Southside Community Garden – the First in Sacramento Officially Opens on Sunday with Fanfare

Sunday, June 6, 2004, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., 5th and W Streets

Sacramento, California, June 3, 2004 – Official dedication and celebration of the Southside Community Garden will take place this Sunday morning. The Southside Community Garden is the first official community garden in the City of Sacramento.

The Southside Community Garden is a joint venture of the Southside Neighborhood Association, City of Sacramento, Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, State Department of General Services, and CADA. The site is comprised of 32,000 square feet of garden space, protected by permanent fencing, offering gardeners plenty of space to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables.

The Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) acquired the Southside Community Garden in June of 2002, who in turn donated the garden to the City of Sacramento as the City’s first permanent community garden under the management of the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City of Sacramento.

“Many, many organizations and people came together to work on this project, offering their services for free, all united in the quest to make a useable and successful garden for the community,” said City Councilmember Jimmie Yee. “Without the support of these groups and individuals, especially the Southside Neighborhood Association, where the community garden sits, we would not have been successful to bring about this garden.”

As part of the development of the Fremont Mews project adjacent to Fremont Park, CADA worked with the community to identify potential garden sites to accommodate a majority of the existing Mandella Garden. The Southside Community Garden site was tested for contaminants and the results were consistent with residential use in an urban area, with slightly elevated levels of lead, arsenic and pesticide residue found on the surface. Using the most stringent regulatory stand possible, all soils that did not meet this standard were removed from the site and replaced with screened topsoil appropriate for gardening.

The Southside Community Garden celebration takes place on Sunday, June 6, 2004. Celebration hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be live entertainment, gardening information, tours and other activities for the entire family. The dedication ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m.