Meet Miguel Zapata from La Madera Community Garden

Miguel Zapata has been gardening at La Madera Community Garden for 10 years. He appreciates and is passionate about the varieties of plants he is growing. “I don’t know much about the plants, I know that I love them.” He is proud to share that he avoids using pesticides and uses natural ways to care for his plants. Miguel and his friend Jesus belong to the “Braceros of El Monte.” Braceros is Spanish for laborers, many of who settled in El Monte in the early 1900’s after the Mexican-American war, working the fields for employment. He really enjoys gardening and growing his own food. This has benefited him a lot since he is pre-diabetic, “I’m growing Savila and Nopales, which has helped me stay healthy.” As we walked around the garden, he showed me what he was currently growing and patiently waiting for. He displayed his squash and fruit trees as well as his sunflowers. His goal is to bring a variety of plants to La Madera so they may provide family and friends with food from their homeland.
If you’re interested in La Madera Community Garden, join them at 3805 La Madera Avenue, El Monte, CA 91732, for their Spring Open House, Saturday, April 14th from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM,  inviting the community and fellow gardeners to help fundraise for a new fence and compost area.

– By Diana Campos