Julianne Serraon Radcliffe, North Regions: Intergenerational Program Assistant, County of San Diego

After 2 years of development, a dirt lot has been transformed into a thriving “green space” for the Oceanside community. On August 28, 2019 community members, parents, school officials and students of Libby Elementary School gathered to celebrate the grand opening of their new Intergenerational Community Garden.

The purpose of the garden was to increase access to healthy food at the school while creating a place for people of all ages to connect with one another and learn about different ways they can improve their health with natural and nutritious food. Community members and students can access and maintain the garden during and after school hours. To ensure easy access for all members of the community, especially older adults and those with mobility challenges, the garden was built with an ADA-approved ramp.

“This garden serves as a hub for the community to grow nutritious food, provide education about the sustainability of the environment to youth, adults and senior citizens, and serves as a place of mentorship,” shared Cesar Mora, Libby Elementary Principal at the Garden’s grand opening.

The garden was made possible through a collaboration between the Oceanside Unified School District and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency North County Regions.

The garden consists of 14 in-ground planting areas where the community has already started growing corn, tomato, sweet peas, cilantro, squash, legumes, herbs, and a variety of fruit trees.

Principal Mora planted nopales, a type of cacti that is a staple of many traditional Mexican dishes along the edges of the garden. “It is important for the local neighborhood to identify with this space,” shared Mora.

Future plans for the garden include a greenhouse where students can plant their own seedlings and watch them grow and nutrition programs to promote healthy living by eating fresh food and increasing physical activity while strengthening intergenerational connections.

To learn more about the community garden or to get involved, please contact Cesar Mora at cmora@oside.us.

Watch the fun of the garden’s grand opening in the video below.