Have you ever heard of a hidden gem in Danville called “The Bounty Garden”? I must confess that, as many times as I go to Hap Magee Park in Danville with my own three children, I didn’t know this spot even existed or was planned. In fact, a Patch reader sent this tip to me so I could feature a story on this unique spot and share a hidden secret with all of you!
It all began when 17-year-old Athenian student, Amelia Abramson had an idea. Amelia’s mom, Heidi, thought it would be nice for the community to learn more about creating and maintaining sustainable gardens. Amelia agreed with her mom, but this young lady also felt like what was grown should go to those who were hungry. Thus, the Bounty Garden was sprouted!
The Bounty Garden is a volunteer run group, currently being started at Hap Magee Park. Amelia notes, “It will teach the volunteers about sustainable gardening and all of the food grown will be donated to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties.”
Believe it or not, this is an idea that came to Amelia and her mom more than two years ago, but it took those two years to turn a vision into reality. Amelia shares, “To get it housed at Hap Magee we had to get approval to lease the land from the government that runs the park. It involved speaking to the boards that run the park itself as well as attending city board meeting. It took about two years to finally get the approvals. Just a couple weeks ago the Danville City Council gave us permission to use Hap Magee Park!”
On Nov. 19, 15 students from San Ramon Valley High School and Athenian built planter boxes, even in the mucky weather. A third workday is slated for January.
For the Danville community and surrounding communities, The Bounty Garden does more than just teach about sustainable gardening and feeding the hungry. It brings community members of all ages together for a common good. It gives community members a chance to give back to others who are experiencing struggles or challenges.
Volunteers can choose from a list of vegetables to grow and tend to. Once grown, those vegetables will be donated to the food bank. Often, food banks receive canned goods or boxed foods with a long shelf life, so freshly grown and organic produce means healthier eating for families who need to be nourished. Even those families who are poor, are experiencing life struggles, or are out of work deserve to be fed food that is fresh and sustainable. They deserve food we’d feed to our own families!
To learn more about how you can volunteer, check out: http://thebountygarden.wordpress.com/about/. You can find information on planned workdays, donating your time, or even donating money to help build even more planter beds.
