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Gardeners Of Destiny Graduates Become Squad Warriors

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We are offering full scholarships to anyone willing to give 10 hours of volunteer work. That’s a win/win for all!

The Prescott Food Forest is proud to launch its 2024 Gardening Education season with an eight-week Spring Gardening course starting 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 6, at B Organic Farm in Chino Valley and running through Saturday May 25. This course was well received last year and is close to being filled this year, too. If you or someone you know would like to join us, please go to prescottfoodforest.com to secure your spot. It’s that easy.

GARDENING EDUCATION

Stephane Leon, our gardening educational director, has put together a comprehensive program that teaches the full ecosystem of planning, planting, growing, harvesting, eating, cooking and preserving all the delicious fruits and vegetables that we grow locally. The course is valued at $199, but through the generous donations of our sponsors and donors, including Lamb Chevrolet, Dignity Health, Solstice Ridge 11, Prescott Luxury Realty & Investments and many others, we can reduce the price to $99. Want more good news? We are offering full scholarships to anyone willing to give 10 hours of volunteer work. That’s a win/win for all!

TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION ABOUT GROWING FOOD

Our mission at Make 100 Healthy Foundation and the Prescott Food Forest is to teach people how to grow food and then help others do so, too. The fellowship, camaraderie and positivity experienced are long-lasting. Currently, we have close to 500 people in our community that all have a desire to learn about growing food and gardening. Our Gardeners Of Destiny (G.O.D) students apply these skills in their own homes and by helping others that might not be able to. We want everyone possible to be self-sufficient and to eat nutrient dense, non-GMO fruits and vegetables. This is an ideal way to stay healthy now and in the future.

One of the primary areas we are focusing on is schools. We recently hosted a group of eighth grade students from Trinity Christian School that came to offer their time and efforts as a service project. We were able to prepare our indoor greenhouse and the outdoor gardening beds at B Organic Farm. In two days, we were able to do over 100 hours of work. What a blessing! Thanks to Michelle Conley and these wonderful students for a job well done.

INTRODUCING the G.O.D SQUAD

As part of our community volunteer goals, we have launched a new program for graduates of our Gardeners Of Destiny course, The G.O.D Squad. The concept is simple. We are seeking two to three people teams to help families and aging or disabled neighbors in their own gardens. If you or someone you know needs help in your garden, or you want to lead your own G.O.D Squad, please email prescottfoodforest@gmail.com for details.

CHARITY STARTS IN OUR COMMUNITY

None of these programs and opportunities would be possible without our core team of Master Gardeners and volunteers who oversee all aspects of growing food and managing students and volunteers. A special thanks goes to Stephane Leon, LeRoy Miller, Debra Ott, Ann Smeltzer, Greg Eddolls, Kathryn Crew, Kim Plancich, Ann Herrington and many others who have been amazing teachers and workers for our Prescott Food Forest @ B Organic Farm. We could not do any of this without the welcoming hospitality of Mark and Ginny @ B Organic Farm. They have blessed us with access to their property. Thank you!

GOLF TOURNAMENT TO FUND SCHOLARSHIPS SOLD OUT

In closing, I want to extend my appreciation and gratitude to everyone who has signed up to play in our First Annual Rock the Garden Open Golf Tournament at The Club at Prescott Lakes. It’s completely sold out, allowing us to fund scholarships, purchase gardening supplies and to support community outreach. If you want to donate, please go to prescottfoodforest.com and look for the donation tab. We are an Arizona 501(c)3 non-profit. As we like to say, “Let’s get growing!” QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is the founder of Make 100 Healthy Foundation and a former chair for the Commission on Well-Being for the City of Prescott. He is also a realtor in the Quad Cities. He can be reached at    John.teammurphy@gmail.com or 928-899-1341.

Time to Rock the Garden Open

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As we like to say, “Let’s Get Growing Together.”

It’s time to get ready for spring and the 2024 garden season.

I am happy to announce that our initial spring gardening eight-week course starts 10 a.m. to noon, Sat., April 6 until May 25 at B Organic Farm. The classes cover everything from planting seeds, transplanting them, soil prep, spacing for crops, tending, picking food and much more. 

Because of the generosity of our donors and sponsors, we are offering up to 20 scholarships (in exchange for volunteer service). To apply for a scholarship or secure your spot, go to Prescottfoodforest.com.

