DISQUS

amy · 1 year ago

I can't believe something so calm, peaceful and sometimes cathartic as GARDENING can be ruined by an evil, stressed-out, authoritative set of people that would go as far as that. I have driven by this so-called "gardens" and thought of its beauty and serenity. How wonderful a community garden that produces such a bounty-
NOT NO MORE!!
Geez. These people need to get a life....it's just VEGETABLES.

LB Gardener · 1 year ago

Come to the Long Beach Organic/Wild Oats garden off 10th Street! We're in the process of revitalizing the garden and reorganizing the leadership, and we'd be happy to have reporters, photographers and all the publicity we can get!

sws · 1 year ago

And now, you're(Long Beach Organic/Wild Oats garden) putting up your own fences. Open space should remain open space. Nobody has the right to fence public property.

Adri · 1 year ago

It’s unfortunate that something so empowering and revolutionary like growing your own food can be horribly misconstrued by a “board” of few. I too have attempted to contact the board (via email and telephone) in hopes of a tour. I identified myself as a member of the Wrigley Association and enthusiastically explained we too were creating a community garden. I never received a response.

Fortunately our community, Wrigley, is passionately proactive and we ARE creating a community garden. For more information or to sign up for a plot please contact us at info@wrigleygarden.org

Furthermore, our community participates in a food co-op, exchanging excess homegrown produce. For more information please visit us at: http://chalkboardco-op.blogspot.com/

Power to the peasful!

Dave in Hollywood · 1 year ago

I read this great story last night in my new fresh District Weekly and was alternately horrified and amused. I can't say I'm surprised that a rabid group of caretakers would make such a pleasant uplifting hobby as gardening into a gut-churning minefield of geriatric "mean girls" behavior. I feel sorry for all the people who have to endure this dictatorship in order to grow a few tomatoes and green beans. And to think the city is trying to do such a nice thing for its residents by charging them only $1 per year. I guess it really is true that the lower the stakes, the higher the drama.

Former Gardner · 1 year ago

Megan could not have done a better job of describing that place.

As a former member I can honestly say that they are that insane.

I hope the city will get involved and shake up that power stranglehold.

(and yes I remain anonymous for fear of them hunting me down :)

Kudos to Megan!

L.B. Dad · 1 year ago

Outstanding article...I loved the ending. I have long been a member at many a garden around town and this does not come as a suprise. That garden has strong rules, most of them have a sound reason. The board is a bit paranoid obiously but this time their fear of the press really didn't serve them well. Other gardens with looser rules have found weeds growing rampid and junk piling up. Without fences many have experienced great acts of vandalism and numerous instances of stealing. It's a bummer to lose your crop to a thief after putting in months of work to grow the plants. I wished I was the one that had seen you outside that gate. I would have loved to show you the garden and tell you how much I love growing my own vegetables to feed my family healthy meals. I guess it is hard to get in but for only a few dollars a year it's nice to have a place to grow your own when you don't have a yard at home. Just follow the rules and nobody gets hurt!!! I like the ranger character the best...I'm with him.

Former Gardner · 1 year ago

I felt the same way for a few years until I landed on their radar.

The problem over there is that they blatantly use "the rules" to F with certain people.

I dont know what the solution is at lbcga , but Im happy just having a container garden at home for now.

Best of luck....

FORMER LBO GARDENER · 1 year ago

Its sad that such to see such incompetence in these groups in LB where it is such a wonderful climate to garden. The city has exercises zero over site while the egocentric leaders of these groups wield the iron fist and misuse funds. Either these groups should start acting like responsible Nonprofits or the city should cancel the leases and start over anew and with a department devoted to community gardening over site. Then there would be some accountability! In the meantime and stick to my backyard.

Dennis · 1 year ago

Interesting you need valid ID to grow vegetables in Long Beach but not to vote. These folks and their rules and power trips make the HOA at Leisure World seem like laid back anarchists.

Odds are significantly less than even money you have created an agenda item for their next board meeting on September 9th.

I admire your persistence and patience at the gate, great story.

