LUCERNE, Calif. – The community garden that for nearly a decade has served Lucerne residents was hit by a burglary last week, which resulted in the loss of an expensive pump used to bring water from the lake.
The garden is located on the lake side of Highway 20 at 13th Avenue.
Robert Patton, who for three years has managed the garden for Lucerne Friends of Locally Owned Water, or FLOW, said someone cut the locks on the garden's storage shed and stole a solar pump valued at $1,000, along with its copper wiring.
He believes the garden was burglarized sometime between noon Wednesday and 2 p.m. Thursday.
Patton said he has reported the theft to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
The county-owned property features several garden boxes that the group has built, as well as several trees, including two older fig trees.
This year, seven people signed up for the garden boxes, which Patton said are rented for about $25 to $30 a year.
However, the pilferage of fruits and vegetables grown at the garden – which has increased during the recession – was particularly bad this summer, Patton said.
Even before some of the vegetables were ripe they were picked and taken, but not by the people who had paid to grow them, he said.
“They took every onion, every beet, every carrot,” Patton said Sunday afternoon, overlooking the dying remnants of the garden.
He said the garden also lost its wheelbarrow and continues to have other items stolen on a regular basis.
“This is the first time they've broke into our shed,” he said.
Patton said the garden could use donations and more help to make better use of the land.
“There's a lot of things we can do here,” said Patton.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the stolen equipment, or who would like more information about volunteering or making a donation to the garden, can contact Patton at 707-318-8983 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Lucerne Community Garden burglarized; water pump stolen
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On