Monday, November 7, 2011
Victory Gardens Dig in for the Long Haul
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 10:06 PM
It’s safe to assume that when the Oakland PD raided Frank H. Ogawa Plaza on October 25, few people were thinking about vegetable destruction. Call it collateral damage: A group of Occupiers and community allies had been working to create edible gardens at the encampment, all of which were destroyed.
Since then, Occupy Oakland gardeners have redoubled their efforts, planting hardy greens like kale, Swiss chard, and a variety of lettuces in city planters and raised tables around the periphery of the plaza. Starter plants have also been pouring in from around the East Bay, including herbs, peppers, peas, and even strawberries (winter weather be damned).
On Saturday morning, I met a volunteer named Khalid Shakur while he replanted some chili peppers. Shakur, who has been camping at the plaza for a couple weeks, believes the gardening efforts send an important message. “We’re going to be here long enough to harvest all of this,” he said. “Don’t expect us to disappear.”
“We need to show that it’s possible to produce our own food here,” he said. “I’m trying to make connections so we can reclaim some abandoned lots in the spring, but for now, we’re making it work with what we’ve got.”
While we talked, a red pickup truck arrived with a bunch of donated shovels and an old wheelbarrow. The driver, Nora Schourd of Ashby Community Gardens, looked like everyone’s favorite Berkeley grandmother. “There’s space at Occupy Oakland for everyone to do what they know best,” she said.
If you want to help, the Occupy gardeners could still use soil, gloves, shovels, planters, starter plants (think winter crops), wood, and hardware. Home base is on the outer edge of the 14th Street side of the plaza. Look for mounds of soil.
Comments? Tips? Get in touch at Jesse.Hirsch@EastBayExpress.com, or follow me on Twitter @Jesse_Hirsch.
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