If you have garden experience and want to volunteer, we are launching our G.O.D. Squad volunteer corps that will go to people’s homes and help them with their garden. Many residents have grape vines, garden beds and want to grow, but may not be able to do so themselves. This is our way of helping those who love to garden be able to continue to do so.

Garden Education Director Stephane Leon is excited for this coming garden season. “Last year, we taught and trained adults and kids throughout the year. We gave away almost 10,000 pounds of the food we grew to the Yavapai Food Bank, Solid Rock Food Pantry and many others that needed healthy and locally grown fruits and vegetables. We also share the bounty with students and volunteers. That’s a real win-win!”

To help support our mission, the Make 100 Healthy Foundation is hosting the First Annual “Rock the Garden Open” charity golf event on Tues., April 30, with a 9 a.m. start at the private Club at Prescott Lakes. This a great opportunity to play this beautiful course and support a worthy cause. For tickets, sponsorships or donations please visit prescottfoodforest.com.

The theme, “Rock the Garden Open,” is a musical one, featuring live music playing throughout the course. Legendary local musicians including Don Cheek, Drew Hall, Rick Jordan and others will provide perform during the event. The awards lunch is included and follows the 9 a.m. shotgun start. The event is a four-person scramble, best ball format. There will be prizes for the lowest score and fun competitions, including a “Swing for Seeds” target golf challenge, sponsored by Olsen’s for Healthy Pets, a “Putting for Plants” competition, sponsored by Watters Garden Center, and of course, the hole in one games, sponsored by Lamb Chevrolet.

Tickets are on sale for foursomes. Individuals are welcome and we will pair you with other golfers to form a foursome. We will have music, games and giveaways and a keg of beer at hole 7, sponsored by Solstice Ridge 11, the new Prescott Lakes community and Prescott Luxury Realty and Investments. We are grateful for all the support, including from Quad Cities Business News.

All net proceeds benefit the Prescott Food Forest, Gardeners Of Destiny gardening education program, scholarships for aspiring gardeners and support the purchase of supplies and maintenance of our program at B Organic Farm.

This year, we are working with local schools to learn about growing food. We expect the 8th grade class from Trinity Christian School to come and help tend to the garden as well as other schools that are interested in being part of our growing and giving garden.

Each year, we reward a worthy person with the “Arline’s Angel Award,” named after my late mom, who was a gardener and a visionary. We will present this year’s winner at the awards lunch at the event.

We teach all aspects of growing food, including the full ecosystem from planting seeds, nurturing growth, picking and harvesting, eating, cooking and preserving the fruits (and veggies) of our labor.

Please feel free to email me directly at john.teammurphy@gmail.com, call 928-899-1341 or visit PrescottFoodForest.com for information on classes, golf tickets and sponsorships and our volunteer program. I am grateful for your involvement and support.

As we like to say, “Let’s Get Growing Together.” QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is the founder of the Make 100 Healthy Foundation and creator of the Prescott Food Forest and Gardeners Of Destiny training programs. John is also the former chair of the Prescott Commission for Well Being and is a local real estate agent.

Courtesy Photo: The G.O.D. Squad volunteer corps will go to people’s homes and help them with their garden. 

Prescott Food Forest Continues to Grow with Your Support

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On behalf of our growing team of gardeners, volunteers and students, I want to invite you to join us, too! What are you waiting for? Let’s get growing!

An amazing phenomenon is happening at the Prescott Forest @ B Organic Farm in Chino Valley.

Passionate and inquisitive Quad Cities residents are pitching in to help manage and harvest our growing garden beds and greenhouse.

Each Saturday, there’s a garden project party, which brings together families and individuals that enjoy fellowship, food, music and of course, gardening projects that need to be worked on. This combination has proven successful as each week we have between 10 and 15 volunteers picking fruits and veggies, planting new crops and weeding. The indoor greenhouse has cooled air, so we offer both options to participate.

Another milestone was met when we hosted the first Gardeners Of Destiny Kids Boot Camp where Stephane Leon led a four-day introduction to kids, ages 5-12, and their moms. It was a total success and brought together like-minded moms who know the value of teaching their kids how to grow food. Our goal has always been to teach the next generation this important life skill.

