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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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OLIVEWOOD'S PRODUCE STAND
EVERY TUESDAY AT 10AM
Looking to add fresher veggies to your meals? How about organic fruits and veggies straight out of our garden? We will be having a produce stand with freshly harvested produce from the garden every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For a donation, you get to take what you need. Come early as the produce
goes quickly!
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 Contact Us
Interim Assistant Director
Claire Groebner
Interim Assistant Director
Cherianne Kestner
Gardens and Facilities Manager
Leonard Vargas
Coordinator of Volunteers and Outreach
Cristina Juarez
Nutrition
Educator
Robin King Novara
Schools Coordinator
Corrie Madueño
Administrative Assistant
Angelica Bastida
Garden Educator
Ethan Cole
Garden Support Staff
Reyna 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:
C
athe Burnham
Vice Chair: Trish Watlington
Treasurer: Jacqueline Reynoso
Secretary:
Evelyn Wiggins
Dennis Doyle, Ph.D.
Sabrina Falquier Montgrain, MD
Daisy Gordon Crompton
Anne McEnany
Susana Villegas
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Visit
De Passion Fruit,
a
family-owned healthy eatery in National City. Support this delicious, Kitchenista-owned business and help us strengthen our community.
We highly recommend the portobello wrap, the rainforest smoothie, and the chia seed pudding.
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It is hard to believe that November has arrived! This Thanksgiving season, Olivewood Gardens would like to thank you for your support of our programs to build healthy families in National City and beyond. We are filled with gratitude for each and every one of you who has come through our gardens - our wonderful volunteers, inspiring parents, passionate teachers, and imaginative children.
We also want to make a special thank you to the Hervey Family Foundation and the Heller Family Foundation of San Diego for their support of our Children's Field Trip Program.
From all of us at Olivewood Gardens, thank you!
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Thank you to all of the volunteers who help made our annual Healthy Haunted Garden a success! This year, we had over 900 attendees from the community who participated
in the family fun and healthy Halloween alternatives. What a way to kick off this holiday season!
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What We're Up To...October
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- To kick off the month, we attended the Good Food Community Fair at the World Beat Cultural Center. We also attended other off-site events including the Latino and Filipino Fiesta and the UCSD Sustainable Food Expo.
- We hosted children from across the county for our field trip program, including Lincoln Acres School, Olivewood School, and Warren Walker.
- The Kitchenistas gave informational presentations about nutrition to fellow parents at 5 National School District schools and O'Farrell Charter.
- We hosted over 15 volunteers from Kaiser Permanente who worked hard to beautify our gardens.
- Over 17 adults attended our Healthy Tapas class and learned how to create authentic and healthy Spanish dishes!
- The 11th generation of Cooking for Salud™ participants have been learning about healthy lifestyle changes, including reducing sugar and salt intake.
- We hosted the last Salsita field trip of the year, in partnership with San Ysidro Health Center.
- Over 15 people attended our Gardening with Kids workshop, where they learned about nutrition education strategies in the garden.
- We had another successful Cultivating Conversation dinner featuring Trish Watlington of The Red Door and Jeff Rossman of Terra.
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| Families from San Ysidro Health Center at our Salsita field trip! |
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Upcoming Events and Programs
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Farm-to-Picnic Couples Cooking Class
Join us for a unique Valentine's Day date in our beautiful garden!
Sunday, February 11th
10:00-12:00
11:00-1:00
12:30-2:30
1:30-3:30
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Mommy and Me
This program is designed for children ages 2 - 5 with an accompanying adult. Activities include harvesting, a garden walk, and a tasting!
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Open House & Produce Stand
Visit our beautiful gardens, historic Victorian home, and learn about our programs! Fresh produce will be available at our new produce stand.
November 21st, 10:00am - 1:00pm
December 19th, 10:00am -1:00pm
Tours start at 10:15am and 12:00pm.
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Gardening Workshop:
Composting, Vermicomposting, and Cover Cropping
Come learn about different types of composting and the benefits of cover cropping.
November 18th, 9:00am -11:00am
December 16th, 9:00-11:00
Season Extenders
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FREE Pilates classes at the gardens
Looking to incorporate more physical activity into your daily routine? Check out the Pilates classes and strengthen your body inside out.
Every Thursday, 9:00am - 10:00am
Walk-ins welcome
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FREE CardioFIT classes at the gardens
Coordinate your moves and dance to different rhythms while raising your heart beat in these cardio dance classes.
Mondays and Wednesdays
8:30am - 9:30am
Walk-ins welcome
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Volunteer
Looking for a fun way to help our community become healthier? Why not volunteer with Olivewood Gardens? We have a role for you!
Find Out More Here
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SDG&E Tips
- SDG&E's Winter Rates are here! Click here to learn more.
- SDG&E's high use charge started on November 1st. Get usage alerts by email or text by clicking here.
- Would you like to purchase up to 100% renewable energy? Click here to learn how!
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| Growing in the Garden...
Fall has officially arrived in our gardens! We now have an abundance of root vegetable crops, such as radishes, carrots, and beets. We are also looking forward to some delicious and crunchy snap peas in the coming months!
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Featured Recipe
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Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Created by Claire Groebner
Ingredients
1.5 lb. green beans, stemmed and cut in half
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 TB soy sauce
Ingredients for Sauce
½ head cauliflower chopped into florets
1 cup vegetable broth
1 TB soy sauce
½ cup cashews, soaked
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup nutritional yeast
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Ingredients for Onion Topping
1 large yellow onion, sliced into rings
1 cup bread crumbs
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
2 TB olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400
°.
2. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. In the meantime, steam the green beans followed by the cauliflower.
4. Add the green beans and soy sauce to the onion mixture. Stir and remove from heat.
5. To make the sauce, blend all ingredients.
6. Mix sauce with the green beans and place in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
8. While the green beans are baking, sauté the onions until they begin to brown. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and cook for a few minutes.
9. Add the onions to the top of the green beans and cook for an additional 10 minutes until crispy.
Update an old favorite with this vegan take on the classic Green Bean Casserole. This recipe swaps out condensed mushroom soup for a rich cashew cream. Caramelized onions, mushrooms, and garlic mix with freshly steamed green beans. Finally, a crunchy breadcrumb and sauteed onion topping adorns the casserole. One bite will make you an instant convert to this homemade crowd-pleaser.
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