COMMunity garden mentors
The strength of the growing community garden movement relies on collaboration.
Get in touch with these leading community garden mentors and share what you learn to pay it forward!
Cathryn "Cat" Henning
San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project
Type of Mentor: Sustainable living, backyard goats, career transitioning, farming education, project management, and community relations
Contact Info: Find me at Wild Willow Farm and Education Center every Saturday, 1:30-3:30pm, cathryn@sandiegoroots.org
Diane Hollister
Type of Mentor: Edibles, composting, and vermicomposing
Contact Info: dghollister@gmail.com
Elizabeth Mercurio
Escondido Community Garden
Type of Mentor: I manage this garden, with my outstanding board, after founding the Escondido Community Garden over 20 years ago. I am happy to give a tour of our garden or simply answer questions on starting or managing a community garden. We can share our bylaws, membership agreements and garden rules to assist in getting a new garden started.
Contact Info: Escondido Community Garden, Centre City Pkwy., Escondido 92026, Ph 760-580-4390
George Mercer
San Carlos Community Garden & other numerous community gardens
Type of Mentor: I'm a Landscape Architect, so I'm most familiar with Garden Design.
Contact Info: 5mercers@sbcglobal.net, Ph 619-463-7876
Irene Castruita
Greely Gardens
Type of Mentor: I'm passionate about community building. I'm not the most knowledgeable gardener but I always find people that know more and can provide advice and suggestions. I really feel that we can build healthier loving communities through community gardens. I can give ideas or suggestions on ways to start your garden. I've done most of my outreach through social media and have been able to gather donations. I have found that people who farm love to share and assist in any way.
Contact Info: meztlicuicatl@gmail.com, Ph 619-318-2727
Jeeni Criscenzo
Shared gardening in Linda Vista, San Diego
Type of Mentor: Gardening on a budget, creative reuse of items to build gardens, water wise organic home gardens, backyard chickens and community organizing.
Contact Info: Jeenicdr@gmail.com, Ph 760-525-1915
KK
Second Chance, Youth Garden Manager
Type of Mentor: I have experience in urban vegetable farming, rural small vegetable farming (1-5 acres), dairy goats, working with high school aged youth in agriculture. I am also a master composter.
Contact Info: kkvernland@secondchanceprogram.org, Ph 619-839-0952
Lisa Lipsey
Sunshine Care Intergenerational Garden Club
The Backyard Produce Project Food Bank Garden
San Diego Community Garden Network Advisory Board
Type of Mentor:
Making gardens and their programming Intergenerational
· Seed to table education for youth
· How to ask for funding/tools and other in-kind donations and fundraisers
· How to recognize sponsors and contributors
· PR/Promotion and Garden Communications (Press Coverage, Newsletter, Blogs, Managing Volunteers)
Contact Info: lisa@sunshinecare.com, Ph 858-752-8197 M-F 9 -5:30 p.m.
Mim Michelove
Healthy Day Partners, Co-President
Type of Mentor:
Developing educational opportunities in the garden
Community outreach
Developing community partnerships
Finding funding
Growing food for those in need
Edible garden design
Sustainable agriculture
Growing food for school lunches
Contact Info: mim@healthydaypartners.org, Ph 714-329-1349
Mindy Swanson
Dig Down Deep Garden Educators
Type of Mentor: Teaching kids, families, communities about gardening, figuring out how to share a space and activities that will help get the garden cared for and learning will happen. Monarch habitats, fruit trees and seasonal annuals, pests and pals in your garden and trouble shooting...COMPOST!!!
Contact Info: d3gardened@gmail.com, Ph 858-522-0687
Patrice Smerdu
City of Carlsbad Harold E. Smerdu Community Garden
Type of Mentor: Broad knowledge of gardening in coastal areas, community garden management & oversight
Contact Info: psmerdu@sbcglobal.net, Ph 760-889-8546. Email anytime, no texts, calls M-Sat 8:30am to 6:00pm
Paula Ferraco
Pacific Beach Community Garden and BeautifulPB
Type of Mentor: Sustainable. Ecologically and socio-economically balanced. Placemaking.Conservation and enjoyment. an EcoDistrict.
Contact Info: Ph 619-571-3244
Roy Wilburn
Sunshine Care, Horticulture Manager
Type of Mentor:
Available for advice or tour of gardens anytime - give me a call or shoot me an email.
Free monthly Garden Lecture Series at Sunshine Care on the 3rd Saturday of the month, 10:30 am @ SSC -- RSVP me. Spring/summer crops (especially tomatoes)
Herbs
Fall/Winter crops (especially things in the brassica family, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage etc)
Organic pest control
Fertilization
Soil preparation
Contact Info: roy@sunshinecare.com, Ph 858-472-6059
Get in touch with these leading community garden mentors and share what you learn to pay it forward!
