NBCC Garden Sites

In 2004, NBCC received a grant from The First 5 Marin Children & Families Commission to develop a Community Garden project so children could learn about health and nutrition through an integrated, hands-on environmental curriculum.  We believe that the lessons learned in our programs can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good health. NBCC’s Garden of Eatin’ program has been recognized by the California State Legislature, Marin County Board of Supervisors and the National Garden Association as a project of exceptional community value. Since the project’s inception the children have vastly increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables. The Garden of Eatin’ is widely recognized throughout the North Bay for its innovation, accomplishments, and leadership in childhood obesity prevention.

The Garden of Eatin’ Project now includes 9 Early Childhood Education (ECE) sites with a combined population of approximately 485 children with over 90% of those children coming from low income families.

North Bay Children’s Center’s C Street Campus in Novato         
Garden of Eatin’s Main Garden
The Garden of Eatin’ at NBCC main campus in Hamilton is now entering its fourth winter season. To all of the children and parents of the C Street site the garden is a special place – a place to play and learn – a place to find bugs of all sorts – a snake or two – but most of all it is a garden that lives up to its name. For it truly has been a Garden of Eatin’. It is a 10,000 square foot garden built around a series of eight 16 foot nested mandala circular beds. It has 75 “square foot kid garden plots”, a circular cucumber star, rows of berries, a row of pineapple guava bushes, figs, eight fruit trees, and a wonderful butterfly garden.  It is a well loved garden tended by many wonderful volunteers – including Rebuilding Together, Leadership Novato, and local service clubs.

Marin Head Start Hamilton Site in Novato
Originally there was only a hot black asphalt square surrounded by sloping banks. Now there are approximately 750 sq. ft. of terraced garden beds growing both annual and perennial fruits and vegetables. There is a 12’ X 14’ “Cascita Shade House” used for seedlings and much needed solar protection during the hot summer months. Additionally, there are 24 “square foot kid’s garden plots.” Last winter half a dozen fruit trees were planted along the terraced beds.  The Hamilton Head Start Garden of Eatin’ has become like an old friend to its many children.

Community Action Marin’s Hamilton Children Center’s Site in Novato
A small site with limited space the garden is a bed that runs the length of the far building. Despite the small size, the teachers report good harvests.

Community Action Marin’s Novato Children’s Center’s Site in Novato
Situated next to the Hamilton Head Start site, its garden consists of three 4X 4 square foot gardens plus a raised bed area. During the time of construction the project had limited funds, we hope to continue to add additional square foot garden spaces. Nevertheless, Center the children and staff were grateful for the produce grown.

North Bay Children’s Center’s Tinker Way Site in Novato
NBCC’s greenhouse and Bennett Family Garden were constructed in the spring of 2007. The North Bay Family Homes gifted the funds for the greenhouse. A local Hamilton-based family, the Bennett Family, bequeath the funds to establish the vegetable garden on the site. This garden is primarily used for NBCC’s after school program that provides care for children age 6 through 10 and who will be working with teachers to grow seedlings for all of the Garden of Eatin’ Project Centers.

North Bay Children’s Center Cherry Valley Site in Petaluma is one of the most recent of the Garden of Eatin’ Projects. The garden was gifted to the NBCC by the Ann-Eve Hazen Family Fund. The site was originally a very rugged sloping piece of land dominated by clay and crab grass. 

After considerable effort and 30 cubic yards of new soil, the garden was formed. In addition to the raised beds there is a much needed shade house to protect new seedlings. Later in the winter of 2008 a group of fruit trees (in boxes) were planted along with a new herb / butterfly garden.

North Bay Childrens Center’s McDowell School Site in PetalumaIn September of 2007, the Bothin Foundation granted NBCC’s McDowell Children’s Center $22,000. This gracious gift was used to create an edible landscape, with spacious garden areas, an attached solar powered greenhouse, a garden cafe and a new garden shed. David Haskell, Garden of Eatin’ Project Manager and McDowell Site Director Teresa Saluzo have collaborated on the design and it is a “Garden of Joyful Delights.” Students from Petaluma High School’s Wood Shop supplied the new 12X8 Garden Shed. Additionally, the greenhouse is used by low-income families who have plots in the adjoining Petaluma Bounty Community Garden.

Two  “Brayton Purcell” Gardens
The first of the two Brayton Purcell supported gardens is the Marin Head Start’s Lynwood Head Start Center on South Novato Blvd, adjacent to the Lynwood Elementary School in Novato. With Brayton Purcell’s gift we built w 24 inch deep raised “square foot garden boxes” around the full perimeter of the garden. Along the South side a large pergola will be constructed that will be used to define the garden space and also be the support structure for many exotic garden vines like passion fruit , grapes and kiwi fruits. The front pergola will provide extra definition to the space and also protect the children from excessive sun during the hot summer periods. 100% of the children attending the Lynwood Head Start Center are from low income families. A total of 20 families are served by the Lynwood Center.

Community Action Marin’s Canal Children’s Center Site in San Rafael
Located near San Rafael High School, tucked in about a block away from the San Pedro Blvd. Whole Foods. This is the site of the second “Brayton Purcell Garden Gift”. 

San Rafael Canal Children's Center
In April of 2008, the Garden of Eatin’s received its third successful 'grant' for a “Rebuilding Together Projectl”. The “Children’s Food Tunnel” was one of many projects completed on that day.  In total, around 40 volunteers did an extreme make-over on the site cleaning up old garden beds, turning compost and painting.  100% of the 48 families cared for at the Canal Children’s Center are from low income families.