COMMONWEALTH Gardens

COMMONWEALTH Gardens (CG) are an additional, unique aspect of the new Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital & Healthcare Campus.  CG will be a model of sustainable gardening that will provide organic food and a place for rejuvenation within a hospital setting.    The goals for CG are:

1.    To provide a venue in which the relationship between the growth and consumption of food and overall wellness can be properly viewed (demonstration garden).
2.    To provide locally grown whole food (produce) for consumption by patients and staff of Howard Memorial Hospital.
3.    To consistently supply those established feeding programs in the community of Willits (Senior Center and Our Daily Bread) with produce for use in their kitchens.
4.    To engage the community, with specific attention to the school system, through workshops and living classroom experiences.

The eight-acre garden site, which includes a Healing Knoll, is fenced and one well has already been drilled at the site.  Solar panels and a solar pump have been secured.

CG was developed by a volunteer committee whose members have personal experience in teaching gardening and farming.  In addition, local certified organic gardeners and farmers who are running successful organic gardens and farms were interviewed. Committee members are experienced professionals who individually have years of experience in organic gardening. They have run CSAs, Farmers Markets, and school gardens, built structures using alternative building methods and materials, and taught classes using organic gardening methods. Committee members have studied and taught perma-culture, bio-intensive gardening, and biodynamic gardening.

The garden will be utilized as an educational facility for the community as well as a practical means of producing the hospital’s fruit and vegetable requirements.  Features of this effort include the following:

•    Garden Walk

The pathways will traverse the perimeter and center of the vegetable garden, and the crest and bottom of the healing knoll.  They will be built using crushed granite (water permeable) with a binder in order to meet ADA regulations. The goal for the pathway is that all may come and visit both the produce garden and the healing knoll, to provide solace and retreat for patients and their families and/or visitors while at the hospital.

•    Education

Being the first “green” rural hospital site in the country, and one with a certified organic garden, the hospital garden committee recognizes the educational possibilities which include these:

o    Re-establishing the connection between healthy food and healthy bodies;
o    Maximizing nutrient content in the soil for the crops produced;
o    Increasing emotional well-being through a contemplative garden design;
o    Maintaining the garden as a sustainable system;
o    Using local, regional, or microclimate growing techniques.

•    Tours and Demonstrations

The self-guided garden tour will allow visitors to move through the garden easily on pathways with many places to sit and observe, learn and relax. There will be informative signage to identify vegetables and herbs, their origins and uses with details about the various gardening techniques, composting methods and natural building techniques utilized. In-depth, educational tours may be scheduled with volunteer staff members for those wanting to learn more.

CG will continually recruit volunteers and give those volunteers the opportunity to learn hands-on gardening skills via instruction and through caring for the garden.  There will be volunteer days held weekly for local community members and organizations who would like to take part and actively get involved in the project.  As well, an accredited sustainable agriculture internship program for local high school and college students will be developed.  There will be senior and children’s gardening clubs that will meet and volunteer in the garden regularly.  A handicapped gardening program will be developed that will be a service based learning environment where the handicapped volunteers would have the opportunity of running the farm stand.  This program is for the people and by the people in need of special services.  A garden-mentoring program that will provide one-on-one or small group learning experiences will be available through a volunteer time program.