As “FarmGirl” (Lauri Newman), I have been gardening at the Sunny Point Café for more than 3 years. In 2007, I began designing the Sunny Point Cafe Garden to be a beautiful and inspiring space for the community, and provide fresh produce, herbs and flowers for the café. I began the installation in March 2008, and this is its first full year of “Garden to Table.”
Everything grown at the Sunny Point Café is grown naturally. I use local sources and heirloom seeds or varieties. I grow the majority of starts for the garden. Sunny Point’s owners are very dedicated to running their business in an environmentally responsible way and have been very supportive of the garden. As the garden manager, I hope that the Sunny Point Café Garden will serve as a model for other restaurants to invest in urban lots and local farmers by planting more urban food-producing gardens.
The garden would not be looking as great as it does without its many helpers. From the initial installation to the regular maintenance and the garden’s new additions, volunteer help has been a blessing and help make it all possible. For example: The raised wood beds are made from reclaimed wood donated by Ken and Kevin from their Rocket Club renovation, and all that wood was cut to spec by my dad. The co-owner, April Moon Harpers works weekly in the garden on top of her long hours working the Café. This year April and her mom, Belinda, (co-owner) have added a whole new layer of color, vertical trellises, bowling balls and pins, buckets of potatoes, and beans, beans, marvelous beans.
It can take a village to build a garden, and it is sooo much fun. I am absolutely addicted.
Event Extras: We are going to have an assortment of food & beverages that has come from the garden for visitors to try out. “Garden To Table” samples in the Garden. I will be at the garden on that day as well as my FarmGirl Intern-Kristen… the SunnyPoint owners will be there off and on as well. We will all be happy to give tours and talk to visitors.
Additional photo from the day of the stroll.
