Emeryville Community Organic Gardens
The original Emeryville Community Organic Garden, or “ECOG,” located at 59th and Doyle Streets was originally established in 1992. It was the first of what are now four community gardens scattered across the city.
The once fallow piece of land was along a rail spur serviced by the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Then-resident Elaine Drukman solicited neighbors via a posted flyer and gathered a small team of volunteers. This team was able to obtain a small grant, establish a nonprofit and advocate for the city of Emeryville to step in and help legitimize it. The original gardeners included Drukman as well as Elisabeth Montgomery, James Morris, Katharine Ashbey & Rudolph Russell.
The city obliged by leasing the garden site from the railroad. James Morris stepped in to help Drukman form a non-profit to govern and to raise funds for the garden.
In 1997, as Drukman’s health declined, fellow gardener Sam Foushee agreed to assist her, eventually taking over as garden coordinator. Drukman died in 1998 at the age of 66. Since her passing, the gardening community has continued to nurture the space and to run the garden according to the Bylaws that were written at the founding.
As industry slowly left Northeastern Emeryville, use of the rail spur faded with it. In 1998 following the closure of Liquid Sugar Inc., rail service ceased completely. Following the discontinuation of rail service, the city moved to acquire the land and rezone it for permanent park space.
In 2004, after years of planning, construction on the Doyle Street Greenway project kicked off. The original Community Garden was removed to accommodate construction.
Following completion of the Greenway project in 2005, the garden was rebuilt on the same site through a joint effort by the city, volunteers and local donors. The popularity of the renovated garden has created a waiting list for a plot that often stretches for years. Membership is limited to those living in the 94608 zip code. Turnover for the 31 plots is low with members volunteering their time toward upkeep of the space.
The success of the garden helped create a replicable model that was used by the other groups to create more community gardens, including Big Daddy’s Community Garden, built in 2002 on the site of a former gas station at Peralta and West MacArthur Blvd; and Temescal Creek Community Garden, at 1042 48th Street, built in 2014.
The nonprofit formed for this original community garden helps manage all four gardens in the city including the most recent community garden at the former Sherwin-Williams property.
ECOG Co-founder James Morris remains involved to this day, currently serving as coordinator and Board President.
