The County of San Diego announced Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center has been selected to operate the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden, filling a void left when the current manager bowed out.
This announcement follows a period of uncertainty for hundreds of the garden’s tenants who learned the previous operator, The Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County (RCDGSDC), decided to cease management in October.
Now the county said gardeners may continue growing their crops without disruption under the interim operation of Olivewood Gardens for up to one year.
The community garden, owned by the County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, is the largest community garden located at 2310 Hollister St.
Olivewood Gardens, a nonprofit organization based in National City according to its website, will operate an approximately 17-acre parcel of land for agricultural use in compliance with City of San Diego municipal code, says the department’s request for information. The community garden includes approximately 210 30-by-30-foot plots and 10 quarter-acre plots rented by approximately 217 community gardeners and farmers, it says.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to cultivating community, celebrating culture and expanding equitable access to fresh, healthy food,” said Jen Nation, Olivewood’s executive director. “Together, we can nurture the land, honor diverse cultural traditions around food and gardening, and create a model for resilient, inclusive community spaces. We look forward to working with the county on next steps.”
Sarah Sweeney, the county’s deputy director of communications, said the lease with Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center (OGLC) is still being negotiated.
The county’s decision to secure a temporary operator for the next 12 months comes after the previous operator decided to cease management of the garden due to the ongoing sewage crisis. The district said the decision to return the site to the county was due to challenges in the area like increased flooding in recent years.
According to Sweeney, Barron Creek Farm and San Diego Agricultural Laboratory also applied to operate the garden.
“We’re just so relieved that at least for the next year that we have an organization to help us,” said South Bay resident Clayton Howard, who has spent the last 10 years gardening in the valley.
60-day notices
The district ceased managing the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden after more than 20 years due to health and safety concerns related to the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
That decision came after the San Diego County Board of Supervisors renewed an emergency proclamation in response to the pollution.
In an Oct. 1 letter, Ann Baldridge, the district’s executive director, said the district was discontinuing garden management for the health and safety of gardeners, farmers and staff.
The letter advised gardeners to clear plots of all plants, trees, tools, structures and other personal belongings within a 60-day window.
“We all got our notices,” said Howard. “All of us were kind of panicking after that.”
Howard and approximately 200 gardeners have cultivated organic produce in the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden, at the corner of Hollister Street and Sunset Avenue, for years.
“What began as a personal journey of healing and reconnection has grown into a space of mentorship, multicultural outreach, and community empowerment,” said Henry Martinez, a gardener in the valley for over four years. “The garden has become a living classroom where faith, tradition and service meet the soil.”
Since the garden’s inception in 2002, it has been a space where local residents can unwind and grow several types of fruits and vegetables in the valley.
“I enjoy gardening, I enjoy working the soil,” added Howard. “I enjoy growing my peppers, you know, that’s my pride and joy. It’s my getaway, it’s my little slice of paradise that I get to be able to go and relax at.”
Howard, who works with the community response crew for the city of Imperial Beach, said he initially reached out to Paloma Aguirre, a county supervisor, who met the farmers and pledged to keep the garden in the community in the weeks before the decision.
“We were very fortunate that we had the county’s help,” said Howard. “We have a new garden steward with Olivewood Garden, and we’re looking forward to the future with them.”
County selects operator
The county announced the selection of Olivewood Gardens on Nov. 7.
“I’m proud to welcome Olivewood Gardens as the new operator of the Tijuana River Community Garden,” said Aguirre in a statement. “Their strong commitment to environmental education and community health aligns perfectly with our shared vision for the Tijuana River Valley.”
A spokesperson for the district said it will rescind notices as soon as the county and Olivewood conclude negotiations, providing certainty about the future handoff to a new operator.
“While transitions can be challenging, they also offer opportunities for unity, transparency and renewed purpose,” said Martinez, who is the tenant of “Peekaboo Gardens,” or Plot 7, in the garden. “I remain hopeful that the chosen organization will honor the voices of our diverse growers and foster an inclusive, collaborative environment.”
The Tijuana River Valley Community Garden is open to the public every day from 8 a.m. until sunset. To learn more about the county’s community gardens visit: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/sustainability/earth-month/garden1.html.
