After two years of planning, the St. Paul Catholic Newman Center in Fresno completed a half-acre community garden in 2025. The garden offers 74 raised-bed plots for both church members and local residents.
The project was made possible through grants and support from several organizations, including Fresno State University, Fresno Metro Ministry Community Garden Program, Stone Soup Fresno, and the UC Master Gardeners of Fresno County.
John Duran, a Master Gardener with five decades of experience who previously taught horticulture to high school students with special needs, led the design of the garden. Each bed is equipped with drip irrigation and timers to conserve water. Duran also recommended planting fruit trees outside the north fence; 20 trees—including peach, nectarine, and plum—were planted with their own drip line. These trees are already producing fruit, which is available for local families to pick as needed.
This month, Duran and other Master Gardeners hosted the first gardening class at the facility. The event attracted not only those who have plots but also others interested in home gardening. Future classes will cover topics such as crop rotation and pest management.
“I suggested we need to make a market to provide food to church members and the community, because there’s an abundance,” Duran said. “One of the goals is providing food for the community.”
The garden is led by parishioners Jim Grant and Dan Griffin. Their goal is to help people in need by supplementing meals with fresh produce while offering an activity that benefits physical and emotional health. Fundraising efforts are underway to add composting bins for soil enrichment and waste management.
Amy Tobin, another UC Master Gardener and parishioner at Newman Center, along with her husband Rich, adopted one of the plots in spring 2025. They initially grew tomatoes, herbs, peppers, cantaloupe, fennel, and Armenian cucumbers but had mixed results as they adapted to new irrigation systems and soil conditions. In August they switched to fall crops like spinach, carrots, celery, lettuce, red cabbage, and herbs. “The vegetables are flourishing,” Amy Tobin said.
Tobin added that gardening has allowed them not only to grow healthy food but also build relationships within their church and neighborhood: “The community workdays are great,” she said. “Everybody pitches in.”
More information about the Newman Center Community Garden can be found at this link: . Details on free public classes offered by UC Master Gardeners are available here: .
