By Paul Maree
On Sunday, July 13, we hosted our first Spanish-speaking Seed Starting Workshop—and it was a wonderful success! This special event was a collaboration with the South Coast Health Equity Coalition and brought together local community members interested in learning how to grow their own food, starting from seed.
Led by the knowledgeable instructors Brenda Blythe and Cindy Myers, the class took place in Brenda’s beautiful greenhouse at Blythe Family Farm, providing the perfect hands-on learning environment. A total of 12 students participated, each eager to dig into the world of gardening.
The workshop was more than just educational—it was a dialogue. At the end of the class, students completed a short survey about what topics they’d like to explore next. Popular ideas included building raised beds, managing garden pests, composting, and growing winter vegetables—giving us a clear sense of what future classes could focus on to best support this community.
We’re also thrilled to share that two participants expressed interest in becoming Master Gardeners by completing our interest form. This is an exciting step toward deeper community engagement and empowerment.
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to Carolina from the South Coast Health Equity Coalition, who sent us a thoughtful note of appreciation after the event. Moments like this remind us why we do what we do.
We look forward to continuing this important work and creating more opportunities to learn, grow, and connect within our community.
Photo Credit: Paul Maree
