April 2007 Vol. 26. No. 4

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Getting hands dirty: Stan Schmidt takesk kup where Verne Thornton left off
Ask HICAP: Be careful in choosing private Medicare plans
Join hands: Elders and youth work together
Special events and new activities at HSRC
Humboldt Classics: April is senior softball signup month
Make financial plans with your family

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Stan Schmidt works on the Deacons' garden at Grace Good Shepherd Church in McKinleyville

It took Stan Schmidt until he was in his late 50s to know for sure what he wanted to do when he grew up - to be a gardener.

"I had a fantasy once, in my 40s, that I would have my own large garden and feed people," the retired Arcata police officer explained. Now 59, it took him another dozen years to meet up with Verne Thornton, who started the large vegetable garden behind Grace Good Shepherd Lutheran Presbyterian Church in McKinleyville. It's a garden that has grown fresh vegetables for the church's food pantry every year since 1988, when Verne retired from farming and brought his unneeded equipment to the church to start it.

Thornton spent some time planting even after Schmidt took over the primary gardening tasks, and Thornton's memorial service was held last summer at the height of the growing season.

Schmidt was injured in a foot chase as a cop and since has had three knee surgeries. He appreciates his strength now. He's the guy who does the heavy lifting at Ace Hardware's garden shop where he works four days a week in off seasons, three days during the growing season. He doesn't mind the heavy work in the garden and only wants help picking during bean season.

After retiring from the police department, Schmidt worked at the airport, first in security and then for Horizon Air. But the airport became more stressful after the flights to Los Angeles began, and he didn't want stressful work anymore. When Kevin Jenkins of Ace Hardware was looking for someone, he hired Schmidt on the spot. They've known one another since they were kids. A slot came open in the garden shop, and the rest is history.

Schmidt has been a backyard gardener for 30 years and was raised on a walnut farm near Modesto. He came to Humboldt studying sociology at HSU and stuck around for his career with the Arcata police.

This is the fourth year he has gardened the two acres behind the church. "It's been a godsend to me, for my mental and physical health," Schmidt said. "If you have something bothering you, it's a good place to come work it out."

Schmidt prefers working alone in the garden. "It's my thing. I like the way I'm doing it," he said. He does get help, especially during bean season - the garden produces 35 pounds of beans twice a week for ten weeks, he said, and people come to help him pick. He will plant six varieties of beans, eight kinds of summer squash, swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage and pumpkins.

The food bank serves some 500 people each week with canned foods from Food for People and produce from Safeway. The Deacon's Food Room is open year round Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.