MR · 1 year ago

Somebody in a t-shirt, hot pink flip flops and a braid is trying to threaten the peace and sanity I have found in the Long Beach Community Gardens for the last 16 years. Why??????

bill · 1 year ago

I am an avid gardner and companion to one of the "nazis" (she is really a great lady) mentioned in this article. I was shocked and disappointed at this biased journalism for the following reasons. Things that were not mentioned in the article.
1-This "evil" board was just re-elected by the gardners in June.
2- Weed rules help protect my garden and all others. I have gotten weed notices and pulled the weeds and moved on.
3-Thousands of pounds of fruit and vegetables donated by gardners are delivered each week to Long Beach charities by volunteer gardeners.
4-Publishing the racist comments of Ms. Weeks concerning our Asian American gardeners should be reviewed by the editor of this publication, I am offended and I am sure others feel the same way.
5-The words of two or three malcontents out of 300 hundred gardners should not be the focal point of this article and perhaps if Ms. Brescini has presented a more business like demeanor and volunteered her credentials her experience with board members would have been more favorable. I have been interviewed many times in my career but never by some one in flip flops etc.

LB City Girl · 1 year ago

Whenever anyone tells me their board was just reelected, I always wonder what that means. Does that mean no one ran against the incumbants? Does that mean only a fraction of the gardeners voted and the board was in fact elected by a minority?
I'm just saying that telling me the board was reelected doesn't neccessarliy tell me there is a lot of support for the board...just that an election was held.

eeeek! · 1 year ago

If a gardener wants to run for a seat in the board, they have to be in "good standing" with the current board. They require a candidate to have had "no more than 1 weed notice in the calendar year." Exclutionary tactics? All they have to do is give someone a notice and they can't run for another year. Power begets omnipower.

Mrs. Former Gardener · 1 year ago

Oh grow up. Just because someone is wearing flip flops does not give anyone a carte blanche to act like this idiotic board. You have to be burying your head in the dirt along with those carrots not to notice the discontent in the garden. I do think that LBCGA has been unfairly singled out on this though. Is is better to have community garden boards while not "Nazi" are just flat out lazy? Make you wonder. I could never figure out where my garden fees were going at either community gardens and the boards never seemed very interested in making that public.

Mrs. Former Gardener

Fine with "Police State" · 1 year ago

I will take a "nazi" board any day of the week. While I think they could have acted more professional when dealing with reporters they are still a very organized and well run board. You should see some "real" pictures of the garden-it's beautiful! And they have a gate because they have something wonderful to preserve. Before switching gardens I was at the strangely named Wild Oats Garden run by LBO. The garden was a weed infested landfill and all the fruits of my labor were taken by druggie free loaders who had easy access through the unlocked gate. The only thing the board seemed capable of doing was cashing my garden fees which were three times higher than what I pay now. Trust me a good government is necessary when dealing with such a large organization. LBCGA is for people who actually want to put in the time to grow vegetables-those who want flowers, weeds and garden gnomes can surely find a less stringent organization.

Josi · 1 year ago

I have gardened at the LBCGA and currently garden at Long Beach Organic Wild Oats Garden (named because Wild Oats grocery store gave a generous donation to help with start-up costs 5 years ago). I have also gardened through the P-Patch program in the Seattle area. What I have seen and experienced is that, in order for a garden to run smoothly, it needs rules and those rules need to be respected by all, gardeners and garden governers alike. But we must also treat EACH OTHER with respect and COMMUNICATE to find out how best to make the gardening experience a pleasant one for all.
At the Wild Oats garden, we are currently in the process of rebuilding and have been fortunate that there are so many passionate gardeners willing to help. But it does take time as it is all on a volunteer basis and most of our gardeners have jobs, families, etc. We are using the rules and regulations and by-laws from several gardens, including LBCGA, to develop our own rules and by-laws.
Stop by the Wild Oats garden at 10th between Grand and Loma. Ask a gardener questions. More than likely you will find someone who will be more than happy to share the garden with you, weeds and all!

No name · 1 year ago

I am currently a gardener at LBCGA and it isn't necesarily the rules, it's the delivery of them by the board. I agree with almost all of the rules, but the board members are so unpleasant on a daily basis and quick to tell you you are doing something wrong and they will tell the board. Eventhough these things you are doing are not against the rules, they are just things a specific board member doesn't like or agree with personally. I love my garden, it would just be nice to not be walking on eggshells all the time and to be around pleasant people.

