Vote for Community Gardens and Nutrition Education

 

In 2012, the Vallejo City Council established the first city-wide Participatory Budgeting (PB) process in the United States. Through PB, the community is helping to decide how to spend $3.2 million of revenue from the Measure B Sales Tax. From May 11th through May 18th, Vallejo residents 16 years of age and older will vote on which projects will get dibbs on $3.2 million.

To those who can vote, please use one of your six votes to support:

 

"Community Gardens and Nutrition Education"

Our proposal is to develop ten gardens across Vallejo to serve as safe spaces to grow food, beautify neighborhoods, educate kids, and prevent crime.

PB Voting Days: May 11-18th, 2013

VOTING LOCATIONS AND HOURS

Sat., May 11, 10 am - 6 pm

Florence Douglas Senior Center 333 Amador St.

Mon. - Fri., May 13 - 17, 12 pm - 7 pm

Vallejo City Hall 555 Santa Clara St.

Sat., May 18, 10 am - 6 pm

Vallejo Adult School 2833 Tennessee St.

Fun at the Participatory Budgeting Vallejo Project Expo!    There are many great proposals.  When Vallejo goes to the polls in May, please vote for more community gardens and nutrition education throughout the whole city of Vallejo.

Photo by VPG volunteer Jessy Elaine.

Community gardens can teach children where food comes from, provide safe green spaces for community connections, increase property values, and provide food for people who need healthier choices.   Community gardens are even associated with lower crime rates because they bring more people out of their houses to meet each other and bring more eyes out on the street.

Our proposal would provide funding to start or boost 10 gardens across the city of Vallejo, paying for things like tools, fencing, rain barrels, raised beds, soil testing, compost bins, and educational workshops and classes for children and adults.    

FREE Kindle download today! You don't have to be a Kindle owner to do it either!

 How to make your own yogurt <3 


We at the VPG are all about sustainable ways of living, and making your own everything. Why pay for it when you can make a tastier version yourself? That's the goal! We want everyone in our communities to eventually have the ability to become self-sufficient in whatever ways interest them.

We didn't write the book, but are very thankful to the author! Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Knowledge is power and we think you should have it!

Join us for an informal gathering

On Monday 2/25/13 from 10am-12noon at the VPG (corner of East Poplar Avenue and Oscar Street, Mare Island), we will have an informal gathering of gardeners and wannabe gardeners. Make new friends and share gardening tips. Bring a plant to share or exchange and bring your bag lunch. Topic to start things off: How to grow citrus trees successfully.

Girl Scouts Get Into Gardening!

 

 

                    Here they are making colorful labels for the plants.
 

                                      Our youngest member of the group.

Thanks Cal Maritime Academy

Thanks to the students from California Maritime Academy who came to help us move the huge mound of soil we needed to move in preparation for our meditative garden. We look forward to the collaborative effort in helping Cal Maritime get their organic garden going on campus.

Let's bring Food Not Lawns to Vallejo!

A front yard garden of tree collards and other delights found while walking through West Oakland

Do you remember the last time you took enjoyment out of a lawn? They're a lot of work to tame/maintain, not especially pleasing visually, and are honestly a bit boring. Wouldn't it be cool if you could replace your dead grass with some yummy high-yield leafy greens, fruit trees, and berry bushes? You don't even need to pay money to get rid of the lawn--cover it up with containers or raised beds and forget it exists.

Imagine entire neighborhoods full of life, color, and edible landscaping. This would solve the problem of food deserts (neighborhoods without any grocery stores or with a lack of fresh produce), allow residents to grow their own nutritious vegetables and fruits which will save money on food bills, and utilize space that is already there! You can make new friends anytime someone walks by to admire the sight, develop a good rapport with other grower neighbors with their own varieties of plants, and attract different birds and butterflies to beautify your surroundings. 

It's definitely possible and there are resources if you're not sure where to start. Come visit us at the Vallejo People's Garden and we can give you tips (and sometimes plant starts when we have extra) on creating your own edible garden at home!

Another good resource is John Kohler's Youtube series, Growingyourgreens.com:

-JZC