramento waste reduction coordinator Doug Houston opened the 8 a.m. event by speaking about waste reduction and the cost of green waste. Houston told the group that Sacramento pays for green waste disposal. Bins cost residents less money each month, and they are environmentally friendly because green waste is kept out

Bill Maynard, Director of Community Gardens for the City of Sacramento, will lead two composting seminars for City of Sacramento residents Saturday morning (8:15 and 9:15) at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Garden at 3663 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Attendees will learn how composting works, what materials should and should not be composted, how to maintain the compost pile, and how to obtain the right balance of food, air, and moisture. In addition to composting training, Maynard will include a session on planting cover crops, which help revitalize the soil. “Discount coupons for composters from Home Depot and free post waste kitchen countertop bins to carry your waste to the com

The former site of a gas station at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 12th Avenue has been transformed into the city’s ninth community garden. The garden’s grand opening on Saturday offered free seeds, magazines and workshop information to several dozen attendees. Bill Maynard, Sacramento’s director of community gardens, has been working on this project for four years. He said half of the garden plots have already been rented at a cost of $25 to $50 per year. WIC, a federally funded organization that focuses on nutrition and health for women, infants and children, rents space in the garden, which is near their office building. Andrea Kennedy, one of several people tending gardens at

Local organizations focused on healthy communities are hosting an event in Oak Park on Saturday to educate the public about gardening and fresh food. The new coalition, Grow Together Sacramento, will create a few small gardens and teach the public how to set up gardens at the event. Paul Towers, state director of the environmental group Pesticide Watch, said the coalition will build gardens and focus on the question: “How do we get as much healthy food as possible into the hands and bellies of Sacramentans?” The Pesticide Watch Education Fund is a partner in the coalition, along with City Councilman Jay Schenirer’s office, Sacramento environmental group Ubuntu Green, the Sacramento Area

Four City Council members discussed ways of increasing community gardens in Sacramento on private and public property during the Law and Legislation Committee meeting Tuesday. According to Joy Patterson, the principle planner for the city, the proposed ordinance will lay out how community members can use vacant properties for the development of community gardens where people can come together for the purpose of growing food and personal use. “Several city departments have looked at the issues surrounding community gardens on public property and private property and have prepared a draft ordinance for community gardens on private property for the review and discussion by the Law and Legis

Four Sacramento council members will discuss ideas for growing the number of community gardens in the city on Tuesday afternoon. City Council members Jay Schenirer, Sandy Sheedy, Darrell Fong and Steve Cohn sit on the Law and Legislation Committee, which analyzes ideas for local ordinances. The committee will examine ways to regulate community gardens and increase their presence. Councilman Rob Fong spurred the committee’s discussion, according to a city staff report. The city should do everything it can to encourage community gardening and to explore urban farming, Fong said Monday. “I just think we need to utilize our spaces well,” Fong said. Committee members will evaluate a propose

The Green Restaurant Alliance of Sacramento has a hand in 10 local restaurants and hopes to reach more with its mission of establishing a sustainable restaurant industry. GRAS is "dedicated to making Sacramento a leading sustainable food community and a leader in the green-restaurant industry," according to its website. The year-old organization helps restaurants reduce waste by composting food scraps and biodegradable material. "This is not a brilliant idea, it's being done worldwide," said GRAS co-founder David S. Baker. "Why can't it happen in our town?" The 10 members of GRAS are Hot Italian, L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen, Mulvaney's B & L, One Speed, Selland's, Grange, Ella, Tuli

There were several Earth Day celebrations and events Thursday. One of the biggest and most successful was the official City of Sacramento Earth Day Celebration. The event was held at Cesar Chavez Park and in the plaza of City Hall. An estimated 3,500 people of all ages attend this years' event. It was supported by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council. The City of Sacramento Neighborhood Services Department organized the event.   I spoke with Neighborhood Services Department Director Vincene Jones. Jones and her staff started back in January giving early notice to Sacramento area schools, informing them of the event and its value as a field trip. Local media was enlisted to help get t

Tahoe Park residents braved wind and cloudy skies Saturday to attend the grand opening of the Tahoe Park Community Garden. Wielding golden scissors, a team including Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Sacramento City Councilmember Kevin McCarty cut the ceremonial red ribbon. "This will only enhance your neighborhood," Matsui said, "this gives you a gathering place." She went on to say that community gardens reduce crime and vandalism "because everyone now has a stake in the community." The garden, which is on the campus of Tahoe Park Elementary, was created as a means to fight obesity and promote healthy lifestyle choices and eating habits. "Young people sometimes think food comes from McDon

On Wednesday night around 40 urban agriculture advocates, gardeners and Sacramento residents gathered at the Sacramento chapter of the American Institute of Architects to discuss a subject that has been on many Sacramentans' minds lately. This month's topic for the 4th Wednesday Urban Design Alliance (UDA) Design Dialogue was "Design Challenges in Urban Agriculture." Those who attended were divided into groups for an interactive workshop that involved designing a faux-garden despite a list of challenges given to them. While mulling over the different scenarios and solutions, participants snacked on fresh fruits provided by Soil Born farm, appropriate fare given the night's theme. Bill Ma

In a celebration of Urban Agriculture Day, Slow Food Sacramento hosted a series of workshops and tours throughout the day Saturday to benefit Sacramento Hunger Coalition and Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition (SACGC). For $25, ticket holders were able to choose from an itinerary of workshops, tours and movie screenings after either touring Soil Born Farm or cycling around town on the "What's 'Growing' On" Bike Tour. The morning cycling tour led roughly 25 cyclists on a 10-mile guided trek around local community gardens, starting at Southside Community Garden and making stops at McClatchy Park Farm Stand, David Lubin School Garden and the Sacramento Food Bank's garden along with