About

SIMI at the Garden’ is a non-profit community garden (Incorporated as a 501(c)3) that will be the first community garden in Simi Valley. It was started from grass roots by a group of volunteers and is developing through the support of a variety of individual community members. It has the full support of the mayor and city council but has not received any public funds. The land is located on the property of Simi Valley 7th Day Adventist Church and School, who has generously allocated over 2 acres of their unused land for the creation of a community garden with approximately 200 individual plots (10 x 20 sq feet each) available for families and individuals to come in and produce healthy fruits and veggies. There will be community fruit trees, herb garden and flower garden for everyone to share. In addition, this community garden is more than just a garden. Because of the fact that the church and school are such integral parts of its development, the garden will also offer other wellness activities to go along with the growing of organic fruits and vegetables. There will be master gardeners available to assist and give seminars on how to garden organically. There have been two yoga instructors that have volunteered to offer free yoga classes in the common area of the garden. Once the garden is up and running, professional chefs will also be able to offer organic cooking classes to help the people of the community learn how to healthfully use the things that they grow in their gardens. Educating the community on a healthy lifestyle is one of the many goals of the garden. So, along with the cooking classes, health and wellness seminars by garden members professionally educated in Public Health.
The garden mission statement stresses enhancing the quality of life, strengthening community bonds, and sharing the message of health. The organization is not limited to those who have a plot within the garden. It is open to anyone who wishes to participate. There are educational plots reserved for school children to use and learn through hands on activity. There are also disabled plots that will be designed with senior citizens and the physically handicapped people in mind. The founders of this project want as many people as possible to be involved and be able to benefit in some way or another. There is not one specific group of people that will be served, but everyone.
Any and every aspect of the garden development has been done using volunteer work and funds donated or raised by garden helpers. In this struggling economy, fewer and fewer people are able to help in non-profit ventures. As a result, the construction of the garden itself has been very slow. The board of directors has just raised enough money install the irrigation system, but the establishment of individual plots continues to hinge on the installation of a fence that is needed to separate the garden land from the school. Because of city codes prohibiting chain link fencing on private property, the costs of installing a fence are extremely high. If money from a garden grant is received, it will help to cover the costs of putting up fencing, construction or purchase of a common use tool shed, construction of raised bed plots for senior citizens and people with a handicap, installation of owl houses and raptor perches, and the purchase of other common use items such as tools, fruit trees, water, etc. This community is in desperate need of this project and ‘SIMI at the Garden Inc.’ is in desperate need of help to accomplish that goal.