Crescent City a ‘wonderful host community’

I am writing to thank Crescent City for being a wonderful host community recently. Community Assistance Network, the Del Norte Healthcare District, and Open Door Community Health Centers organized a two-day community gardening conference called Healthy Starts: Growing Garden Communities on Sept. 23 and 24. Participants came from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Port Orford.

Visitors raved about our beautiful coast, viewed from the conference and hotel rooms at Oceanfront Lodge. They loved the food provided by Bar-O Boys Ranch, Good Harvest and Vita Cucina. Our weather, though difficult for some of the air travelers on Thursday, Sept. 22, was beautiful, and a welcome respite for those coming from southern California’s heat.

Participants left happy, well-fed, and with new tools to make their community gardens grow stronger and better. They also left with local products! We included lip balm from Organic Essence and fish and kelp soil amendment samples from Eco-Nutrients, two Crescent City companies at the forefront of organic, sustainable product development. Other local (and national) sponsors helped us make our guests feel welcome, too, with products from the North Coast Clinics Network, North Coast Growers Association, Community Alliance with Family Farmers and the American Community Gardening Association. The overall event sponsor was the Community Clinics Initiative, a joint project of Tides and The California Endowment. We are grateful that they trusted us to organize the conference and bring many of their grantees to Del Norte County.

Thank you to everyone who made our event so successful and wonderful for our participants. Crescent City was showcased beautifully from beginning to end and gained some new fans.