Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Lafayette Community Garden leaders outline growth, programs and volunteer efforts to council
Loading...
Summary
Janet Thomas, co-director of the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center, told the council the garden has grown to 111 families, runs education programs and partners with local groups on composting, beekeeping and drought-tolerant demonstrations; no formal action was taken.
Janet Thomas, co-director of the Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center, presented the garden’s history, partnerships and programs to the council, saying the site provides “a space for members and visitors to learn about our ecosystem and the way we grow our food.”
Thomas said the garden was founded about 15 years ago and has grown from roughly 30 volunteers at its 2011 ground-breaking to 111 families today, with a waiting list of more than 20 households. “We’re a cooperative community garden,” she said, describing a structure organized around crop teams, a construction team, native-plant efforts and an education team.
The garden occupies land owned by East Bay MUD and pays about $2,500 a year in rent, Thomas said. To obtain nonprofit status the group formed an agreement with Sustainable Lafayette, which serves as its 501(c)(3) sponsor.
Thomas outlined regular public engagement: weekly work hours (Tuesdays 3:30–5:30 p.m., Thursdays and Saturdays 9 a.m.–noon), monthly “ground rounds” with master gardeners, scout and school tours, a free open house on May 17 and a city-cosponsored Republic Services talk on food waste by John Taylor on May 14 at 10:00.
The garden demonstrates several sustainability practices, Thomas said, including an efficient drip irrigation system she estimated uses about 600 gallons a day and a large compost area with warm bins; members plant winter cover crops such as fava beans and compost the residue for spring beds.
On pollinators and beekeeping she said the Mount Diablo Bee Keepers Association maintains 12 hives at the site and the garden received about 120 pounds of honey last year that was shared among members. The garden also maintains a chicken coop with about 15 hens and distributes eggs among members.
Thomas highlighted volunteer-built amenities and educational features: raised beds milled from donated logs, ceramic signage by former art-committee member Susan Dannenfelser, a beehive-shaped pizza oven and a five-circuit labyrinth built from a fallen valley oak. She said the site’s creekside habitat and simulated Miwok dwellings support educational field trips for Lafayette School District third graders, coordinated with Mary McCosker.
A council member thanked the presenters, saying they regularly drive past the site and called the garden “a gem.” The clerk asked for public comment; none was offered on the item and the presentation closed without any formal motion or vote.
The garden’s presentation emphasized volunteer capacity, educational outreach and partnerships with local organizations; Thomas invited council members and residents to the May 17 open house and the Republic Services talk on May 14.
