Janet Thomas, President

3932 Mt. Diablo Boulevard

Janet Thomas was a chemistry and environmental science teacher at Campolindo and Acalanes high schools for almost 30 years. When she retired, her zeal for education and ecology didn’t wane in the least and our community is the supreme beneficiary of her passion. She set her heart on a rocky, dirty, run-down piece of land, owned by East Bay Mud, near a creek that had hitherto been used as a staging area for big trucks. In 2012, with a small group of dedicated and gifted men and women, she got to work preparing the ground, finding irrigation, and setting up electricity for what is now a multi-faceted gem of historical and earthly beauty: the Lafayette Community Garden. The garden boasts 120 cooperative members and a waitlist for joining the inside track of tilling the crops, tending to the chickens, composting and pruning, and sharing in the harvest. The harvests are seasonal and include all manner of vegetable, some citrus, spices, flowers, succulents and even mushrooms.

But don’t think if you aren’t yet a member, you can’t enjoy the garden. It is open to everyone (Saturdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and Tuesdays from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm.) More than a dozen Eagle Scouts have made the garden their projects and there are benches, fountains, bridges, gorgeous tiles embedded in stucco beds, a pizza oven and an interactive walking trail with replicas of Miwok Indian acorn gathering structures and other artifacts. There is a community book sharing nook and even a free food pantry. If you wander through the gates when they are open, as you are ever invited to do, you can meet some of the most engaging and interesting people – all of whom enthusiastically bring unique gifts and creativity to making the garden a play of peace and beauty. Go to the website (lafayettecommunitygarden.org) to find out about public education programs and more details of “what’s growing” in the ground and in the hearts of this delightful community.