CURRENT MEMBER · 1 year ago

When I heard about this article (by a neighboring gardener) I had to rush home to read it myself. Being a member of LBCGA for over 8 years, I have found myself at the constant nit-picking of the Board/Monthly Inspectors. I come to realize whether they like you or not, if another board member or “True-Friend” of the board wants to relocate to a bigger, better location, nicer or better plot neighbors for whatever reason, they (board/monthly plot inspectors-which consist of board members – of course) start working on the current occupant of the desirable plot with malicious little written warnings; “please weed more frequently, no container growing (I have a container in my plot that I had brought down starter plants in for planting in my garden, and has been EMPTY for almost a freaking year!) and now all of a sudden they see something growing in this EMPTY container! By the way there is NO mention in the RULES about container growing (but did notice that you are allowed to GROW mint only in a container) explain this! They nit-pick everything. When I’m gardening and see them roaming around, I cringe in hopes they don’t come over, they ALWAYS have something NEGATIVE to offer in telling what you should do with your plants. Never kindly offering friendly advice or suggestions, but rude offensive control! I’m at wits end, I know I’m NOT the first member they have nit-picked to get you so frustrated in hopes you leave the membership on your own, or their desire you to the brink of crazy by their pitiful written warnings clipped to your plot fencing, in such accumulation to justify formal warnings and have you removed. For a place when I started was a kind and wonderful environment and I cherished every second I spent sweating and sore for days working my plot. NOW I’m actually DEPRESSED that my love, passion and pleasure of gardening is robbed from you. I don’t talk to anyone, not knowing who you can trust and if they’re in ‘cahoots’ with a board member, very hard to even make a friend if so desire. IT’S VERY TRUE! The same board is re-elected year after year after year, WHY because NO WANTS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THE CURRENT MEMBERS, IF ONE NEW PERSON IS ELECTED, IT WON”T MAKE ONE BIT OF DIFFERENCE. THE ONLY FIX IS TO HAVE THE CITY STEP IN AND COMPLETELY REMOVE THE CURRENT BOARD! Second is to send a letter to every plot member asking for all new board to be assigned. Start over; start fresh with ALL new people. It certainly can’t get any worst! Seriously, I suspect 85 to 90% of the general members DO NOT CARE FOR THE CURRENT BOARD, each year it gets worse and worse.

Dave Wielenga · 1 year ago

Hello Bill. Just to assure you, The District Weekly has received complaints about the tactics of the Community Gardens officials from far more than three disgruntled gardeners. Your focus on credentials and flip-flops seems to validate the point of the story---that the people who run the Community Gardens apply random and subjective criteria to determine who they will grace with their approval and who they will reject with their scorn. Megan could have been anybody, and this is how anybody would have been treated. As for proof that she is, indeed, a working journalist---I guess you have it now.

Lisab · 1 year ago

Love it! It's Waiting for Guffman or Best in Show but set in a community garden. These characters are a hoot, even more so because they are real people being themselves!

Susan · 1 year ago

This story is a sad comment on Long Beach. But it is not unusual for any city. There are many organizations out there that mean to so good but get in over there heads and out of touch.
I myself am on one of those boards, not a gardening one.
I am shocked that the board would behave in such a way. They should be ashamed.
Just because only three gardeners spoke up doesnt mean that they are the only unsatisfied. Others may be afraid of retribution and loosing their plot. Perhaps a gardener is living in their car and need this food?
I totally agree with Dave's comment and think the board need to take a hard look at themselves.
It is a crime to gate paradise and never let an outsider in.
We need more volunteers on these boards so this doesnt happen.

Susan · 1 year ago

Have to say one more thing. If anyone is unsatisfied with a group or board my suggestion is get involved!!
Those board members my be so entrenched that they have lost sight of realituy and other's points of view.
A group will never get anywhere being so rude to outsiders. You want support people not disgruntled voters!!

hopefully invisible · 1 year ago

The board only allows candidates they approve of to run to join them on the board. Steve who made the website was on the board, until they created fake violations to remove him from the board and revoke his garden membership.

