My reflection from last Friday’s gathering at Canterbury Elementary where a group of great people put hands on the land that we’ll all be tending for the season. I was very happy to have worked with those who showed up.

We came across a couple of teachers that showed interest in what we as a team of (7) were doing. The teachers asked questions like, “What school do you all go to?” and “Are you high school students?”  We answered that we were all members of the community, some in college etc. Teachers briefly shared ideas and included that they too had worked hard in the garden but that there were to many bugs that were no good for gardening and did not continue. Challenges will come about and part of creating some lube for those challenges will be through communication and meetings.

The following are my thoughts on working in a collaborative manner.

Working collaboratively is key when working together as a community. It sounds very simple, “people working respectfully together to make something great happen”, but there will be challenges along the way that may require a team of people to stress the importance of this in order for things to flow in a matter that is important to all.

We want to make this point clear as we take aim to make our communities stronger, healthier and more sustainable in a school setting. This is essential for all to understand, that without the rain, we cannot grow a beautiful garden of fruits and veggies, without the rays of the sun we cannot bloom out of the womb, without the soil we are not able to grow into existence and pass on the seeds for the other generations.

We want to set an example through the art of gardening and growing within our own communities that sharing the knowledge that our ancestors left for us is in itself is a form of resistance. We as a community can empower each other to have food independence. This is what our communities continue to show us when we see another food tree planted, when we see another patch of grass removed for a veggie garden.  We want this very thing to come to the elementary school where children will also be taught the importance of giving life, in a garden.

Also, there will be photos to come soon. Wish ya’ll a beautiful day nice and sunny from Pacoima/Arleta.

64 degress and full Moon on the rise.

Ana Rosa