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2525 N Avenue
National City, CA
619-434-4281
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Did you know you can make a gift of stock to support the garden and nutrition programs at Olivewood?
Email or call us to talk about the possibilities:
619-434-4281
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 Contact Us
Executive Director
Jen Nation
Gardens and Facilities Manager
Leonard Vargas
Director of Development
Claire Groebner
Director of Programs
Callie Brust
Rebecca Hershberger-Howat
Cooking for Salud Coordinator
Patty Corona
Schools Coordinator
Angelica Gastelum
Volunteer Coordinator
Jacqueline Ante
Environmental Education Specialist
Jeni Barajas
Administrative Assistant
Angelica Bastida
Community Outreach Assistant
Rocina Lizarraga
Garden Staff
Octavio Rodriguez
Adan Teposte
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Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center was created by the
International Community Foundation
to further its mission of ensuring healthy communities and healthy economies in the cross-border region.
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Board of Directors
Chair: Trish Watlington
Vice Chair: Evelyn Wiggins
Treasurer: Stephanie Jensen
Secretary:
Daisy Gordon Crompton
Cathe Burnham
Dennis Doyle, Ph.D.
Sabrina Falquier Montgrain, MD
Anne McEnany
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E
Olivewood Gardens is a Humble Partner! Humble Bundle is a
leading retailer of digital games and eBooks. You can now support us with every purchase you make by using this link.
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September 2019
Back to school means back to Olivewood for our Children's Field Trip program. As we continue to expand and build our partnership with National School District (NSD), we've added two new elementary schools to our rotation, meaning we are serving six out of the ten NSD schools through our progressive three-visit platform. As September is National Childhood Obesity Month, we are striving to provide tools and resources to participants in our field trip program, their teachers, parents, and families. By teaching students about reducing their sugar intake, adding more fruits and vegetables to their meals, and connecting them to where their food is grown, we are proud to be part of the solution for a healthier community, free of diet-related diseases. Thank YOU for supporting our mission and helping serve more students through this critical program.
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Upcoming Events and Programs
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Olivewood Gardens Plant Sale
Saturday, October 26, 8:30 AM - 11:00 PM
We'll be selling home-grown succulents, herbs, and ornamentals to support future free and reduced-cost programming at Olivewood. These plants have been propagated and cared by students participating in our High School Sustainable Urban Agriculture Program. Come out, grab a few plants for your home, and help our programs continue to thrive! |
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Open House and Property Tour
Visit our beautiful gardens, historic Victorian home, take a tour of our nearly 7-acre property, and learn about our programs!
September 28th, 9:30AM
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Gardening Workshop: Seeds, Selection, and Saving
Learn techniques and pro-tips for how to pick the right seeds and save them for the garden of your dreams.
September 28th, 9:00-11:00 am
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Join us for a delicious, farm-to-table al fresco feast created by Tender Greens Executive Chef Jeff Hubbard. We'll tour the gardens and enjoy live music, local wines, and a delectable meal.
September 28, 5PM - 9PM
Register HERE
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Healthy Holidays Cooking Class
Join us for a fun, hands-on class where you'll harvest veggies to take home, learn healthy twists to your holiday favorites, and enjoy a feast out on the lawn.
November 9th, 11AM - 2PM
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Chefcitos Cooking Class
Does your child like to cook? Sign them up for our Chefcitos class! During this class, children will learn how to use appropriate cooking tools and make fun, seasonal recipes. The theme of this class is Que Pasa Calabaza!
September 24, 12:30PM - 2PM
Register HERE
October 2, 9:30AM - 11AM
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Garden Explorers: How Does Your Garden Grow?
Garden Explorers is an outdoor, educational adventure where students engage with nature through science. Participants will learn how to design their dream garden and experiment with seeds for their own garden. They'll also taste a garden snack!
Completes requirements for Girl Scout Gardeners badge.
September 28, 9AM - 11AM
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Program Spotlight
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Kitchenista Parent Presentations 
September marked the 6th semester of our Kitchenista Parent Presentations. About 3-5 Kitchenistas take their skills to the schools to teach parents about nutrition and healthy cooking. Presentations include information on parent-requested nutrition that is paired with an easy recipe demo. After reviewing the requests from last school year, our Kitchensitas decided to research, develop, and deliver a presentation about reading Nutrition Facts Labels. Helping parents demystify these tools and provide tips for finding healthy options, the Kitchenistas are able to share their experiences and insight for choosing healthy foods for their families. Additionally, this presentation is paired with an easy homemade banana pancake recipe demo to demonstrate how to create meals from scratch and control the amount and types of ingredients used when cooking. These presentations would not be possible without the help and support of the school site principals and Child Nutrition Services team at the National School District.
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Cooking for Salud Graduation 
On September 12th, Olivewood welcomed 15 new Kitchenistas to the family! Cooking for Salud Generation 16 completed their 8-week training and celebrated with family, friends, and Olivewood supporters at a lovely ceremony. For the last 2 generations, we've added a Kitchenista 101 class, growing the program from 7 to 8 weeks. We realized the importance of making sure our Cooking for Salud participants understand the importance of the title Kitchenista and can learn all about the continued education and support they can receive through this program. Our current Kitchenistas shared their talents, stories, and transformations to help welcome the newest members of this special group. Congratulations Generation 16!
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Internships at Olivewood Gardens
Do you have special skills in marketing and special event organization? Olivewood is looking for Special Events and Marketing interns (or long-term volunteers) to help with our programs and fundraising efforts. The Special Events and Marketing Intern will work with Olivewood staff to plan, organize, and deliver fundraising events. The intern will be an essential part of the preparation and promotion of these events as well as research and outreach to potential attendees, partners, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers. This is an unpaid internship opportunity but class credits are available. If you are interested in this opportunity or know someone that would be a good fit, please email Jacqueline at Jacqueline@olivewoodgardens.org
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Volunteer at Olivewood
Looking for a fun way to help our community become healthier? Why not volunteer with Olivewood Gardens? We have a role for you!
For more information on volunteering, click
here.
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It's that time where summer ends and fall begins, so we have a mix of veggies from both seasons. We still are growing tasty bell peppers, squash, basil, and corn, along with chard, radish, cilantro, and tasty passionfruits. Come check the gardens out during our Thursday 10AM tours or at our September 28th Open House.
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Adapted from Chris Hastings
Yield 6 servings
Ingredients
7 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored & sliced crosswise into ¼ in slices
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup black-eyed peas, cooked in vegetable broth
¼ cup yellow onion, diced
1 thyme sprig
Kernels from 2 ears corn
6 tablespoons minced chives
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons silken tofu
6 tablespoons torn fresh basil
Directions
1. Sprinkle cut sides of tomatoes with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and vinegar. Set aside.
2. Combine onion and thyme in a medium saucepan and cook until translucent- add peas and heat until warm. Remove from heat and discard thyme
3. Divide tomato slices evenly among 6 plates; top each serving evenly with cherry tomatoes, corn, and peas over each stack.
4. Combine remaining chives, garlic, salt, and pepper with tofu and lemon juice- whisk well. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil if needed and drizzle over tomato stacks
5. Top with basil and enjoy!
*If you want to make a non-vegan version of this dish, top each stack with chopped bacon for added flavor.
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