I was fortunate enough to have recently been awarded a plot in the community garden on Nipomo Street in SLO. As as militant gardener and one who has noticed what appears to me to be a community garden in a bit of disarray in terms of security, billing, appearance, and general role in the SLO community, is there any way SLO can put food security first? There is growing (pardon the pun) food insecurity for everyone now. Seniors, students, families, and individuals face an economy in growing (another unintentional pun) ruin. While SLO has been awarded millions of dollars to improve its tiny downtown business corridor on Higuera Street, I have yet to find any news on a corresponding improvement in expanding community gardens. We are blessed with mild weather, great soil, and plenty of open space. For the sake of maintaining a healthy, cohesive, and thriving community, we need more community gardens. This is of vital importance.
For conservative detractors that abhor any public expense that doesn’t support private interests, an argument could be made that with the provision of fresh, free food grown through the use public gardens, there would be less need for food stamps, Medicaid, and other (meager) forms of our traditional social safety net. Doing so supports their supreme goal of reducing public expenditures. Additionally, during WWII “Victory Gardens” were actively encouraged by the government.
We are facing pronounced hunger in America and it is our (municipal) government’s duty to ” … promote the general welfare,” (preamble to the U.S. Constitution). This is not happening, as evidenced by neglected community gardens. Let’s lead by example.
S.Harris
Plot No. 19
community garden on Nipomo Street, SLO
This article appears in Dec 15-25, 2022.
Such venues are important but should it should not be at taxpayer expense to feed a few. We already underwrite all of the
social safety nets. Want to do something about it? Start a non-profit, raise funds and donate it to the city for that specific use.