The Garden Voice
Even though the garden has been closed since about August 1, 2019, there were no signs of any work being done.
Beginning on about January 7, 2020 there were finally construction signs posted and people doing work to install new water piping for the garden.
This is the official website for the San Pedro Community Gardens (SPCG). Please check back for updates.
About 100 gardeners waited in the rain on a cold Saturday morning waiting to enter the closed building to discuss the future of our gardens and how to fix the on-going water issue, little did we expect what happened.
The meeting presenters were Maria from Lot to Spot, Carlos, Julie Beals from the Los Angeles City Garden Council (LACGC), and representatives of Councilman Joe Buscaino’s office, Ryan Ferguson who is the Field Deputy to San Pedro and finally Jacob Haik who serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to the office.
Gardens topics addressed:
Reps Jacob and Ryan informed us, the City of San Pedro has given us these options:
OR
Reps Jacob encouraged a vote to take place before the meeting ended. All in attendance were given a piece of paper to either write “Yes” or “No” and the votes were tallied by Maria as follows:
Yes = 70%
No = 30%
The vote made it official to close and renovate San Pedro All Year Community Gardens (SPCAYG). According to Rep Jacob Haik’s statements which include, “it will re-open within 1 year”, or around March 2, 2020. “Everyone will have to reapply for their gardens” based on San Pedro residence. Some of the improvements will include better walkways and water meters provided to accurately charge gardeners.
This is an unofficial closing as the City will have to notify every gardener in writing of the garden closure or post a public notice to inform every gardener of what has happened and the garden will be closed for renovations.
Don’t let this stop you from continuing your gardening. Keep going to the gardens and growing your organic fruits and vegetables. The city will take some time to get this done correctly.
If you are unhappy with the City of San Pedro, do something!
Joe Buscaino is the Public Official ultimately responsible for the garden closing. You can let him know that gardening is good for the mind, the body, families, and to improve the air quality in San Pedro created by all pollution from the port. Eco-gardening is good, let him know! He is active online:
Joe Buscaino Twitter Page
Joe Buscaino Facebook Page
Joe Buscaino Instagram Page
Remember to vote.
If you would like to add or request a correction to any information you can leave the correction in the comments.
Gardeners
Every time the water is cut off unexpectedly, you are hurting people and families who depend on their gardens to feed their families with the vegetable they grow.
There are many people struggling and growing their own food is a noble aspiration. Times are hard. People are having a real crisis with affordability in our city with rent, transportation, and food cost so high here. Gardening is an important aspect to supplement this crisis and shutting off the water unexpectedly is shutting down the ability for people to feed their children and themselves.
The Los Angeles City and Los Angeles Sanitation department should respect the gardeners and provide adequate representation to resolve water issues in a timely manner. These problems are solvable with the right adults sitting down to resolve it.
March 2, 2019
10am-12pm
100 W. 5th St.
San Pedro, CA 90721
It has been about 3 months since the meeting with Maria From Lot to Spot and nothing has improved at the San Pedro All Year Community Gardens (SPAYCG).
There has been no word to the gardeners if nothing of the ideas presented at the meeting is moving forward. Maria and Julie from the LA Garden Council presented at the last meeting and there seems to have been no progress made.
A vote was to be arranged to move ahead with the proposals presented by both Maria and Julie, yet no meeting or votes have been scheduled.
The watering schedule is still limited to 2 days. Most gardeners maybe water 1 day per week. Each day the water is only for 3 hours. So, the garden is in bad shape again.
2018 is almost over and the SPAYCG is in the same situation as 4 years ago when the Sanitation department first cut water to the gardeners.
The city needs to do something again if these organizations they bought on don’t do anything soon.
There were 2 speakers:
Maria from Lot to Spot and Julie from the LA Garden Council. The meeting lasted 2 hours. About 87 people attended.
They provided updates as to the issues at the garden with the water and the future of the garden.
The Sanitation department cut the water to the gardeners because Mayor Garcetti ordered a 20% water reduction at all city facilities.
Gardeners were unaware of this and suffered because of non-communication from the sanitation department.
In order to get the garden back to working condition in all aspects of water, leadership, and finances decision will have to be made.
The 2 biggest decisions facing the gardeners is to vote on 2 measures:
A) To accept the LA Garden council assistance to organize the garden and leadership.
B) To vote to install a new separate water meter which would increase the cost of having a garden.
The Sanitation department will pay for the installation of a new separate meter.
Watering schedule changes every 2 weeks because they are running tests as to why there is low water pressure.
Engineers came in to analyze the issues with water pressure. There is a report of the findings.
Redoing the piping to all the gardens with the new water meter will very expensive, a grant will be needed to fund the project.
Each has its good and bad.
At a future meeting, the decision will be made on these issues.
Date:
9/15/18
Topics:
Meeting open to all San Pedro gardeners to discuss Issues and Updates
Location:
Boys and Girls Clubs of The Los Angeles Harbor
100 W. 5th St.
San Pedro, CA 90731
Time:
11am-1pm