You don't understand, you cannot "get involved". At this place you keep your head down, and hope you don't incur the wrath of the board. When anyone questions the board, they make false weed violations, give them 3 violations in one envelope and have the Park Rangers forcibly remove undesirables. Just like the Park Ranger in the article who was made to remove an 80 year old woman. It's sick.

Thomas Mccann · 1 year ago

Great story! I was waiting for my wife at Beachwood BBQ and needed something to occupy my cask drawn beer polluted brain so I started to read this story. I didn't think the garden and the garden nazis would hold my interest. The writers ability in reporting is what kept me interested till the end.

wswaim · 1 year ago

Bill: It's almost inevitable that the subjects who tell your reporters they won't talk are the first to suggest that we didn't adequately report their position.

John_B · 1 year ago

Megan: This is the best, funniest and most absurd piece of reporting that it has been my pleasure to read in quite some time. Since this story was published I have referred it to many others and have, myself, re-read it several times…always when I need a good belly laugh. You have quite a talent, Megan!

Thank you so much for effectively communicating the absurdity that the Long Beach Community Gardens seems to have become!

garden fairies · 1 year ago

Thank you so much for, the light and entertaining article. I am sad to say that it is an accurate portrail of not all but many of the boards members -past and present. Many of the members encounter this kind of attitude on a regular basis at the garden. It is a great place to work the soil , get in touch with nature and hopefully harvest some good organically grown veggies. No one needs the stress.
I have seen people come after a surgery, illness or a death of a loved one come to the garden sometimes doing nothing but eventually they start to pull a few weeds or water.... before you know it they are planting. As the garden grows so does their spirit. We need to get a board that supports and fosters this kind of spirit!!!

garden of eden · 1 year ago

Great article. We have many great gardeners that would of loved to show this little jewel - we call our community garden. So many great gardeners have left because of the caustic environment , they just don't want to fight.
I believe many of the rules are needed to maintain the gardens especially with the large number of garden plots, but come on.
We have so many community gardens popping up all over LB (including the Long Beach Organic groups sites) why not develop a City Wide Community Garden group??? There could be some networking and resaonable problem solving. Or why not just have LBO take it over?

hopefully invisible · 1 year ago

This is a super idea. Would LB Organics want to take over this garden? It's much bigger than their little garden and has no much bad history, they may not want that headache? My neighbor Paul is on the LBO board, I'll ask him.

4 peas in a pod · 1 year ago

Well said No Name.
We love the garden and want to stay for a long time but we need to stop feeling we walk on eggshells.
I brought our two kids for an hour or two to work with us at the garden to help connect them to the food they eat and found myself yelling at them because they picked a tiny piece of rosemary from our neighbors garden. The neighbors have given us bunches of flowers in the past and even extended the invite to pick on our own but because of the past interactions with the over reacting members , my husband and I found ourselves surprised by our tense responses. :(

johnnyvasquez · 1 year ago

I recently began gardening at the Wild Oats Community Garden with Long Beach Organic. When I was looking into community gardens in Long Beach about 6 months ago, I came across the lbcga.org website and was completely bewildered. I could not understand why the main website for the group was now the greatest champion against it. One thing I knew for sure was I had no interest in being apart of a "community" where its leaders abused their power and its members felt strongly enough about it to speak out. That's when I found the Long Beach Organic group and got on their waiting list. I'm just beginning, but I've already had the group president greet me and offer to give me any extra starters he has available. They encourage us to grow more than we need so our friends and neighbors can benefit from the fruits of the "community" garden (even those druggies and winos). It may not be as pristine a site as that other garden, but there is a true sense of community there that reflects Long Beach well.

hopefully invisible · 1 year ago

This bullying at the garden has been going on for years. Look at board member Steve's site http://lbcga.org Scroll down to see Lonnie's famous brown tomatoes. She keeps a terrible weed filled plot with long dead plants, yet holds other people to a high standard? Come on.

It's easy for Steve to say "REMEMBER THE GARDEN BELONGS TO THE GARDENERS NOT THE BOARD" But they threw him off the board and revoked his garden plot. It belongs to the board, not the city or the gardeners.

Anyone who dares to complain about unfairness is targeted for removal. Especially if they are black or suspected of being gay. Several middle-aged men and women on the board are always gossiping about people's sexuality. It is so junior high.

