An Introduction To Gardening From
a Process-Relational Perspective
In this series of four presentations, you will learn from experts about planning, planting, composting, and harvesting your own food-producing garden.
Growing a vegetable garden, even a small one, or growing a few tomato plants in containers on your balcony, can restore something that has been lost. The corporate food industry has packaged, wrapped, imported, and separated us from the origins of our food. This garden series is about reconnecting with our food, spiritually, and naturally. Gardening is holy work and growing healthy food invites us to listen to the earth. Happy Gardening!
Session 1: Getting Started, with Sung Sohn
How to begin the process of gardening.
Session 2: Kissing the Earth, with Elinor Crescenzi
A crash course in composting, what it is, why it's important, and how to do it.
Session 3: Collaboration with Nature, with Stephen Yorba
All about planting, nurturing, and protecting your garden.
Session 4: The Harvest, with Stephen Yorba
Harvesting a healthy garden, expressing gratitude, and understanding the process approach to growing.
“I think we're wreaking havoc on creation, because we've forgotten who we are. And that's why I say we need to be brought back into right alignment, into right relationship with our food. And the only way I can think of to do that is to bring the production of food closer to us, to where we can begin to smell and sense and see and hear and taste and touch the earth, and the growth of food again, and remember who we are as human beings. . . . for me that's kind of process thinking . . . it reminds us of how interconnected we are, and how we're connected to the soil, the seed, the water, the air, the plants, the sun.”
–Reverend Farmer Stephen Yorba
About the Presenters
Sung Sohn
Holistic health educator, CA licensed acupuncturist, practical theologian, ecological/sustainable design consultant. Sung received his Ph.D. from the Practical Theology Department at Claremont School of Theology. He is the founder of Myra House Holistic Living Center (2001), Ecoterra (2007) and Acology Institute (2008). Sung’s first career was as a trained architect, he later became a UMC minister and served the Pacific UMC as the senior pastor, now practice acupunctural and herbal treatment remaining as an independent clergy member. He has taught at the LA Korean Methodist Seminary and leads various workshops and seminars as a visiting lecturer.
Elinor Crescenzi
Elinor Crescenzi is an engaging community organizer with an inspiring dedication to sustainability and social justice, currently working on projects designed to dismantle systematic oppressions through community-based ecological farming, food access, environmental justice, community composting, integrative nutrition education, and zero waste advocacy. Elinor has a longstanding passion for developing community composting program infrastructure and over 10 years experience doing so with people of diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds in a variety of settings, including schools, churches, community gardens, teacher training centers, farmers markets, neighborhoods, municipalities, and backyards. Elinor is currently a core organizer and designer for the Community Composting for Green Spaces program, a $1.35 million statewide initiative supported by Calrecycle, that will support the development of over 30 community level composting projects in the Inland Empire over the next 2 years. Elinor is also a core organizer of the ECOFARM movement, a grassroots effort aimed at inspiring and empowering people to engage in ecological- and community-oriented composting and food cultivation.
Stephen Yorba
Bringing more than three decades of experience in community wellness and education, the Reverend Farmer Stephen Yorba oversees the development and implementation of UrbanMission Community Partners' Urban Agriculture program. Since launching the program in 2014, Yorba and his team of volunteer farmers have distributed more than 40,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce to the most underserved in our community. Working side-by-side with city leaders, nonprofits and neighbors, Yorba leads the Clean Food Movement in Pomona through a unique mix of advocacy, education and hands-on agriculture leadership.