Cathryn "Cat" Henning
San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project
Type of Mentor: Sustainable living, backyard goats, career transitioning, farming education, project management, and community relations
Contact Info: Find me at Wild Willow Farm and Education Center every Saturday, 1:30-3:30pm, cathryn@sandiegoroots.org
Diane Hollister
Type of Mentor: Edibles, composting, and vermicomposing
Contact Info: dghollister@gmail.com
Elizabeth Mercurio
Escondido Community Garden
Type of Mentor: I manage this garden, with my outstanding board, after founding the Escondido Community Garden over 20 years ago. I am happy to give a tour of our garden or simply answer questions on starting or managing a community garden. We can share our bylaws, membership agreements and garden rules to assist in getting a new garden started.
Contact Info: Escondido Community Garden, Centre City Pkwy., Escondido 92026, Ph 760-580-4390
George Mercer
San Carlos Community Garden & other numerous community gardens
Type of Mentor: I'm a Landscape Architect, so I'm most familiar with Garden Design.
Contact Info: 5mercers@sbcglobal.net, Ph 619-463-7876
Irene Castruita
Greely Gardens
Type of Mentor: I'm passionate about community building. I'm not the most knowledgeable gardener but I always find people that know more and can provide advice and suggestions. I really feel that we can build healthier loving communities through community gardens. I can give ideas or suggestions on ways to start your garden. I've done most of my outreach through social media and have been able to gather donations. I have found that people who farm love to share and assist in any way.
Contact Info: meztlicuicatl@gmail.com, Ph 619-318-2727
Jeeni Criscenzo
Shared gardening in Linda Vista, San Diego
Type of Mentor: Gardening on a budget, creative reuse of items to build gardens, water wise organic home gardens, backyard chickens and community organizing.
Contact Info: Jeenicdr@gmail.com, Ph 760-525-1915
KK
Second Chance, Youth Garden Manager
Type of Mentor: I have experience in urban vegetable farming, rural small vegetable farming (1-5 acres), dairy goats, working with high school aged youth in agriculture. I am also a master composter.
Contact Info: kkvernland@secondchanceprogram.org, Ph 619-839-0952
Lisa Lipsey
Sunshine Care Intergenerational Garden Club
The Backyard Produce Project Food Bank Garden
San Diego Community Garden Network Advisory Board
Type of Mentor:
Making gardens and their programming Intergenerational
· Seed to table education for youth
· How to ask for funding/tools and other in-kind donations and fundraisers
· How to recognize sponsors and contributors
· PR/Promotion and Garden Communications (Press Coverage, Newsletter, Blogs, Managing Volunteers)
Contact Info: lisa@sunshinecare.com, Ph 858-752-8197 M-F 9 -5:30 p.m.
Mim Michelove
Healthy Day Partners, Co-President
Type of Mentor:
Developing educational opportunities in the garden
Community outreach
Developing community partnerships
Finding funding
Growing food for those in need
Edible garden design
Sustainable agriculture
Growing food for school lunches
Contact Info: mim@healthydaypartners.org, Ph 714-329-1349
Mindy Swanson
Dig Down Deep Garden Educators
Type of Mentor: Teaching kids, families, communities about gardening, figuring out how to share a space and activities that will help get the garden cared for and learning will happen. Monarch habitats, fruit trees and seasonal annuals, pests and pals in your garden and trouble shooting...COMPOST!!!
Contact Info: d3gardened@gmail.com, Ph 858-522-0687
Patrice Smerdu
City of Carlsbad Harold E. Smerdu Community Garden
Type of Mentor: Broad knowledge of gardening in coastal areas, community garden management & oversight
Contact Info: psmerdu@sbcglobal.net, Ph 760-889-8546. Email anytime, no texts, calls M-Sat 8:30am to 6:00pm
Paula Ferraco
Pacific Beach Community Garden and BeautifulPB
Type of Mentor: Sustainable. Ecologically and socio-economically balanced. Placemaking.Conservation and enjoyment. an EcoDistrict.
Contact Info: Ph 619-571-3244
Roy Wilburn
Sunshine Care, Horticulture Manager
Type of Mentor:
Available for advice or tour of gardens anytime - give me a call or shoot me an email.
Free monthly Garden Lecture Series at Sunshine Care on the 3rd Saturday of the month, 10:30 am @ SSC -- RSVP me. Spring/summer crops (especially tomatoes)
Herbs
Fall/Winter crops (especially things in the brassica family, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage etc)
Organic pest control
Fertilization
Soil preparation
Contact Info: roy@sunshinecare.com, Ph 858-472-6059