On Saturday, April 17, 2010 we had a workday in Koshland Park and Garden, sponsored by Kaiser-Permanente. Twenty-two neighborhood friends came out to help us move woodchips, prune tree wells, sift compost, building planter aisles and spruce up the park and garden. Thank you to the great volunteers and Kaiser-Permanente! “Volunteers are not paid – not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless." Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Today first and second graders from the after-school Western Addition Beacon Center worked in Koshland Garden harvesting FAVA BEANS! Favas, really part of the pea family, are very nutritious and have many health benefits. They are especially high in fiber and iron and low in sodium. They even contain L-dopa, which is used as a drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and eating them reduces the risk of heart disease. Shell before eating. Planting favas returns a lot of nitrogen back to the soil. Yumm!
On Wednesday, April 13, 2010 we began a nine-week program to create a garden at Hayward Recreation Center through a partnership with the Buchanan YMCA, across the street from Plaza East housing on Laguna St near Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco. Youth designed the layout of the garden, what was to be planted, and then started digging. The following week they planted starts and added rich compost and water. It is exciting to see the changes each week, and we'll keep you up to date.
On Thursday, April 8, 2010, the Handful Players came to Koshland Garden to rehearse their upcoming play by Eugenie Chan entitled Rainbow in Your Corner. The play highlights how the children of San Francisco's Western Addition community meet the legendary John Muir and discover and learn to preserve the natural beauty of the neighborhood; the play is filled with classic jazz, soul, and gospel music and original lyrics. They will be performing this play on May 15th at Yoshi's in San Francisco at 1:00 PM. Tickets are $5 at the door. Kids 18 and under free. They may perform for us in Koshland Garden too, so stay tuned!
