Home Oakley Oakley Community Garden Breaks Ground

Oakley Community Garden Breaks Ground

by ECT

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A group dedicated towards making a community garden available to Oakley is a step closure to their first harvest after a groundbreaking ceremony was held Saturday to officially kick off the project.

The group has been working tirelessly since January to take an idea and turn it into reality as the City Council back in May granted permission to use an acre of land at the Moura Property off O’Hara Avenue.

They have recently been working to clear the land which is full of weeds and debris. They are also working to set up irrigation piping so they garden can attain water and be put on a drip system. The water will come from the Oakley Union Elementary School District at a rate of $50 per month which was approved in July.

Oakley resident Paul Seger had a vision and worked with the city staff to overcome a series of obstacles from legal and liability issues to make the dream a reality. A series of task force meeting occurred to attain community involvement, a non-profit signed on as a sponsor, donations and fundraisers were held and land had to be attained.

“I feel like this project would never have happened without the guidance and determined effort from Councilwoman Diane Burgis,” said Seger. “She has really been a sage help in moving it forward, allowing us to have a task force and talk about the types of things we want to do out here.”

Seger thanked the Oakley City Council for allowing them the opportunity to use the property and do something on it because it sat fallow for many years. Seger called the process “fun but trying at times,” but was happy to see the participation and looks forward to seeing the project grow.

Julie Bisch-Pollock says this is an opportunity bring the community together while going back to its history of being an agriculture and

“This is not really a ground breaking per say, but a ground becoming. It’s not just a metamorphosis from the ancient sand dunes into rich farm-able soil, it’s an acknowledgement and return to Oakley’s past of a horticultural oasis in an increasingly urban environment,” said Bisch-Pollock. “This team is not just envisioning green space, but a place to grow, learn, and connect with the community by coming together to share seeds and build camaraderie and build knowledge.”

Oakley Councilwoman Diane Burgis saw the project grow from a group with single vision to a reality.

“A really cool thing along the way is these are people learning about the processes of how to make things happen. A lot of times someone will come up to me and say hey I want to do this, but they do not understand all the steps it takes to get to that place,” said Burgis. “This process has given people a chance to observe and participate in those processes. It’s not fun; it’s not easy and sometimes really frustrating because it takes a heck of a lot of time. But that is the process.”

She says she saw this as a leadership development process to be involved in these types of community projects because you can take what is learned here and share it with the community.

“As someone who works on environmental issues, I find it very exciting that people will come out here and learn about the ways to garden in a bay friendly way. Where they are not having to use pesticides, and fertilizers, they will learn how to water in a more environmentally friendly way with drips systems,” said Burgis. “Those things they learn here they can take to their house and share.”

She also shared her excitement of the garden because they do not yet know what type of impact this will have on the community from getting kids involved, feeding seniors or working with veterans.

“This is a project that has lays and layers of benefits to our community and to those who participate,” said Burgis. “I thank you for sticking with it and look forward to watching you expand your reach.”

For more information on this project, visit their website or like them on Facebook

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4 comments

debbie white Sep 28, 2014 - 9:21 am

how do I go about applying for a plot of this project to grow vegetables?

Shawn Horrocks Sep 28, 2014 - 1:25 pm

Hello Debbie. Thank you for you interest in the gardens. You may apply for a plot by going to our website http://oakleygardens.wix.com/community and signing up . From there a representative will contact you and answer any questions you may have. You may also follow us on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/OCGFon FB. There we post upcoming events and meetings. Your welcome to join us at any of this events. We would love to meet you.

Michael Dupray Sep 28, 2014 - 6:57 pm

Just to be sure. It was not Mr. Seger who got this thing started. It was begun many months earlier by someone else who stepped back after others showed a desire to be “in charge”. That person arranged with the city manager for several properties to be considered. All of these other folks were not involved until after that person got the word out on Facebook, invited the community and began the grass roots efforts to get it going.

Michael Dupray Sep 28, 2014 - 7:09 pm

This project was actually begun back in August 2013.

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