The Altadena Community Garden Perspective from February 2023 ACG Newsletter
– Allison Burdett
The Garden (ACG) is a unique non-profit organized and volunteer-run by residents of the local community, currently celebrating its fifth decade. The former site of the Mt. Lowe Military Academy, the land reverted to Los Angeles County ownership in the mid-1970s when the local community worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation to establish the Garden. Los Angeles County completed construction of the Garden site in 1984 as the cornerstone of the Loma Alta Park redesign. Two edifices remain from the original Academy: the iconic wrought-iron entry gate on Palm Street and the park Youth Center building. The Garden has thrived since its creation, strengthening the character of Altadena and providing an array of educational and community-building resources to its neighbors. Today, however, the Garden faces an uncertain future with the sudden, unanticipated addition of approximately $25,000 annually in new operating costs.
After more than 50 years of successful partnership with LA County sponsoring the utility and maintenance fees of the Garden, in 2023, LA County will require our organization to shoulder the full annual operating costs of water and facility maintenance at an estimated $25,000 per year. This change is now challenging the Garden not only to develop a robust, sustainable fundraising program but to save resources by developing water conservation methods that are simple to use and cost effective.
We are committed to developing sufficient community and philanthropic support along with cost savings to avoid raising the necessary funds by charging high annual dues to our membership which would be untenable for our low-income and fixed-income gardeners who rely on the Garden for affordable, fresh food sources.
The ACG is a non-profit organization that provides gardening space, information, and education to Garden members and the local community. We believe that growing nutritional food and working outdoors in a group setting promotes healthy minds, spirits, and bodies. The Garden honors and appreciates the diversity, unique qualities, and cultural ideals of our gardeners and the community. By growing fresh food and tending the Garden together, we support harmony, cooperation, and healthy life choices for residents of LA County. The ACG is a historical community resource for mostly fixed-income seniors and limited-income families to enhance their own food security and supplement their households with fresh fruits and vegetables.