Some county funds are coming to Escalon, to benefit local grassroots organization, Escalon Strong.

At its meeting on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Robert Rickman’s proposal to provide $10,780 to Escalon Strong to help cover costs of materials for the expansion of the Escalon Strong Community Garden. Rickman represents Escalon in District 5 on the county board.

Escalon Strong is a non-profit organization serving the underserved, southeast, rural populations of San Joaquin County with a mission statement that reads: “A Community Driven Approach to Aiding and Addressing Various Quality of Life Issues Affecting the Citizens of South San Joaquin County.”

In 2022, Escalon Strong developed its Community Garden, with several plots located on Jackson Avenue. Thus far, the Community Garden has been slowly growing, but they have only been able to develop roughly 25 percent of the land made available to them, noted Rickman.

As food insecurity continues to grow in the region, Escalon Strong Community Garden and the Escalon Farmington Community Garden Club have partnered in a project to help relieve that insecurity. The planned project will develop the remaining 75 percent of the land, to increase availability of individual boxes, and to grow produce to be donated to the Escalon Strong Giving Pantry for distribution to residents experiencing food insecurity. The one-time funds requested will be used to acquire materials to expedite the expansion of the community garden.

“I have seen the community benefit of the Escalon Strong Giving Pantry, and I am proud to secure funding for this latest collaborative effort to expand and make full use of the land made available to them for this worthy purpose,” said Rickman.

The Supervisorial District Funds were re-established by the Board of Supervisors in the 2023-2024 Adopted Budget, to afford each supervisor the opportunity to address district-specific unmet needs. Supervisorial district-funded projects are subject to existing County policy and business practice.