CRIT Food Distribution Program: Opening Blessing of Community Garden Day
As the Director/Manager (Bryan Enas) of the CRIT Food Distribution Program, we held an Opening Blessing of Community Garden Day on May 28th 2025. Which we have four tribes, Hopi, Mohave, Navajo and Chemehuevi. Each tribe gave a blessing in their traditional language; we also had a couple tribes sing in their language. Our last agenda item we planted some gourd seeds, which in Mohave is important to be able to use to make traditional gourds. The community garden is open to the public to come and harvest any of the vegetables and crops we have growing. In the garden at this time, we have red and yellow grape tomatoes, blue and whitecorn, watermelon, green onions, yellow onions, zucchini and yellow squash, green beans, cabbage, cucumbers. In the prior months we have harvested Swiss Chard purple and Green, Cilantro, Beets, golden beets, carrots which gave to the clients who come into the Food Distribution and also to the community.
The event to me as the Director meant to bring the community together and show them there is a place to come get some vegetables and other crops. Picking your own right off the vines or fresh out the soil. The smell of a fresh picked vegetable or any other fruit in the garden is great knowing where they come from. As an elder told me, there is nothing like growing your own vegetables and fruit, to be able to provide for your family and community.
I cannot thank the staff enough at the distribution and U of A extension office. We work hard together to maintain this garden. Our path to new adventure is in our hands we will continue to grow all year around and with the season changing. We can and will help in anyway to keep our food growing for the community.
Crit Food Distribution Program Manager/Director, staff
Bryan Enas, M/D
Justina Jones
Bobbie Robledo
Reno Tapija
Larenzo Laffoon
