The County’s LiveWell San Diego Food System Initiative, in collaboration with the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County, have developed a community demonstration garden in the heart of the County Operations Center (COC).

Opened last month, this 400-square foot demonstration garden plot will be a resource to all who visit the COC, serving as a meeting spot, open space, and educational tool. The Food System Initiative hopes to promote sustainability through home, urban, and community gardening.

The garden’s multiple amenities make it a valuable destination for all. Four raised beds will grow seasonal fruits and vegetables, herbs, and other popular plants. One raised bed is accessible to people in wheelchairs. A rain barrel is housed in the garden to demonstrate how capturing rainwater can help keep gardens lush and reduce water consumption. A worm bin for compost will demonstrate the vermicompost process; that and the COC’s existing composting system will keep the garden’s soil healthy and fertile. A container garden demonstrates how to grow citrus and other plants using just pots, no raised beds or backyards needed! The center of the garden includes an array of plants to attract pollinators, like bees, butterflies, and other insects, to help support plant fertilization. Finally, a Little Free Library sits outside of the garden, holding sustainability, food, nutrition, and garden related content for all ages and interests.

Food System Initiative opened the Demonstration Garden alongside County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher and Vice-Chair Nora Vargas. Other County departments and divisions, including Parks, Public Works, and Sustainability Planning, held booths showcasing their efforts to sustainability and how they relate to the Demonstration Garden’s mission.

Be sure to stop by next time you are at the COC!