Kale, snap peas, cabbage, peonies and strawberries thrive under the San Diego sun in Westminster community garden, about a half mile away from the entrance of Point Loma Nazarene University.
This community garden is connected to Westminster Presbyterian Church, a congregation whose tagline is “Westminster, where art, faith and nature meet,” according to their website.
Joe Dameron, a PLNU shuttle driver, said that he notices the garden and surrounding greenery almost every day as he passes it when shuttling students to Liberty Station.
“It looks neat,” he said. “I always see people growing stuff and there is a park down there, too.”
Dameron said he appreciates the idea of a community garden and connecting park for kids and families. His reason for never visiting the garden was that he thought it was only accessible to members of the church.
Nathan Wall, office manager and church operation director of Westminster, clarified that the garden is open to the whole community; therefore, you do not have to attend the church to visit or have plots.
He shared that Westminster Presbyterian Church is a congregation that doesn’t discriminate and is accepting of all types of people, which is why they created a garden that reflected that ideal.
“I think the garden ties into the view of church as a community,” Wall said.
Anyone can sign up to have a plot by going to their website and paying a one-time garden membership fee of $50, and the price to plant can vary depending on the size and quantity of plots bought by each gardener.
Sarah Watelet, a second-year data science major and commuter who passes the garden on her way to and from campus, said that she feels like the price of the plots seems reasonable for college students who enjoy gardening.
“I think it would be a really cool opportunity for students who are into that to grow their own fruits and vegetables,” Watelet said, “especially if they don’t want to go to the cafeteria a lot.”
Once a year in late August, Westminster invites all gardeners to an annual Harvest party to celebrate “God’s bounty and our community,” as said on their website. This is a time for the gardeners to show off the fruits of their labor throughout the season and join together.
Beyond allowing people to reap a personal harvest, Wall shared how the garden was created for the deeper purpose of serving the community.
It requires each gardener to share 20% of the product from their garden plot with Loaves and Fishes Ministries, a non-profit operating out of Sunset Cliffs. This food pantry has been operating for 50 years and partners with local churches in San Diego to help end hunger.
“The idea of having to contribute a certain percentage of harvest to an organization that supports food hunger is in line with the mission of the church to give back,” Wall said.
The garden also serves as a peaceful place for people to unwind and enjoy the sereneness of nature. In a Google review left online, Haley Tuthill wrote, “This is just something fun I enjoy and it is very relaxing for me.”
Wall said, “The gardeners spend a lot of time out there planting and harvesting; I think it’s a place of contemplation for them.”
The community garden is a 15-minute walk, or four-minute drive, from PLNU’s campus entrance, located at 3598 Talbot St.