And the last time I checked holding people to a higher standard of weeding because they are black, cambodian, possibly gay or outspoken is called "discrimination".

These control freaks on the board also instructed a woman to stop bringing her friend to the garden, even though the rules allow guests, because "retarded people are more likely to get hurt and are not covered on our insurance". First , that's not true. Second, this guest was not retarded. I think he had cerebal palsey or something that affected speech, but not retarded.

The board only allows approved people to run for board, so there is no way to get them out of power. You just have to stay off their radar and hope they have enough people to pick on and don't get around to you. The city should step in and require Parks and Rec manage the place. Or better yet, hire Megan Brescini to be the Garden Manager! I'd vote for that!

John_B · 1 year ago

Megan: This is the best, funniest and most absurd piece of reporting that it has been my pleasure to read in quite some time. Since this story was published I have referred it to many others and have, myself, re-read it several times…always when I need a good belly laugh. You have quite a talent, Megan! Brava!

Thank you so much for effectively communicating the absurdity that the Long Beach Community Gardens seems to have become!

John_B · 1 year ago

Megan: This is the best, funniest and most absurd piece of reporting that it has been my pleasure to read in quite some time. Since this story was published I have referred it to many others and have, myself, re-read it several times…always when I need a good belly laugh. You have quite a talent, Megan! Brava!

Thank you so much for effectively communicating the absurdity that the Long Beach Community Gardens seems to have become!

John_B · 1 year ago

Megan: This is the best, funniest and most absurd piece of reporting that it has been my pleasure to read in quite some time. Since this story was published I have referred it to many others and have, myself, re-read it several times…always when I need a good belly laugh. You have quite a talent, Megan! Brava!

Thank you so much for effectively communicating the absurdity that the Long Beach Community Gardens seems to have become!

john · 1 year ago

Sounds like the Belmont Shore Parking Commissioners or the members of the BSBIA. Only in wrong beach.
Hey Mike, you like to grow vegetables?

john · 1 year ago

Sounds like the Belmont Shore Parking Commissioners.

Hey Mike do you like to grow vegetables?

wrongbeachJohn · 1 year ago

is this how Mike Ruehle feels when he's trying to represent the Belmont Shore residents? Only in wrong beach!

Michael (Ouch!) · 1 year ago

Wow! This article is amazing! I haven't read a journalist article that didn't speak more to me than this one. Megan (article writer/journalist) blew me away by the way she makes me feel that I am there along with here on the journey. I visualized the people and the place clearly because of all the detail and the dialogue. Now I want to go there myself and see what shanagins I get placed into. Amazing work, hope to read more from her.

beebeebeeleaves · 1 year ago

Okay y'all ...

First off, one man's weeds is another man's medicinal plants. So eat my dandelions!

Gardens should be happy places. They should invite, include, inspire.

We love our Wild Oats Organic Community Garden, our community spirit is growing, thriving and most importantly, we do have fun! Please do not drag us into this compost pile. We are not striving for perfection, only a willingness to enjoy the good earth, to learn more about sustainable living practices and to give nature a chance in your life. The first and third Saturdays, the peeps of the LBC are welcomed to stop by and see great energy at work, as we farm and work the land, and do join in on our potluck!

All gardens, everywhere, should live by this credo: "When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden." Gardens should be a place you go to be at peace, and find peace. It's what nature intended.

We plant on ... because the more we plant, the more we grow!

DWR · 1 year ago

I propose the community garden and it's over-politicized, despotic board be abolished and the land returned to the indigenous flora and fauna.

Anyone who wants to grow her own veggies for personal consumption can just use his own backyard or use gardening containers like my apartment-dwelling neighbors. Or just buy your produce at the supermarket where you'll have to go for all your other supplies anyway.

The real on-going tragedy is at the nearby animal shelter, not in the cabbage patch....