I am proud to announce our next Gardening Course “Autumn Gardening,” including how to plant and care for fall and early winter crops. The class is $99 for eight weeks but we are offering full scholarships (limited) in exchange for 10 hours of volunteer time. This model was very well received in previous courses. Go to prescottfoodforest.com<http://prescottfoodforest.com for more information or to  register. The classes run from 10 a.m. to noon, Aug. 19 to Sept. 23. These classes have sold out so reserve your spot today. Families are welcome too!

One of the great benefits of this program is all the fantastic people that want to help and learn more about gardening.

I’d like to give a big shout out to Doug and April Rich for their help and for sharing our mission. Also Nick and Kim Plancich and their daughter, Shelby, for volunteering and sharing our mission with their family and friends. That’s how this has grown, organically (pardon the pun).

We are seeking schools and clubs to work with to expand our greenhouse capacity and to lead a pumpkin-planting project as a fun competition with prizes and awards. If you would like to have your school or organization participate, call or email me directly.

On behalf of our growing team of gardeners, volunteers and students, I want to invite you to join us, too! What are you waiting for? Let’s get growing! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is the executive director of Make 100 Healthy Inc., an Arizona 501 c 3 non-profit. He’s also a Prescott-area realtor and can be contacted at John.teammurphy@gmail.com or 928-899-1341.

Prescott Food Forest Gala Marks a Major Victory for Gardening Education Programs

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There has never been a more important time than now to learn or expand your ability to grow food.

On Tuesday Feb. 21, at The Club at Prescott Lakes, we hosted a Victory Garden Gala to raise awareness and funds to support the Gardeners Of Destiny (GOD) gardening education training program at B Organic Farm, Chino Valley.

The evening was a total success. More than 125 people from all sectors of our community came to support our mission to empower people to grow food for health and self-sustainability.

I am grateful for the support from our sponsors, donors, friends and neighbors. I want to thank Ed Walsh and Bob Knudson from Lamb Cadillac for their generous primary sponsorship and also Grayden Guilford and Pinnacle Bank for their gold sponsorship. Your donations allowed us to accelerate our plans and efforts!

A special note of appreciation to Ken Lain and Watters Garden Center for their sponsorship and donation of a fruit tree orchard as part of our live auction. Ken was also the keynote speaker, sharing his first-hand experience seeing the shift toward edible growing and backyard gardening to fight inflation and to ensure healthy food consumption. His expertise and insights were enjoyed by all.

I was honored that Prescott City Councilman Steve Sischka attended as a sponsor with Olsen’s for Healthy Pets, as well as Dan Olsen, who offered a beautiful blessing before dinner. I am proud that my wife, Lisa, was a sponsor with Silver Sands Recovery. Special thanks to Quad Cities Business News, Toby Ebarb with Legacy Roofing, Mark Womack with Womack Construction and Brian Wirick of Sterling North Homes for their sponsorships. Vickie Johnston from H20 Health not only sponsored the event, but contributed a whole house water filtration system for our live auction. I have gratitude for the Barley Hound and the Vivili Group for donating a private culinary experience for eight at the Barley Hound, with a personalized chef’s dinner.

I want to thank many local individuals and businesses for donating items, experiences and art for our silent auction and raffle items. We truly live in a giving and supportive community. All told, we raised close to $30,000 and netted close to $20,000. This provides the needed resources to grow and expand our efforts.

The evening started with a soulful musical performance by the very talented Kenny James. The food, prepared by Chef Matt at The Club at Prescott Lakes, was delicious. They also donated a private chef’s dinner for six and a round of golf.

I was proud to present the 2nd Annual “Arline’s Angel Award” (in memory of my mom), which is presented to someone who reflects the giving nature my mom had. We awarded Stephane Leon, a local schoolteacher and the designer of our logos, website and the evening’s program guide, as this year’s recipient. Most importantly, she is the director of the Gardeners Of Destiny training program, which just completed the eight-week winter greenhouse growing course and was well received.

In that regard, we are offering a Summer Growing course starting Sat., April 29 for eight weeks. If you would like to participate, we have a few spots left. For more information, please visit prescottfoodforest.com. To apply for a full scholarship, you need to commit to a minimum of 10 hours of volunteering at B Organic Farm. Everyone seems to love this win/win deal.

