Residents, volunteers grow food at downtown Mesa Urban Garden

A community garden in downtown Mesa faces an uncertain future despite years of community involvement.

For 13 years, the Mesa Urban Garden, 212 E. First Ave., has transformed vacant downtown lots into a social ecosystem for volunteers or community members who want to use their green thumbs.

David Crummey, MUG’s chairperson, said he approached MUG with the idea of it being a unique third space where residents and volunteers grow food.

“The Mesa Urban Garden is not a place but a community of people,” Crummey said. “Trying to replicate that would mean replicating people, and that doesn’t happen.”

He said that in its time, MUG has relied on volunteer labor, donated materials and modest revenue to survive.

Public filings show the organization has operated on a very small budget with the garden’s 2016 Form 990EZ reported $1,134 in total revenue and $1,512 in total expenses.

Crummey was one of the original members of MUG’s board of directors and now is the only one who is active as its chairperson.

“Really the idea was, how can we make this successful?” Crummey said. “What would it cost to operate this with an all-volunteer staff while paying for water, paying for improvements and how do we create a little bit of sustainability and energy from it?”

MUG’s mission on its website, https://mesaurbangarden.org/, emphasizes education, accessibility and community programming; the garden also notes it earned USDA People’s Garden recognition in 2024.

Donna DiFrancesco, a sustainability specialist with the city of Mesa, has supported the garden since its inception.

She said that in her time working with the garden, the concern regarding how long it will last hasn’t gone away.

“When it comes to things like this,” DiFrancesco said, “it really would take a lot of effort, and I still don’t know, honestly, the sustainability of MUG.”

The Community Garden, according to its tax forms and DiFrancesco, has received financial support from ASU, the USDA, the Arizona Skin Cancer Foundation and Fry’s over the years.

Local businesses have also been part of the garden’s foundation and success, contributing to supplies and allowing volunteers to use their facilities when necessary.

“They were incredibly supportive and that’s what community is,” Crummey said.

It was never meant to be a city project, Crummey said, emphasizing it was always meant to be about the partnership with the city and the space for those who wanted one.

“Drew and Ryan brought me along a little bit as they were forming the idea,” Crummey said. “The garden started as a passion project… aligning with Mayor Scott Smith’s focus on what the city can do with existing city resources during the downturn.”

Running the “day-to-day” side of things is garden coordinator Laurie Blitz, who says the garden keeps her healthy and connected.

“What keeps me committed to this garden is the chance to help new gardeners have some success at growing food and flowers guidance when they need it,” Blitz said.

After retirement, she said the garden became a sustaining hobby that got her out of the house and involved with the community.

“She is doing a wonderful job on the gardening side,” Crummy said about Blitz.

“We have a reliable group who will help when needed.” Blitz said. “This is an urban garden where people maintain their own beds, so volunteers want to plant and harvest.

Blitz has also shown concerns about the garden’s future.

“This is a big garden and needs someone there daily to catch the irrigation leaks or things that blow down in the storms,” Blitz said.

MUG has required almost daily supervision, Blitz said, and a number of tasks for upkeep such as irrigation checks, pruning, compost turning and pest control.

Blitz said a big challenge has been getting more people involved as over time, interest has waned.

“Where does the garden fit in the future?” DiFrancesco said. “Downtown Mesa is almost completely different than it what it was when this started.”

“You can be a big enthusiastic group to get things started, but then to maintain it over time is another story.”

DiFrancesco highlighted her worry about what will happen if Blitz chooses to retire from garden coordinator as she is, “the backbone of this place.”

Others like Eunice Bluebaugh, and occasionally her husband Taylor, keep the garden thriving as well.

“We used to live just down the street, and after walking by for years we finally got on the waiting list,” Bluebaugh said.

Her interest in gardening comes from her dad who had a green thumb and her grandparents who were farmers, she said.

“I’ve just always had an interest in food in general, growing your own food and stuff, being more self-sufficient,” Bluebaugh said.

As she’s spent time gardening, and under the tutelage of Blitz, she said gardening as a seasonal learning process that teaches patience and practical skills.

“Every season is different,” Bluebaugh said, “resetting beds, digging out old plants, putting in new seeds and transplants. I’ve learned patience; there’s a real learning curve.”

Bluebaugh said more structured orientations or short classes to set expectations and keep volunteers engaged are a small change she believes could reduce turnover and strengthen the volunteer base.

“Gardening gets romanticized on social media,” she said, noting that work schedules and health can limit participation. “A lot of people don’t realize how much work it takes.”

Crummey said he is in it for the long-haul even though most everyone else originally involved in MUG has moved on with their lives.

He said it has left him in a bit of awe but also left with a feeling of increased responsibility as time has gone on.

“The No. 1 thing I tell people about starting a community garden is, don’t,” Crummey said. “It’s a lot of work and most community gardens fail at three years in so unless you have a longstanding community of passionate people, it’s not going to work.”

Less on the business side of things, Crummey said MUG also happens to be a bit sentimental for him and that’s contributed to his continued involvement.

“Me and my wife actually didn’t meet here but it was one of the first projects we did, and we had a few dates in the garden,” Crummey said.

Crummey said he has always rejected the idea that it is more akin to a farm, believing the socialization aspect is what has made it special.

With Mesa’s continued evolution though, Crummey said he isn’t sure how to go about drawing more attention to MUG.

“We were some of the first murals in downtown Mesa… but now murals are common,” Crummey said. “Do we need to host another event if someone else is doing it? The question is, what’s next?”

The garden is operated on city-owned land and that presents an ongoing determination for its future whenever it is time for the lease to be renewed, said Crummey.

“We are going to have to negotiate a new lease, and we hope the city supports that in the future,” Crummey said.

“The lease is up in July 2027,” Blitz said. “We’ll also need an activities director if we want classes and periodic volunteer days.”

Bluebaugh said, “Laurie’s here all the time, and I think we need to get together more as gardeners to keep it running.”

The city may need to have it cared for by a department, DiFrancesco said.

“If the time comes, we need to find another remarkable volunteer like Laurie or we would need to find a way to have it cared for through a department, and I don’t know how we would do that,” DiFrancesco said.

In addition to the lease, Blitz said MUG has other concrete needs such as an ongoing supervisor and a bathroom onsite.

MUG will also require new leadership, volunteers and board members at some point in the future, Crummey said.

For gardeners like Bluebaugh, MUG is worth the investment.

“My favorite part is watching the seeds sprout.” Bluebaugh said. “Seeing those first little shoots and then the first harvest, that’s always the best.”

“If people are passionate and interested in the behind-the-scenes work, they should reach out,” Crummey said. “Please reach out. How we work together to build the community we want to live in is the story we want to be a part of.”

White is a student journalist at the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.