Description
Our first and flagship location at the California Hotel, on the National Register of Historic Places, is an 8000 sq/ft sensory garden and food-producing greenspace. At the African American Arts & Cultural Complex in San Francisco, we will develop a 12-bed sensory garden. To support our smaller growing efforts, we have leased 2 acres of farmland from a Black farmer, in Elk Grove, CA, to supply our seeds, starters, soil, and produce.
African Americans have cultivated land for generations and have long known about and experienced its communal benefits. Our gardens will support emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Community gardens are a viable means of bringing fresh produce to the tables of residents in these urban food deserts to combat this disparity. Spending time cultivating plants also provides an inexpensive dose of nature therapy with a wide variety of positive impacts outside of improved food access. On average, people who garden or are exposed to gardening tend to eat more fruits and vegetables daily. Under the guidance of the community, farmers, gardeners, coaches, and mental health professionals, we will integrate healing, restoration, multisensory stimulation, and food growing. Sankofa Garden will implement our mission with several programs;
