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Santa Cruz Indymedia | En Español | Environment & Forest Defense | Health, Housing, and Public Services | Labor & WorkersInitial Meeting to Save the Beach Flats Community Garden / Primer Reunion Para Salvar El Jardín Comunitario de la Playa
On March 27th, a meeting was convened at the Beach Flats Community Garden to preserve the special community space and support it's gardeners. The well-attended meeting was a discussion between various concerned parties, including Santa Cruz City Parks and Recreation Superintendent Carol Scurich, Reyna Ruiz from the Beach Flats Community Center, about a dozen community gardeners, neighbors and other local supporters. Translation between English and Spanish was important, though there were times when Spanish was not translated and other times when English was not translated. It is not completely clear why there is pressure to evict the gardeners from the land they have been cultivating, and where the pressure is really coming from. People were able to express their concerns and ideas, and the main decision was to meet again on April 3rd, 5pm, at the Beach Flats Community Garden. ![]() fresa_3-27-08.jpg brent wrote a summary of the meeting which I am re-posting below. brent posted it at the link below where, if you scroll up, you can also view photos, listen to audio interviews and learn more about the new struggle to save the Beach Flats Community Garden:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/03/24/18488444.php?show_comments=1#18489056 "The city parks n' rec superintendent Carol Scurich and community center leader Reyna Ruiz were both present as were many of the local farmers, neighbors and farming activists and enthusiasts. Both Scurich and Ruiz confirmed the sentinel article by stating that it was a management burden and not the intention of the seaside co. to change the existing arrangement. Several of the farmers expressed their dismay that the garden would sit unused and increasingly weedy. Reyna insisted that she'd need to see some commitment to longterm involvement, a contractual agreement of duties by gardeners and local citizens intent on keeping the garden operating and a grant proposal to help the city pay its yearly lease to the seaside co. of $4400 and for increasing the "dignity" of the state of the garden. She admitted to denying a compost dump container program and had closed the garden to new farmers for the last 2 years. She shared her disappointment in the lack of funds for things like more farming tools and equipment and an over-all improved state of things. Scurich stated that she would not go to the seaside co. to report any change in her current plan to close the garden or any new arrangement with the property and the gardeners unless a firm proposal was in her hands by next week. Several of the attendees verbally committed to creating a proposal and a phone list was circulated. All agreed to meet once more at 5pm next Thursday April 3 to discuss a proposal." ![]() bienvenidos_3-27-08.jpg el Jardin de la Comunidad de Beach Flats
![]() save-the-garden_3-27-08.jpg Salvar el Jardin de la Comunidad de Beach Flats
![]() gardeners_3-27-08.jpg Campesinos
![]() lavender_3-27-08.jpg Lavanda
![]() chayote_3-27-08.jpg "The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as chocho, or christophine, or merliton is an edible plant, which belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.
The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is grown on the ground or more commonly on trellises. Costa Rica is a major exporter of Chayotes world-wide. Costa Rican chayotes can be purchased in the European Union, the United States and other places in the world. Chayote is a very important ingredient in the Mexican diet. Veracruz state is the most important Chayote growing area of the whole country, and is also a major exporter of this product, mainly to the United States." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote ![]() nopales_3-27-08.jpg ![]() cauliflower_3-27-08.jpg Cauliflower
![]() cabbage_3-27-08.jpg Cabbage
![]() 3rd-st_3-27-08.jpg ![]() cebolla_3-27-08.jpg Cebolla
![]() brussel-sprouts_3-27-08.jpg Brussel sprouts
![]() fruta-citrica_3-27-08.jpg Fruta cítrica
![]() peach-blossom_3-27-08.jpg Peach Blossom
![]() flowers_3-27-08.jpg Flowers
![]() rake_3-27-08.jpg Rastrillo
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