The produce section is one of the most expensive parts of the grocery store. If you’re struggling, that’s not going to be the first thing you go for,” says Maggie Case, founder and executive director of Case Made Garden Foundation. In 2011, she noticed a lack of fresh produce at the food pantries, local cooperatives and grassroots organizations that she was volunteering with in the state of Nevada.

 Coming back to her native Placerville, she remembered the need and approached her parents about the family foundation. “I talked to them about what they wanted the foundation to be like, and they were really open to it evolving,” she says. “We planted a garden at my parents’ ranch in the Gold Hill area, and it just took off.”

The row crop garden yields root vegetables, corn, tomatoes, asparagus, artichokes and more—all of which are then donated to local grassroots organizations and churches who offer the healthy food to their constituencies. Case and her team of volunteers are incredibly passionate about delivering whole, nutritious foods. “It bridges the gap where it’s no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity, and it’s pretty basic,” she says. “The nutritional value and the human power in whole foods are extremely important to our vitality.”

Following the success of the traditional garden, the foundation built a aeroponic garden in Downtown Placerville with 16 vertical towers, each of which holds 44 plants. On the bottom of each tower is a 20-gallon drum of water. A timer and pump keep the water running up the towers—supplying nutrients and water to the exposed roots of the plants. “It takes up less space, we can grow more, and we only use 90 percent of the water that we use in our dirt garden,” says Case. 

Some of the foundation’s volunteers are youths. “We partner with kids in the community who 

 want to work in the garden, clean up and learn hydroponics.” One high school student is about to embark on a project to put the hydroponic garden on solar. Case notes that Kiwanis has been instrumental in pairing them with other local organizations and in extending their reach to working with children. “I don’t know that I would have been able to make those connections in this community without an organization that was already established. They’re all about kids and the community.” 

The foundation also brings gardening education to local schools. If any school wants to set up a garden, whether traditional or hydroponic, Case and a team of volunteers come out to advise and offer hands-on help.

Edwin Markham Middle School has a service leadership program centered on gardening. Each week, Case teaches sixth, seventh and eighth graders how to sow, dig, plant and harvest. “It’s really connecting and grounding for kids. It really empowers them,” says Case, who’s seen such a transformation in the curious students. “They’re more clear minded when they’re eating better. They feel better about themselves.” 

casemadegardenfoundation.org

By Dayana Stockdale  // photos by Dante Fontana