Supervisor Eric Mar presents the city proclamation to garden founder, Mary Ann Crandell. Photo by @sfdpw
On Saturday, Supervisor Eric Mar stopped by the Argonne Community Garden to present a proclamation honoring it as a national model for community gardens and to Mary Ann Crandell, who founded the garden in 1975.
The event also welcomed the American Community Garden Association, who held their annual conference for the first time in 33 years in San Francisco.
The Argonne Community Garden, located on 16th Avenue between Cabrillo and Fulton, started in 1975 when the San Francisco Unified School District issued a permit to use vacant land surrounding the Argonne Children’s Center for a garden.
Today it is the only community garden in the Richmond district where as many as fifty families maintain plots to grow flowers, vegetables and plants for the community.
The garden is open to members of the community with plot fees running $35 per year. Membership includes access to the tool shed and greenhouse, as well as a healthy supply of manure and water. For more information, visit the Argonne Community Garden website.
Sarah B.
Supervisor Eric Mar with another Argonne garden founder, David Sibbet
One of Argonne’s littlest gardeners, Ian, proudly shows off his plot and the apples in the orchard
Photo by @sfdpw
The Argonne Community Garden is located in SF’s Richmond
District along the Argonne Child Development Center, where
85 families engage as a community to organically garden plots
& common areas; Dome Greenhouse, Community Herb Garden,
Native Grass Oases, Apple & Pear Orchard & Berry Patches.
Through gardening & education, we cultivate cooperative
community engagement with people of all ages & backgrounds.
Our garden offers a rare natural resource for solace in the city,
& allows us to become better aware of our mutually nourishing
relationship with the earth & how to be good stewards of the land.
The Garden was founded in 1975 by Mary Ann Crandell in
unison with the SFUSD & was initially, federally funded. This
land had served as a Victory Garden in World War II. In 1977,
a Community Block Grant allowed the additions of tool shed,
fence, water system, geodesic dome greenhouse & orchard. In
2001, the Child Center was rebuilt: SF’s1st solar power school.
Over the years the Garden has served many schools, produced
fresh vegetables for local food programs & supported programs
for youth & seniors. It has withstood the ravishes of nature &
challenge through ongoing community support & commitment.
In addition to the Certificate of Honor awarded to Mary Ann Crandell, Supervisor, Eric Mar awarded current Argonne Community Garden President, Sheree Kaslikowski, with a Certificate of Honor that proclaims August 11, 2012 as Argonne Community Garden Day, in appreciative public recognition of distinction & merit for outstanding service to the community!
Yea for our garden, and the wonderful people who work hard to run it. It would be so nice to have MORE community gardens in our neighborhood….. Mountain Lake Park, Rossi Park, etc!
…congrats to JUDY and MARIA at the CDC…
We need more community gardens in the Richmond.
My grandfather had Victory Gardens at home and in Golden Gate Park during WWII. He tended them after a full day’s work as Superintendent of Hulls at Union Iron Works and before doing volunteer work at the Richmond YMCA or Masonic Lodge activities.
It took me until the mid 1980s to unearth all his spud runners.
Congratulations Mary Anne and all the gardeners.