Gardening for Good
“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.” – Jenny Uglow
I first worked with Mia Vaughnes of Good Neighbor Gardens, a San Diego-based sharecrop, to design and plant my garden. I was excited about the prospect of having fresh vegetables and herbs for my family and hadn’t thought much beyond that. What I didn’t expect, is the powerful impact it would have on me and how I could, in turn, help others.
Mia and I began working to plant my garden in December in a sunny, yet vacant space in my backyard. In the course of the month, I found myself going out there every day to see the lettuce, herbs, and kale grow. By the end of January, the garden was overflowing with goodness and not only was I enjoying the nutritious fresh vegetables, but I was also doing my part to reduce my family’s carbon footprint.
I found myself thinking, I wish other people could directly benefit from my garden. When I shared this thought with Mia, she suggested I consider adopting a new piece of gardening technology called a vermiponic food mural for my garden. She introduced me to Benny—the developer of the concept, to discuss details, and if it would be right for my space. When they informed me I could grow over 288 heads of lettuce, I was all in! With the scale of growth vermiponics technology made possible, my intention was to donate the entirety of the lettuce harvest to those in need of food on their table.
Our first yield was donated to Jewish Family Service (JFS) — an organization on the front lines responding to food insecurity. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, JFS had to increase its capacity overnight from serving 400 meals to 1600 meals a day. With 4x as many meals to provide each day, I am humbled to have the opportunity to help meet those needs by providing fresh produce for their program.
I’m immensely grateful to Mia, Benny, and everyone at Good Neighbor Gardens, for giving me this gift of being able to share my fruitful garden with others. In the end, the garden nurtured me in more ways than I thought were possible.