Facing a two-year probation period, the Grow Beach! Community Garden is underway this semester.
Elizabeth Flores, a senior nutrition and dietetics major and the community chair of the Grow Beach! board said that the probation period will be used to “see how established the community can become with the garden.”
“It’s an out for the university, so if the project is not successful in two years they can say, ‘sorry, you didn’t have enough people come, and we are not going to continue this endeavor anymore,’” Flores said.
After two years of planning, Grow Beach! held its first open meeting on Wednesday to discuss student involvement and open positions on the board.
“I’m excited for the things that Grow Beach! is trying to accomplish,” Honda Aquilar, a senior accounting major who attended the meeting, said.
Junior health science major Fernando Cabrel said he is excited for what Grow Beach! is trying to accomplish.
“I kind of want to start growing my own food and be self-sustainable,” Cabrel said.
Grow Beach! has planned a “Build Day” in the garden on Feb. 15 from noon until sun-down for students to volunteer and bring tools to help build the garden.
“I’m really passionate about being green and seeing this actually happen, it’s going to be really awesome,” said Nalysia Tea, a senior business major and the secretary on the Grow Beach! board.
At the meeting Wednesday Grow Beach! members said they might sell plants for fundraising. Students can rent a plot in the garden for $25 per semester.
“Once your plants are planted, you just have to show up and take care of them,” Flores said.
Grow Beach! club general members must pay a $5 fee. General members will not own a plot, but can volunteer to take up some gardener duties should a plot owner be unable to tend to his or her garden plot.
The garden is located on Atherton Street and Earl Warren Drive and will be open seven days a week from noon until sundown. Grow Beach! members said they will offer workshops for new gardeners to learn tips, advice and techniques for growing the plots.
Grow Beach! will meet on the first and third Wednesday of every month in the University Student Union 304.
