What was once a baseball field at the Church of the Cross in Modesto has become a thriving community garden. The 1.5-acre plot, now divided into 140 garden spots, is managed by Everett Leon-Guerrero. “Sometimes, it’s a love-hate relationship, to be very frank,” Leon-Guerrero said. “But I love to see the growth, to see the community out here, and people getting together. Somebody gives you tomatoes and you give them bell peppers — it’s a love fest,” he said.
The garden was started about a decade ago after the baseball field fell into disuse. Some church members had already planted small gardens around the area. Benny Villarreal, one of the first gardeners, began his plot 10 years before the main garden was established. “Twenty years ago, this was wide open and there was nobody here,” Villarreal said. “… and now this thing’s all full with over 60 gardeners.”
Gardeners come from diverse backgrounds, including Assyrian, Cambodian, Fijian, Afghan, and Spanish-speaking communities. Leon-Guerrero said that although there are language barriers, he communicates using Google Translate and through exchanging produce. The center of the garden features a community table where members can gather, eat lunch, and swap produce. The variety of crops has grown with the diversity of the gardeners, with foods like bitter greens, lemongrass, and sugarcane being cultivated. All produce is grown organically.
Banana trees are among the unique crops grown. Villarreal recalled a gardener who planted banana trees 20 years ago. Although the original gardener left eight years ago, the trees still thrive under the care of Leon-Guerrero and other volunteers, despite the region’s dry climate.
Leon-Guerrero was not initially a gardener; he took over the management from his wife. In his ten years of leadership, he has helped fill the space with plots and has started youth gardening programs, opened the garden for school and nonprofit tours, and brought in local artists. A mural now decorates the storage shed, painted by Eliana Gloria, a senior at Modesto High School. The mural features a garden scene, an American flag, a cross, and the words from Galatians: “We reap what we sow.”
Volunteers play a crucial role in maintaining the garden. Gardeners pay $50 per year for a plot, which includes access to water, tools, and waste disposal. Leon-Guerrero emphasized that commitment is key for applicants. “People come in and they think they want to garden, so they plant, and you see them six weeks later. Well, that’s not gardening,” he said.
He welcomes gardeners of all skill levels and encourages sharing of knowledge among members. The Church of the Cross Community Garden is one of several such gardens in Stanislaus County. Leon-Guerrero manages applications and seeks donations from local businesses to keep costs low. “We are always looking for donations. We’re a nonprofit. Benny and I and others are volunteers, and nobody gets paid, but I think God pays us,” he said.
The Church of the Cross Community Garden is located at 3936 Dale Road at Snyder. Those interested in plots or donations can visit www.cotconline.com/community-garden.
