Transition Humboldt to Plant Food Forest Sun Mar. 9 Arcata

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Edible Community Garden Project:  FRUIT TREE PLANTING DAY

Arcata, Ca. – Transition Humboldt welcomes community members to come help plant a food forest on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at the Arcata Courtyard Circle Apartments (the first solar powered apartment complex in Humboldt) – Affordable Living Community.  The event will start at 10 am with a potluck and will last until all of the fruit trees, shrubs and native plants have been planted.  Arcata Courtyard Circle Apartments is located at 3101 Boyd Road (just off Giuntoli Lane and the 299) and is on the bus route.  The purpose of this event is to build and strengthen our community one fruit tree at a time.  This is the first of a series of projects we intend to hold here in Humboldt.  Volunteers are requested to bring a dish to share at the potluck, and bring gloves, a shovel, and a water bottle as this is a waist free event.

The food forest will consist of dozens of peach, grapes, Chilean guava, blueberries, tayberries, marionberries, fuzzy kiwis, pears, native plants, cherries, oranges and more – all are perennials that grow well in our local climate.  The Arcata Courtyard Apartments is a great community of families and seniors, some of which are enthusiastic gardeners with raised beds and a variety of edible plants that are already in place.  The community is co-funded by the City of Arcata, The State of California, and the Federal Government and bank loans that are repaid by tenant’s rents, and managed and co-owned by the Danco Group. 

Team leader and owner of Redwood Energy and Design Management, Sean Armstrong, worked with Danco Project Manager Joyce Plath and Dave Meseve to help make the Courtyard Apartments 50% Net Zero Energy.  Also, as mitigation for the impact on farmland, garden beds and edible landscaping were carefully designed with the help of four different city committees and Living Earth Landscapes. 

Transition Humboldt representative Andy Sehic landed a grant that will allow us to plant even more fruit trees and bushes that have been chosen by the children, parents, elders and managers of the Courtyards community.  As well, other donations from Sean Armstrong and other donors will allow for future projects to take place throughout the Northern Humboldt area.  We are still accepting donations of money, plants, tools, soil and whatever else will help us to successfully plant more public food forests.  This will be the first of several projects, such as Master Food Preserving, Master Gardeners and Native Plants workshop.  We would love to see the greater community come out and help with this project and upcoming endeavors.

Sean Armstrong is quoted on the Food is Free Humboldt facebook page as saying “Just down Foster Ave is the new Fuenta Neuva food forest, and along 17th street is the Edible Hedgerow being planted as part of my negotiated resolution to the Cypress Grove factory expansion. Zane Middle School is also getting a food oasis/food forest planting this spring, as is the Courtyards of Arcata and Aster Place in Eureka, both low-income housing for wonderful families and working parents in our community. “

Bring a potluck dish to share, some gloves, a shovel, and some elbow grease to The Courtyard Circle Apartments 3101 Boyd Road Arcata, Sunday March 9th 2014 at 10 am for a day full of community and gardening.  

For more information contact Andy Sehic atandysehic@hotmail.com or 707.826.2935