San Jose man’s nonprofit provides families with ability to grow their own food

SAN JOSE — A San Jose person has been aiding very low-cash flow households plant seeds of self-sufficiency as they find out to mature their very own house gardens.

“I love on the lookout at how it’s from seeds and sprouting anything till the fruit I can harvest,” mentioned resident Chingfen Huang, marveling at how her San Jose backyard has transformed from an empty, squandered space into a gorgeous, flourishing backyard that nourishes her physique and spirit.

Huang is grateful to Raul Lozano, who again in 2011 was heartbroken to hear about men and women struggling in the economic downturn.

“Folks ended up getting rid of their work, getting rid of their residences. It was just negative,” Lozano reported.

He commenced teaching low-profits people in Santa Clara County to mature natural residence gardens to struggle foods insecurity.

“I was striving to figure out a way the place individuals could expand their own foods and observe foods sovereignty,” he said.

That is when Lozano’s nonprofit, Valley Verde, took root. The application usually takes on about 100 households every single year for one particular 12 months. They get free seeds, seedlings, soil, planter bins if necessary, and workshops to train people what to do.

The software is funded with donations, grants and proceeds from its nursery that also sells to the community.

Kalpana, who did not want to use her very last identify, feels empowered, feeding her relatives wholesome make from her household harvest.

“As you improve, you learn a good deal about diet increasing your very own food items, and remaining independent,” she mentioned.

And Lozano reported people save cash on their yearly grocery monthly bill, also: an ordinary $400-$700 a yr amid participants.

Just one of the exceptional factors about Valley Verde is that it grows seedlings typically employed in ethnic foodstuff, these types of as lemongrass which is frequently utilised in Southeast Asian cooking.

Additional than 70 percent of the program’s families are immigrants, and early on, they questioned Lozano to improve multi-ethnic fruit and veggies, so he is additional products like Thai basil and tomatillos – vital elements for preserving their culture.

“A person of the major things they’re capable to maintain on to, their heritage – who they are, teach their youngsters – is as a result of their foodstuff,” Lozano explained.

Team member Rita Espinoza, who manages the gardening plans, suggests Lozano bends more than backward to make sure house gardeners have all the means and aid they have to have to triumph.

“He is extremely passionate about the get the job done and he cares for people in require,” Espinoza said.

Lozano offers people today a present from the ground up. The gardening talent that he realized as a youngster, and cultivated as a calming interest now sustains local family members.

“It is way far more gratifying than I at any time believed it would be,” Lozano reported.

So for planting seeds of self-sufficiency for lower-profits family members, this week’s Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Raul Lozano.