INTERVIEW: MAY 14, 2009
Like all great actions in life, they usually come out of just a simple idea perused into reality. For Joan Morris and her team of colleagues at the San Mateo Times the idea of building a community through a garden with purpose of giving back to the community at the same time became a reality.
Joan Morris overlooking her industrialized scene at the office sought refuge in the idea of reconnecting herself to the earth as well as giving back to her community. Joan Morris is now the founder of the Walnut Creek Community Garden. Although her garden is still in the developing stages, all of her work fell into place, as she was able to easily obtain extra land adjacent to her work office. Her idea fell though in three months and led to a beautiful and recreational sanctuary for people and plants alike.
Lisa Wern is the features editor of the San Mateo Times as well as the Contra Costal Times. She was generous enough to provide some free time in her busy schedule to allow me to interview her on the community gardener and the founder, Joan Morris, who was not able to be interviewed, as she was on vacation in Europe at the time.
E: Who is the founder?
L: Joan Morris is a Master Gardener who has her own garden at home and is very dedicated to the beauty of the earth and what is does and offers us. She obtained her Master gardening license from the State and has volunteered her knowledge in many seminars and lessons about the tips, tricks, and general knowledge of gardening.
E: Where did the idea come from?
L: A spark in Joan’s mind three months ago. Joan had the vision for the garden. Luckily we were able to go through the process of development in less than three months.
E: Really? How so fast?
L: Our building had extra land adjacent to the office building so we did not have to go to the city and ask for land. It really helped the idea come into reality.
E: What is your goal for the developing community garden?
L: The garden is going to be very communal. It is going to be a vegetable based garden for the purpose of providing fresh vegetable to the homeless and food shelters in the area. As well as providing a biodynamic approach to the idea of being as natural as possible.
E: So, what’s exactly in your garden right now? (Being that it is in the early stages)?
L: There are four plots; there are vegetable seeds in those four plots and a lot of volunteers willing to provide time into this effort of reconnecting to the earth and giving back the community. Also every Friday we have a class. They are educational experiences that allow people to get a feeling of what a community garden is, the fundamentals of gardening as well as species specific seminars.
E: What role do you play in the Walnut Creek Community Garden?
L: For the most part I am the coordinator. I do the backbone work of insurance coverage, support for the garden. We have had some really great sponsors from around the community come out and support our cause. We have had nurseries provide seeds, a local tree service help clear the land, and of course the support and time of the volunteers.
E: Have you always had a passion for gardening?
L: Not always, I’ve gotten into gardening later and life and fell in love with it!
E: What are your personal believes on the benefits of gardening?
L: It connects us to the earth, makes us realize that we belong to something greater than ourselves, as we learn to respect the earth more, knowing what it does for us. As well as the social aspect of gardening as a community rather than individually and of course the health benefits of all the hard work that one puts into the garden.
E: What about the cultural angle behind community gardening? Do you believe it is for all ages?
L: Oh yes, most definitely.
E: How much interest do you get from the community?
L: We have had so much support, it has been amazing.. our first meeting brought in seventy people!
E: Thank you so much for your time and input!
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