Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 4/4/07 Section: News

Amie Frisch works on the water irrigation system for the garden.

Fresh-tilled soil teeming with newly planted organic seeds of zucchini, peppers, corn and green beans began growing beneath the earth-toned sandals of Mark Anthony Medeiros as he and other students sowed at their new community garden in downtown San Jose.

"This land that we are standing on used to be prime agricultural land," said Medeiros, a junior double majoring in environmental studies and sociology. "This is the valley of hearts delight and we have paved over it, so to grow a little bit of food here and make it produce, I think is a really cool thing."

Medeiros said he wanted to create a student garden in the past but with no space available at other community gardens, he decided in January to place six flyers at Williams Street Park to find a local homeowner who would be willing to share their land with students.

"I told them, let me garden in your backyard and maybe I will mow your lawn," Medeiros said. "There was a big response to the flyers; I got 10 to 15 calls from people in a couple of days."

After viewing several of the respondents' backyards Medeiros chose a space about 400 square feet bordered off by a white picket fence at a home on 14th Street in the Naglee Park neighborhood.

Homeowner Colleen Eilbert said she knew the space in her backyard was perfect for a garden but didn't have the time to utilize it.

"I think we have the better end of the deal," said Eilbert, a computer programmer. "I am really excited about it."

Two of the most active gardeners - Amie Frisch, a senior majoring in environmental studies and member of the environmental club, and Mark Spina, a senior majoring in environmental studies - said they come by the garden about two to three times a week. They said they got involved in the student garden because of their interest in growing their own food.

"We live in apartments so we don't have backyards to grow gardens of our own," Frisch said. "It is the best tasting food when you grow it yourself, it is so fresh."

Spina said he has always liked gardening, despite the ridicule of some of his peers. He said he'd rather be outdoors planting things with friends than cooped up inside of his apartment.

"It's super hippie land here," Spina said. "We are going to grow food together and eat together."

Continued...

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