Gardener · 1 year ago

Yes indeed, the Garden Board was not raised by my mother (as in my mother didn't raise any rude children). Trespassers (and some garden members) have been known to take fruit and vegetables from gardens, and it is disheartening to find your plants stripped when you have been waiting for just the right amount of ripening in order to pick them. Weeds, spreading from adjacent plots by rhyzome and seed are annoying. So the rules are to protect our work, but the rudeness is pretty awful (and pretty funny). The weed notices are also not very even handed --- some plots are full of weeds year after year and other, less overgrown, are threatened and served notice. The Board is really very hard-working and often generous with its time. Too bad they are so unbalanced. A garden member (so far).

Happy in LB · 1 year ago

There are ups and downs for sure at the community garden. I thought the article was funny and absurd, but I also felt kinda sorry for the ladies who do run a pretty tight ship. I like that it is a secure location and enjoy feeling safe there. As I told my friend yesterday after an adjoining gardener walked over with a surpise..."ya know, no one ever walks up and hands me a loofah when I am working in my back yard. It's so cool to be out here experiencing the garden culture together" I just love it!

Happy in LB · 1 year ago

The absurdity of that whole story made me laugh so hard! Then I felt a little guilty, because I know those gals are working hard to keep the gardens nice. I love it there because I do feel safe, it is very organized and they are serious about growing food. And nobody ever walks up to me in my backyard and hands me a homegrown loofah like today!! Gotta love the community at the community garden....it's not all bad, not even half bad.

Nitpicked · 1 year ago

I am a current gardener at LBCGA and have gardened there for many years. The article was funny and true. The board is an older group who spend every day in the garden. Most of the problems in the garden are personality issues. The board doesn't handle things well and make people angry. They used to have friendly notices that they sent out if you had a problem that could head to a notice but they eliminated them. So, you could have something you think is fine and the whammo. Also, instead of noticing everything that is in violation at one inspection, they seem to give you one notice and then next inspection you get whammied with something else. Plots are put on watch lists (told to me by a board member) so if you get on that list you are more heavily scrutinized. I just try to do my best, but sometimes it doesn't feel like enough. Now about the gates and the rules, I do think they are absolutely necessary. There are over 200 gardeners and would be absolute chaos without some order. Also, the garden is under very strict guidlines from the city. So I can see the need for regulation, they just need to be nicer about it and not complain about every little infraction. Lonnie can be very abrasive and I would not say she has alot of fans in the garden. She does truly love and care about the garden and volunteers countless hours to make it a nice place. But in this case, Lonnie really blew it. It could have been a beautiful article about all the good in the garden. She should have accepted an interview and nicely as asked for it to be scheduled after registration ends. But she over reacted and gave her typical behaviour that makes many cringe. Now when we're talking we quote the article, knock on our head and say "What are you stupid?" It was an unfortunate but accurate portrayal.

Gardener too! · 11 months ago

This story is 100% TRUE!!!! My husband and I are gardeners there. The writer described Lonnie to a tee!! And same with Joan. Those women must have had something bad happen in their pasts, that theynwo ffeel the need for POWER!!!! The first thing my husband and I said to each other after our orientation to become a member, was that Lonnie needed to get a life!! Then we realized that the LBCG WAS her life! We have not been there our full year yet, and have not decided if we will renew our membership next year. We love to garden, but the NAZIs are just too much!!! At one Work Day/Meeting, one of the members suggested that we bring in a speaker every once in ahwile, and the member even volunteered to be in charge of arranging it. She thought that having fun gatherings would bring the "community" into the community garden. Well, Lonned just mumbled that she'd tried that before, and it didn't work, then just walked away!! It was the rudest thing!!! So that was the end of the discussion. Joan, the president, follows Lonnie like a puppy, so nothing else was said about the member's idea and suggestion.
Yes, gardening is fun and theraputic, but these women are WEIRD!!!!

Adriana · 1 year ago

It’s unfortunate that something so empowering and revolutionary like growing your own food can be horribly misconstrued by a “board” of few. I too have attempted to contact the board (via email and telephone) in hopes of a tour. I identified myself as a member of the Wrigley Association and enthusiastically explained we too were creating a community garden. I never received a response.

Furthermore, our community participates in a food co-op, exchanging excess homegrown produce. For more information please visit us at: http://chalkboardco-op.blogspot.com/

Fortunately our community, Wrigley, is passionately proactive and we ARE creating a community garden. For more information or to sign up for a plot please contact us at info@wrigleygarden.org

Power to the peasful!