Cambodian seniors growing a little taste of home

By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer

Phannakka Sou churns the soil on a plant in the garden at Ernest McBride Park. The garden tended by Cambodian senior citizens was recently relocated from the Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. The group received an award from Corner Bakery Cafe restaurant to improve and upgrade the garden. (Brittany Murray / Press Telegram)

LONG BEACH - It's not quite like the old farming days in Cambodia. The soil is different. The seeds and vegetables aren't quite the same. Farming from pots can't equal a plot of land. And yet, the Cambodian seniors who tend to the Sokpheap Community Garden are thrilled for a chance to till the soil.

"Sabay chet, sabay chet," or "happy, happy" the seniors say when asked how it makes them feel to be able to grow vegetables, herbs and fruits that remind them of home.

Every weekday morning, Kea Cheng, Bun Gnuon, Saruot Mien and Phannakka Sou turn the soil at the garden's current home behind the gym at Ernest McBride Park.

There they grow dragon fruit, lemon grass, peppers and spices. They also grow eggplant, beans, tomatoes and so forth.

The farmers say they would like to find seeds from Cambodia to plant and tend, but have been unsuccessful thus far.

The garden was chosen by the Corner Bakery Cafe restaurant chain as one of 20 nationwide community gardens it is supporting with grants for the summer.

The restaurant says it will donate a portion of proceeds from sales this summer from their "Get Fresh" menu items. There is a restaurant in Lakewood at 5312 Clark Ave.

The restaurant group gave the group a $500 award last year and an equal grant this year.

The funds are used to buy fertilizer, soil and tools for the project.

The Cambodian elders who work in the garden are members of the Asian and

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Pacific Islander Older Adults Task Force. The four gardeners are paid a stipend from a grant from the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging.

The project originated at the Mt. Carmel Cambodian Center, a Catholic church near Martin Luther King Jr. Park, and was overseen by Mary Blatz, the pastoral director there.

A portion of the church's grounds were provided for the garden.

However, Blatz left the church in April and the Cambodians were forced to find a new home for the garden. They uprooted what plants they could and placed them in buckets.

Serey Hong, who works with the elders, said the new home for the garden is only about half to a third of the size of the original and many plants did not survive the transfer.

Through translation Gnoun, one of the gardeners, said "the plants over here are smaller. If we had a big field we'd be happy."

The gardeners say they wish they could could plant tamarind trees, which produce a fruit used to flavor many Cambodian soups, banana and palm trees, but lack the space.

Experiments to grow certain other Cambodian delicacies, such as types of mushrooms, have been unsuccessful.

Still, on an early summer morning, several tomatoes were starting to grow on one plant, eggplants were taking shape, other plants were in flower and some incendiary looking peppers were sprouting.

Aaron Va, community specialist for the group, says the garden "promotes happy, healthy lifestyle."

He said the hope is that the group can find a permanent plot of land for the garden.

"We'd like to expand and make a little money (selling produce,)" Va said. "The problem is we need land and the funds."

He added that a larger garden would also enable more members of the task force to join in on the gardening.

There has been discussion of opening a plot in a garden slated for Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews said he may also explore the idea of setting land aside at McBride Park after the upcoming expansion is completed.

And Blatz, who is running a nonprofit organization called Friends of Mt. Carmel, says her group is looking for ways to create funds to expand the project.

Whether or when any of that will occur is unknown.

For the time being, however, the gardeners are making do as best they can. Occasionally they are able to sell small amounts of produce to group members and on occasion the food will be used for larger gatherings of the elder Asians.

In addition to food, the fledgling garden also helps promote community, the members say.

"Sometimes when we plant, we all get together and talk," an elder said.

And those are moments that make all involved "sabay chet."

greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291

Kea Cheng waters the plants in the garden at Ernest McBride Park. (Brittany Murray / Press Telegram)

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