Like the 113.5 million people who garden annually in the U.S., the citizens of Encinitas, California, are ready to reap their harvest now that their community garden is finally finished. According to a recent story by the The San Diego Union-Tribune, the garden has been seven years in the making, and the community couldn’t be happier to see the fruits of their labors blossoming.
Gordon Smith, member of the garden board, remembers all of the steps that they had to take in order to complete the garden, like overcoming financial setbacks and zoning problems. “I know it’s taken a long time, but it’s almost been worth it.”
The garden is now far from all the strife of the past, and is available for visit at 441 Quail Gardens Drive, across from the San Diego Botanic Garden, as well as the San Dieguito Heritage Museum. Encinitas is well known for its agricultural heritage, but even so, this will be the city’s very first community garden.
The project was financed by donations and grants from the community. Smith believes that they will “have one of the finest community gardens in the country.”
The Coast News also reported on the garden’s opening, which was held on Saturday. “This has been a labor of love for all of us involved,” Smith told them ahead of the event. “Saturday is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate all the work that it has taken to get here, and the excitement moving forward.”
The city and the garden’s supporters are currently debating whether the community garden should be governed as a roadside stand or an operational farm. If the city decides to label it a roadside stand, they could be facing $1,600 in fines and four to five months of processing wait.