Phoenix Renews Community Garden Eviction

[Jim]

If you live nearby or travel in central Phoenix at the intersection of Central and Indian School, you have probably seen the NE corner and the Phoenix Renews Community Garden, which for just over the last 4 1/2 years has occupied an abandoned 15 acre lot. In a shock to all of us, a deal was struck with the parties that kept this land tied up, and now it is reverting back to the Department of the Interior, BIA. Much like the previous decades it will sit empty and unused. It would be nice if we got a lease with the Feds, for several more years, but even a courtesy 180 day eviction so we could slow down, harvest, and have an orderly removal from the site, would be nice. Instead, we have a week, basically.

http://www.wbrc.com/story/34424949/phoe ... ld-to-move

http://www.azfamily.com/clip/13078097/garden

But this isn't about that. I have a lot of produce, and can't use it all at once. If people are interested in baby bok choy, butterleaf lettuce, or Italian Kale, come over to the garden today. I'm trying to organize a fire sale for people to sell off some of what they have.

Some of what I have won't really be ready, but I will harvest celery and more chard from the rows before final eviction.

I also have a lot of spring broccoli and cabbage that can be dug out and planted at your garden, if you have one. These are pretty big, but may survive.


I have(had) 2 raised beds, 2 rows on flood irrigation, and in the fall I constructed a large in ground bed:

It started like this:

During construction:

At the end before compost was added and planting:

It all gets bulldozed on the 16th or 17th!

[joebartels]

that blows

I've never stopped and thought it was part of the park. There is a smaller community looking garden of sorts at 2nd & Glendale too.

[Jim]

I have driven past that one on Glendale many times, and it appears to have been a garden in satellite images. However, I want by yesterday, and it is gone. Back to a grass lot for sale.

[chumley]

I just read an article about this that says the garden was used largely by refugees. Some were even growing things that they can't get in the US. I'm not sure if I was an Eritrean refugee that I would tell the world that I'm growing plants from Africa in downtown Phoenix! Arizona isn't as strict as California regarding agriculture, but if you've ever filled out a customs form, you know the USDA has a library of regulations regarding plants or seeds from overseas. Who knows though, maybe it could introduce something that will kill tamarisk and buffelgrass!

https://apnews.com/9bcf01b840dc48659d9bf93009f6140c

[flagscott]

maybe it could introduce something that will kill tamarisk and buffelgrass!

Already done for tamarisk: http://tamariskcoalition.org/about-us/n ... edar-trees

I see a lot of unhealthy-looking tamarisk nowadays. In fact, the "damage" in some places is so significant that it can be detected from space as reduced evapotransipration: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... .1623/full

As for buffelgrass, there are some people studying fungal control, but don't expect anything anytime soon, if ever.

[azbackpackr]

I heard it may not close after all. (Bringing us back to topic.)

[chumley]

The topic is unsubstantiated rumors?

[KwaiChang]

Topic might be fake news?!?!?

[Jim]

Oh, god....

[Tough_Boots]

the new location:

http://www.azcentral.c...