Project Recommendation #9
Project Recommendation #9
The Area Agency on Aging will collaborate with Merced Lao Family Community to launch a senior community garden for local Hmong, Mien and Laotian community members.
California's 5 Bold Goals: Inclusion & Equity, Not Isolation
AARP's 8 Domains of Livability: Outdoor Spaces & Buildings
Southeast Asian participants at the focus group hosted by Merced Lao Family Community on March 4, 2025 strongly prioritized the inclusion of this project in the Action Plan. They were adamant about the social and physical fitness benefits that a community garden would bring to the local Hmong, Mien, Laotian, and other Southeast Asian populations in the City of Merced area. Community members spoke about their farming heritage growing up in Cambodia and Laos; this is an important opportunity to return to the land, honor their family ancestors, and find a deeper spiritual connection with their culture, both past and present.
The Area Agency on Aging would work collaboratively with Merced Lao Family Community leadership to site and procure a plot of land for a suitably sized community garden, and develop a sustainability plan. To sustain a community garden, it is important to focus on community engagement, resource management, and sustainable practices; regularly host events to foster community involvement; and incorporate sustainable practices like water-efficient irrigation methods, native plant selection, composting, and integrated pest management to create a resilient ecosystem.
The Area Agency on Aging, in collaboration with Merced Lao Family Community, will procure a plot of land for a community garden by June 30, 2027.
Merced Lao Family Community will submit a sustainability plan for a community garden, for Merced County approval, by June 30, 2027.
As part of an annual survey of older adults, the Area Agency on Aging will assess the success of the community garden among the Southeast Asian community. At least 80% of survey respondents will rate the community garden as excellent or good, by June 30, 2030.
Previous Section: Project Recommendation #8 | Next Section: Project Recommendation #10