We sat down with DJ & Georgia, two neighbors and visionaries behind the Far Out West Community Garden. Read their interview below to learn how they turned a neglected lot into a thriving community hub!
“The garden was originally an empty lot that belonged to the Church next door. Over time, it had basically turned into a dumping ground.
We lived next door and had a good relationship with the Church, so I approached them and asked if they’d be willing to open up the lot to the community for a garden.
A year later, we became aware of SF Parks Alliance and applied to become a fiscally sponsored partner. Since then, SF Parks Alliance has supported this project immensely. The garden would not exist if it were not for them.
For us, this is all volunteer work. We do it because it’s good for the community, but at the end of the day, we have families that we have to support and jobs that we have to keep – so having SF Parks Alliance there as a steady anchor is critical.”
“City folks get grounded when they’re in a park. They feel calmer and it’s crucial to our personal and collective well-being. The garden overall is just really a place of beauty.”
“Now, every person who walks by the garden stops to take a look. There’s not a day when I am out there that I don’t have at least one conversation with someone who compliments the garden or asks how they can get involved.
People in the neighborhood also use the garden as a park. City folks get grounded when they’re in a park, they feel calmer and it’s crucial to our personal and collective well-being. The garden overall is just really a place of beauty.
The mural has also been really well received. I like to think of it as a reflection of our neighborhood. It did get tagged right after it was completed, but I feel like even that shows that we’re activating the space.
For those looking to start their own community project, I say do it! When the going gets tough and there’s not much support, stay the course. Things always come around.
There are a lot of existing resources to support this kind of project. It’s amazing -individuals can have ideas, and then we can take those ideas and figure out how to benefit everybody. That’s what’s so incredible about this city!”