Growings On at the Danny Woo Garden

September 2nd, 2010 by Diana Vergis Vinh

Growings On at the Danny Woo Garden

In Your Backyard, Organizations No Comments

Jonathan Chen

“We have a new flock of chickens and they are amazing at composting garden waste,” said gardener Jonathan Chen as he looked at the new coop at the Danny Woo community garden. ”The other day there was a grandmother here with her grandaughter. She picked some grass and showed the little one how to feed the birds. This garden is all about positive energy and elders teaching the next generation where food comes from and how to raise it.”

The Danny Woo International District Community Garden is the largest green space in the Chinatown/International District and is managed by InterIm CDA. The garden was named after a member of the Woo family that has leased the property to InterIm CDA since 1975. It is home to more than 100 community garden plots where elderly Asian gardeners tend to vegetables such as bok choy, bittermelon, daikon and watercress. Younger gardeners experiment with strawberries, squash and other fruits and veggies.

Happy chickens working on manure for the garden.

Entrance to the children's garden.

Most young gardeners are immigrants or have immigrant parents, and all come from low-income backgrounds. The garden gives the children a place to explore the natural world and learn new skills.