CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
Sowing Seeds of Transformation: Gardopia’s Growth and the Garden Awards Gala by Shirley Parodi What do you get when you have plants
The garden now successfully provides an
plus a little water, a healthy dose of
ongoing oasis and refuge to an at-risk
sunlight, a good amount of nutrient rich soil,
population, in addition to being a food forest
and community? You get solutions to two
in a food desert. Anyone can come and help
big problems: reducing the obesity
take care of the garden and leave with
epidemic, and mitigating crime in high-crime
fresh fruits and vegetables they pulled
urban corridors. That’s what Gardopia
directly from the ground. More so, they
Gardens set out to do 6 years ago when
leave having learned something about
the non-profit officially formed and built a
taking care of the land, the practice of
community garden in the heart of historic
gardening, and the importance of the
eastside San Antonio—an urban area known
nutritional foods it bears while gaining
for having the highest crime rate in the city.
something from the experience of working
50 | Summer 2021 | Cultivate SA
