Easter on Latona focuses on healthy community

The health-minded Latona Community Garden group has organized an Easter event that would make the Easter bunny proud.

Egg decorating? You bet. Games, face painting, arts and crafts? Yup, yup and yup!

But why not a composting demonstration, or seed library swap, or maybe even planting something fun with young gardeners? Yup again! That's how they do on Latona.

With help from Quesada Gardens friends, a unique celebration of a special place and the people who love it is set for Saturday March 30th from 11am to 2pm at the garden on Latona and Thornton just above 3rd Street.

"It's time to plan your summer garden, and what better way to start than by sharing seeds and stories with your fellow gardeners," said seed swapper Jennifer Gorospe.

Jennifer invites you to "bring seeds that you have saved (or excess purchased seeds), along with a few empty envelopes, and trade vegetable, fruit and flower seeds."

The San Francisco Chapter of Links will be there with information about food pathways of the African Diaspora, and a healthy food pantry shopping list.  SF Links and Quesada Gardens Initiative partnered to install a food producing garden at Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church.

Angelique Tompkins and Marcus Harvey have been organizing "Spring in the Garden" with youth and families in mind. They are mixing traditional Easter fun with gardening activities. The Girls 2000 program from Hunters Point Family, SEFA Food Guardians, SF Environment, Seed Library SF, University of San Francisco and other allies will be on hand.

The group is grateful to Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative: A Worker Owned Collective, the SF Wholesale Produce Market, Fresh and Easy, Home Depot, Foods Co, Comfort Foods National, and Flowercraft Garden Center for critical support.

Hot tip! Creating an Easter "twofer," Footprints Member India Basin Neighborhood Association, is also hosting an event on Saturday. The group's annual Easter Egg Hunt is set for 11am sharp. Meet on Hunters Point Boulevard between Evans and Innes.