Finally, I am thankful for our team of volunteers that worked tirelessly to help plan and execute the outcome we achieved. Specifically, I want to thank Ann Herrington, Susan Rubio, Rhonda Clark, Debra Ott, LeRoy Miller, Wendy Lancy, and Betty and Bob Knudson for their time, effort and heart to make this event a Big Victory to continue our education and growing food programs.

There has never been a more important time than now to learn or expand your ability to grow food. You are welcome to join us as a volunteer, student or donor for our scholarship drive. Together, we are making a difference and positively impacting our community by teaching gardening skills and building new friendships with like-minded people. Yes, this is a place for people to grow together, so let’s get growing! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is a realtor and founder of Make 100 Healthy. He can be reached at 928-899-1341.

Prescott Food Forest Finds a Home in Chino Valley

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All we need is 15 to 20 volunteers to give three hours per week to substantially increase our growth and giving potential.

It is an honor and a pleasure to share my thoughts and perspective on living a healthy life with you. I am passionate about living a long and healthy life; hence, my nickname, “Your Make 100 Healthy Guy.” As the founder of the Make 100 Healthy Foundation, I am always exploring best practices for nutrition, exercise and an overall sense of well-being.

With that in mind, I am leading a Gardening Education Program to teach people how to grow food. We just needed a home. We were blessed with an amazing opportunity.

Enter B Organic Farm in Chino Valley. Mark and Ginny Bonacquista, the owners of a fully functioning five-acre working farm that already has three greenhouses, numerous raised beds, acres of in-ground gardens, a worm farm, a 50-tree fruit orchard and two large cisterns, reached out to us and offered their property to build and grow the Food Forest Gardening Education Center and our Gardeners Of Destiny (G.O.D.) training program.

“John and his Make 100 Healthy Foundation previously helped us by donating money and time to help us raise a barn. By doing so, we were able to open our second greenhouse, which enabled us to double our food production. We felt it was only right to return the favor and welcome the Food Forest here to B Organic Farm,” said Mark Bonacquista.

I’m proud to say that the Prescott Food Forest @ B Organic Farm broke ground with a free gardening class led by legendary gardener Daniel Blake, on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Stephane Leon, a local teacher and one of the driving forces in bringing this project to fruition, is leading the educational program and is excited to teach kids the joys and benefits of gardening. “Our first family class will be an eight-week Winter Greenhouse Gardening program, starting on Jan. 21,” she said. “Over the eight-week course, we will plant, grow and harvest what we grow.”

How can you get involved? First and foremost, volunteers are needed to tend to the gardens to maximize the full potential of food production and distribution. Mark Bonacquista said, “We have the potential to double and even triple our output, but we don’t have the help to do so.” All we need is 15 to 20 volunteers to give three hours per week to substantially increase our growth and giving potential. We are glad to teach, train and direct anyone who has the heart to learn and help us grow food. With the Food Forest team, we already have more help and that’s why we are keeping one of the greenhouses operational all winter long.

Now that the Prescott Food Forest @ B Organic Farm is up and running, what is the next step?

We are building a community of spirited people that all want to learn or teach people how to grow food. There are plenty of opportunities if you have a special talent you would like to share. Just reach out to me and we can add to our offerings. This project was intended to bring more awareness about and insights into healthy eating.

To accomplish our mission to build a sustainable gardening educational center with the means for long-term viability and long-lasting impact, we are holding a BIG Charity Victory Garden Kick Off Gala, 5-9 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 17, at The Club at Prescott Lakes.

There will be live entertainment led by Kenny James, a silent and live auction, prizes, giveaways and special keynote speeches from Ken Lain from Watters Garden Center and myself. All proceeds will benefit the Food Forest @ B Organic Farm Gardening Education Center and the Gardeners Of Destiny training program. Visit www.prescottfoodforest.com/calendar for tickets and sponsorship opportunities.

Please plan to bring yourself, your families and friends to experience why gardening is a lifelong hobby for so many! To contact me directly, email me at john.teammurphy@gmail.com or call 928-899-1341. You can find more information at www.prescottfoodforest.com.

Let’s get growing! QCBN

By John James Murphy

John James Murphy is a Prescott realtor at Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert.