May's Volunteers of the Month: Steve Radosevich and Robert Dragoon

From left: Steve, Robert

Yolo County UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, Steve Radosevich and Robert Dragoon, have helped transform the Food Bank’s section of land into a flourishing demonstration garden. The sight of a white pick-up truck and a green pick-up truck signal their arrival and a new stage of the Food Bank’s garden. For well over a year, we have benefited from their efforts on a weekly basis—whether preparing for the next season’s crops or teaching a compost workshop.

Both Steve and Robert began volunteering with us after our Executive Director, Jose Martinez, asked if they could help us implement a square food garden.* Admittedly, they were both skeptical of that method, but Robert says they have since become converts to the idea. This type of gardening is especially exciting to us because it allows us to demonstrate to our clients that growing their own food is possible regardless of the amount of space they have.

Steve, who once worked for the Food Bank of Santa Clara County, has seen first hand the services provided to those in need and was happy to assist with the project. One of his favorite parts of volunteering with us is that he can see the garden’s progress week to week. Steve says, “As a retired person, it’s important to do work that I enjoy and it has to be for a good cause. It is most rewarding when I can put acquired skills and knowledge to good use”. Some of Steve’s other hobbies include: bird watching, photography, traveling, and singing.

When asked what his favorite part of volunteering with us is, Robert said, “Seeing the staff enthusiastic about what we are doing”. He also volunteers twice a week as a carpenter for Habitat for Humanity, saying, “If a person has the ability to do something to help someone, they should.” When he’s not working on one of this various volunteer projects, Robert loves bike riding and gardening.

From all of us at the Food Bank of Yolo County, thank you Steve and Robert for all of your hard work and help in our garden!

                                  

*Square foot gardening refers to a method of planting in small 12”x12” sections of a garden (typically bunched together in a grid). This method yields a high amount of produce, and works well for those with very small yard space.

For more information about the Master Gardener Program, please visit: http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/Gardening_and_Master_Gardening/