The public is welcome to attend a free community garden workshop this Saturday to be conducted by the Board of Parole, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, and Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Services.
The workshop will be held at Kanoa Resort starting at 8 a.m. It will be followed by the planting of specialty crops and the opening of an agroforestry garden at the Susupe community garden.
A meeting between major stakeholders was held at the garden on Wednesday morning in preparation for this Saturday’s event.
The idea for a community garden began when the Board of Parole considered how parolees could integrate themselves back into the community.
Board of Parole Chairman Ramon B. Camacho stated, “The parolees are known convicts. We came up with this idea of creating a community garden to bring parolees into the community instead of pushing them out. They have changed. They are human beings. This [garden] is a way for [parolees] to give back to the community.”
Camacho said because the Board of Parole is not an expert in gardening, they reached out to DLNR and NMC-CREES.
Camacho said the parolees will be taught how to construct and maintain their garden, and the experts will visit once a month to provide guidance.
During the meeting on Wednesday, it was agreed that the major stakeholders will resume work on the plot and the area around it prior to Saturday, clearing out debris with the help of the Saipan Mayor’s Office.
The plot is approximately 600 square meters, with two separate plots. One plot is for the garden, while the other plot could potentially serve as a community park.
Board of Parole Chairman Ramon B. Camacho, right standing, talks during the gardening workshop at Kanoa Resort on Saturday. Photo by Bryan Manabat
“Maybe parents can work in the garden while their children play in the park. Maybe the children can help in the garden. The project is all about bringing the community together,” Camacho said.
DLNR forestry technician I Pedro J. Tudela was also present during the stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday. He informed Variety that the specialty crops that will be planted this weekend are difficult to find on Saipan, adding that it took countless hours for the Division of Forestry to identify and obtain these specialty crops.
He said measures will be in place to protect the garden’s trees from wind chopping, damage caused by cutting grass, and stray dogs.
He added, “There are so many people smelling the flowers, but how many people actually take the time to plant flowers?”
NMC-CREES agriculture research/extension agent Arnold Route said agroforestry is part of a long-term plan for the garden.
The crops that will be planted in the agroforestry section of the garden will take about half a year to multiple years to grow, he added.
DLNR, for its part, will focus on the specialty crops portion of the garden.
Rep. Christina Sablan, who was also present for the meeting on Wednesday, said she is “very excited about this project — I think this will be a major point of pride for all of the residents here [in Precinct 2.] I think the timing is good especially given all of the economic challenges that we are facing. There seems to be a growing interest in people learning how to cultivate their own food.”
She said the community garden will be a good place to learn, gain new skills, practice those skills, and enjoy the fruits of one’s work.
“One of the other goal is to encourage people to do more backyard gardening of their own. This community garden is available for people to learn and practice, and to also take those skills with them to their own yards. We have some amazing partners here, and they are going to help with that. We are hoping that residents will really take ownership and take pride in this place, help maintain the garden, and watch it thrive.”
Sablan, along with the Board of Parole, DLNR, NMC-CREES, and the Saipan Mayor’s Office, encourage the entire community to attend the workshop this weekend and visit the Susupe community garden.
