The History of Garden Friendly Community Fort Bragg

Below is an account of the evolution of what is now known as Garden Friendly Community Fort Bragg.

Here are links to additional stand-alone documents that were critical to the formation of GFCFB.
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A Narrative History of ​Garden Friendly Community Fort Bragg

Fort Bragg, CA has a long history of community gardening and self-sufficiency. We’re a community full of gardeners, farmers, and people passionate about local and sustainable food systems. It was in this spirit and upon that backdrop that a grassroots, community-driven effort was built and led to the successful passing of a City of Fort Bragg resolution, called the Garden Friendly Community Resolution.

​This resolution was developed and informed by multiple community workshops, through which also emerged a dedicated group of volunteers who eventually became the Garden Friendly Community Committee—a team dedicated to ensuring follow-through on the Garden Friendly Community Resolution and working in coordination with the City, community and other stakeholders to bring it to fruition.
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​Ever since the Garden Friendly Community Resolution passed unanimously by the Council, the Garden Friendly Community Committee has been hard at work to make the vision of more gardens, and more support for gardens and gardeners a reality. In passing the resolution, the city provided the committee with 4 city properties to investigate for community gardens, one of which was the CV Starr Center. Among the sites, the CV Starr Center was identified as the most ideal site to move forward with due to its central location, accessibility, size, potential collaboration with MCRPD (Mendocino Coast Recreation and Parks District) and in having the most ideal garden space.

After many hours of research into community gardens across the country, and through guidance from North Coast Opportunities, an organization that has successfully started 55 community and school gardens throughout Mendocino and Lake County, we were able to develop essential garden management documents, community garden guidelines, and sample contracts essential for community garden functioning. Further, a site proposal, a budget (based upon local business options wherever possible), and site map were developed. With support from the City, we initially were set to present this proposal to the MCRPD board (the organization responsible for the management of CV Starr) in March 2020. However due to COVID-19 setbacks that emerged just before the presentation date, the meeting was canceled and we re-grouped as a committee and directed our focus in the coming months towards exploring community garden options with private landowners, the development of educational resources and the establishment of the Garden Friendly Community Network.
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The GFC Network was developed with the intention to keep folks in our community connected and updated. It’s a database of folks looking for community garden plots, property owners and organizers who wish to start community gardens, and donors and volunteers who wish to see our community grow towards sustainability and resilience.

It is through this central network that we hope to all continue to stay connected and working together to make the goals and vision of the GFC resolution a reality.

Those who are a part of the GFC Network receive GFC Fort Bragg and other local organization event information and updates, are connected with opportunities or support from others in the Network, and receive support from the committee in setting up and sustaining home and community gardens throughout Fort Bragg.

​The network has over 40 people so far and it continues to build everyday.
Events hosted by GFC Fort Bragg began in July, with Sakina Bush who hosted a class on Gardening for Fall and Winter Harvests. Next, in August, we hosted Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith who discussed some history of US gardening movements, and we screened the documentary En Nuestras Manos followed by Q&A with the director for each part of the series.
All the while building our educational programming and the Garden Network, conversation of the CV Starr community garden emerged once again, and we prepared to present to MCRPD the site proposal, budget, and site plan via zoom. We had adjusted our original plan in consideration of COVID and the corresponding urgency for the project, to reflect 3 phases in hopes of that in doing so, we would at least be able to have the first phase-- requiring the least amount of time, infrastructure and funding, to be developed before the end of the year. The phase 1 costs were $7500 and secured just enough basic infrastructure (such as a toolshed and greenhouse) to get the garden going, while Phase 2 and 3 required more infrastructure and funding, with the ultimate goal for phase 3 to be ADA accessible with ADA compliant paths and beds.
 On August 19th 2020, the updated CV Starr Proposal was presented to the MCRPD Board. There was much positive enthusiasm and support for the project but with some concerns regarding not being ADA-compliant from the beginning of the project. This made us do away with the breakdown of the phases of the project, and instead jump right to our ultimate goal of phase 3. We adjusted our site map and budget accordingly, with the new funding needs totaling $17500.
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Folks have really come together around this vision to help make it happen. Our Go Fund Me campaign has raised almost $2500 from 36 different people, we received a generous $7500 donation from the Mendocino Coast Children’s Fund, and an anonymous donor graciously offered to cover the rest of the needed start up costs for CV Starr.

It has been inspiring and motivating to see our community really come together to make this vision happen—from supporting financially, signing up to volunteer, attending the City Council and MCRPD meetings, submitting public comments, providing words of encouragement—thanks to this community support, this project is moving forward.

The effort to establish the CV Starr Garden as the first community garden in Fort Bragg has been met with nothing but support from all sides—form the community, from the city and from the MCRPD Board. This is the first community garden of hopefully many, and just a glimpse into what we can accomplish as a Garden Friendly Community and through being a part of the Garden Network together.

​There’s a place for everyone to get involved: on-the-ground gardening, infrastructure building, providing garden management, organizing more gardens, financially supporting operating costs and ongoing efforts, participating in and hosting educational events—the list goes on. There’s a space for everyone’s skill sets to be utilized and to come together to create this vision as a community.

Fort Bragg is the world’s first Garden Friendly Community, and we hope that what we build here can be a model for other communities to follow. In these uncertain times, when hope seems hard to come by, there seems to be nothing more uplifting and positive than coming together around local, sustainable, healthy food, and connecting with one another and to the land.

​Together we can build a Garden Friendly Community, and together we can build a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient Fort Bragg for current residents and for generations to come. Thanks for your support!