Community Gardens
The mission of the Benicia Community Gardens is to support local food security by helping local residents
establish and care for gardens throughout the city that provide fresh food, fellowship and discovery,
and by increasing citizens' access to sustainable, regional sources of wholesome food, thereby strengthening community resilience.
When the late Dr. Ed Swenson, in 1999, working with local expert gardener and horticulturalist, Megumi
Grumio, established Benicia's first community garden on a property at East 2nd and Military, owned by
Heritage Presbyterian Church, he also envisioned creating a non-profit organization, Benicia Community
skills and abilities to learn about and practice organic farming methods suitable for home yards and limited urban spaces. BCG was founded in 2003, under leadership of Dr. Swenson and continues to represent his vision and purpose. A small board guides BCG today.
Dr. Swenson was an early advocated of community sustainability. he recognized that a community garden-
as a place to of convivial, invigoration activity and hands-on practice- could produce a "second harvest"
of important social, economic and ecological benefits. In learning to maintain nutrient-rich soils and to
grow robust healthy food crops year round, new gardeners would likely become seasoned advocates for
improved nutrition, public health, water conservation, and better stewardship of our lands and waterways-
so future generations might sustain themselves and civilization can survive.
About the gardens: Raised beds are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. From our experience
over the years, we know that gardeners come and go, depending on how much time they have, their work life and family commitments. BCG maintains a waiting list, when planting beds are not immediately available.
There is a membership fee of $85 annually to help pay monthly water bills and to maintain the garden.