NEAVDA CITY Calif. Apr. 4, 2009 - Soon to be coming to land by a parking lot near you in Nevada City: The Stone Soup Community Garden.
It's the brainchild of Nevada City's vice mayor, Reinette Senum, who gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "powerhouse." It seems as if when Reinette decides to make something happen, it happens.
The long narrow plot of land is located at 446 Broad Street, but will be accessed as a garden from the back left hand corner of the municipal parking lot on Commercial Street.
Already, students from the Woolman Semester are clearing the land and Reinette plans a "Garden Raising" for Saturday, April 18 from 9 to 4, when residents and supporters will be asked to show up and help turn the place into 28 community gardening plots. She plans a "cattle shoot" focus: People good at digging start digging; people with other skills, utilize those. The gardens will be terraced and fenced and Reinette envisions some sort of tool shed and large meeting table under the lot's existing walnut tree.
The garden's formal name is the Nevada City Garden Project, and it will be fully operational in a few weeks.
Plots will come in 2 sizes: 16 by 16 feet and 16 by 8 feet. Cost will be between $100 and $150 for a growing season. The money will be used to pay for fencing, irrigation, insurance, water and garden tools. There are some scholarships available if the cost is prohibitive.
Reinette has been researching community gardens and what always comes up is theft. Since one of her goals is to feed the homeless, she plans to have vegetables planted outside the garden's fences, free for the taking to those in need.
To talk to Reinette and get more information, or to reserve a plot in the garden, call 470-8642. She will also be at the Miners Foundry April 9 prior to the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" concert by Saul Rayo and Friends. She's holding a "Soup Collective" to raise money for the Nevada City Farmers Market. There will be homemade soup and bread; bring your own bowl and spoon. She will have information on the community garden there and all the ticket sales ($15 for the concert) on Thursday night will benefit the Nevada City Garden Project.
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