Community Garden yields connections, cultural crops and creativity
What once was a baseball field is now home to many different kinds of ball. Tomatoes, peas, cabbages and grapes are just some of the round fruits and vegetables growing at the Church of the Cross Community Garden in Modesto.
Composed of 140 garden spots, each about 15 by 20 feet in size, the roughly 1.5-acre plot is a labor of love for garden coordinator Everett Leon-Guerrero. “Sometimes, it’s a love-hate relationship, to be very frank,” he said. “But I love to see the growth, to see the community out here, and people getting together. Somebody gives you tomatoes and you give them bell peppers — it’s a love fest,” he said.
The garden was conceived about 10 years ago, he said. The baseball field wasn’t getting much use, and a few church members had already started small gardens around the perimeter.
One of the earliest growers was Benny Villarreal, who started tending his plot 10 years before the bulk of the community garden launched. After moving into a new home that did not have space for a garden, he asked the church if he could start a small plot on its land.
“Twenty years ago, this was wide open and there was nobody here,” Villarreal said, “... and now this thing’s all full with over 60 gardeners.”
Leon-Guerrero said the gardeners are as global as the produce they grow. There are Assyrians, Cambodians, Fijians, Afghans and many from Spanish-speaking countries, he said. Though there are language barriers, Leon-Guerrero uses Google Translate to communicate, and also the language of trade.
In the middle of the garden plots is a community table, where gardeners gather to have lunch, relax after working the soil, and leave produce to swap. Leon-Guerrero said the diversity of gardeners has expanded the variety of plantings. Members of each culture have unique foods they like to grow, like bitter greens, lemongrass and even sugarcane. All the produce is organic.
One of the earliest crops was bananas. “When I got here 20 years ago, there was a guy out here that started banana trees in the corner,” said Villarreal. “He had nice banana trees, and that’s all he grew. He said that they’re rare.”
Villarreal said the man left about eight years ago, but his three trees still thrive. Growing bananas in this region is fairly difficult; the trees prefer warm and humid climates and are better suited to tropical regions or the coastal and forest regions of California. Now managed by Leon-Guerrero and other volunteers, the trees continue to grow in the dry and hot Central Valley.
When Leon-Guerrero took over management of the garden, he was not a gardener himself. Gardening was his wife’s hobby, and she had been managing the garden for a few years before she turned it over to him. In the 10 years since his leadership, they have filled the space with plots, and all are nearly accounted for. He started youth gardening programs, opened the garden for school and nonprofit group tours, and started to feature artists.
He had the idea for a mural on the front of the storage shed, and his son, Cameron Leon-Guerrero, drew up an idea. He first went to DoMo Walls to see about featuring an artist, but found the cost prohibitive.
Through his church community, he found Eliana Gloria, 17, a senior at Modesto High School. Using Cameron’s sketch as the inspiration, Gloria is just finishing a large mural depicting a bountiful garden, an American flag waving in the left corner, a large cross on the right, and the words from the Bible’s book of Galatians, “We reap what we sow,” emblazoned in the middle.
Leon-Guerrero said the garden would not be possible without the dedicated volunteers helping to maintain the grounds. They help keep costs low for gardeners, who each pay $50 per year for a plot. Membership gets you not just a plot, but access to water, gardening tools like rototillers, and weeding implements and waste disposal.
Leon-Guerrero said he is particular about whom he accepts into the garden, based mostly on their commitment. “People come in and they think they want to garden, so they plant, and you see them six weeks later. Well, that’s not gardening,” he said.
He doesn’t reject applicants based on experience. He welcomes gardeners of all levels, even those with no idea where to start. Because the volunteers are also gardeners, he and others find themselves sharing knowledge and tips and even learning new techniques from YouTube.
The Church of the Cross’s is among several community gardens in Stanislaus County. Ripon, Turlock and Oakdale all have them and there are a few others managed by nonprofits or private entities. Leon-Guerrero said it is a lot to manage, but it is worth it. He seeks supply donations from local nurseries and stores including Home Depot and Lowe’s, handling all the applications himself. “We are always looking for donations. We’re a nonprofit. Benny and I and others are volunteers, and nobody gets paid, but I think God pays us,” he said.
The Church of the Cross Community Garden is at 3936 Dale Road at Snyder. Those interested in acquiring a plot or donating can go to www.cotconline.com/community-garden.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
