SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A beloved community garden in the Tijuana River Valley will continue operating after San Diego County announced a local nonprofit will take over management of the facility.
The signs at the entrance of the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden say it all: “Thank you” and “We can stay.”
After a month of uncertainty, the county announced that Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center would serve as the garden’s new interim operator.
“We definitely feel heard from the county, you know, they definitely listened to us. They definitely went the extra mile,” said Clayton Howard, a gardener who led the push to save the community space.
The garden’s future was in jeopardy after the Resource Conservation District announced it would no longer manage the facility and returned the leased land to the county. The organization cited health and safety concerns about the ongoing sewage crisis, as well as increased flooding and other challenges.
Back in October, Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said they were working on finding a solution to keep the space running.
According to its website, Olivewood is an educational garden in National City that’s been around for 15 years.
“We need a strong organization to come in that has a proven record, and they have been, and they have been in the South Bay forever,” Howard said.
Howard was just one of several who led the push to save the community garden. He’s had his plot for 10 years, right next to his mom’s.
“All of us are super excited. It’s that big sigh of relief,” Howard said.
Now with a new operator, he and his community are ready to plant their winter crops.
“I can be able to get back into the soil, you know, digging out all of the summer crops and being able to, you know, get them ready for winter,” Howard said.
The county says it’s in the process of negotiating the license agreement with Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center to meet the November 30, 2025, operator transition timeframe. The organization will also be involved in site visits and ongoing transition meetings.
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