Build a lead-safe raised garden bed with imported clean soil at an invited Bell Gardens home

Families in Bell Gardens sit inside the Exide lead-fallout footprint, which means growing food directly in yard soil is not safe until parcels are cleaned and verified. A sealed-bottom raised bed filled entirely with imported, certified clean soil lets a family grow vegetables safely today, above the ground, without waiting on the cleanup queue. Standard: DTSC lead-safe gardening guidance for the Exide area (raised beds + imported soil); SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Proof: Barrier photo, soil-bag labels, and planted-bed photo Method (DTSC lead-safe gardening guidance for the Exide area (raised beds + imported soil); SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).): 1. Confirm the bed location with the resident on a paved or landscape-fabric-covered spot — never on disturbed bare soil. 2. Assemble the raised frame at least twelve inches deep and lay a permeable landscape-fabric barrier across the entire base so roots stay in imported soil. 3. Fill only with purchased, certified garden soil and compost delivered in bags — never mix in yard soil. 4. Plant starter vegetables with the family and water in. 5. Photograph the fabric barrier, the bagged-soil labels, and the finished planted bed with date and GPS. Done when: Barrier photo, soil-bag labels, and planted-bed photo

Where

Occupant-invited homes near Bell Gardens Elementary area, Bell Gardens, CA 90201

Pay

$220 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Barrier photo, soil-bag labels, and planted-bed photo

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-09-03

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–120 minutes. Method of record: USDA/SARE sustainable vegetable production + Cooperative Extension Master Gardener practices; People's Garden bed establishment. Hand-tool, DIY-safe food growing on tested/known-clean soil or raised beds.

Bring

• GPS-capable phone
• camera
• garden fork/broadfork + hand trowel
• finished compost + rake
• seeds or transplants (labeled)
• mulch (straw/leaf)
• watering can or hose

Steps

1. 1. Confirm the bed location inside the posting radius; record the GPS waypoint and photograph the bed before work.
2. 2. Clear weeds and debris; loosen the top 8-12 inches with a fork/broadfork without inverting the soil profile.
3. 3. Spread 1-2 inches of finished compost and rake the bed level.
4. 4. Sow seeds to the depth/spacing on the packet, or set transplants at their correct depth, in labeled rows.
5. 5. Water in gently to settle the soil around seeds/roots.
6. 6. Apply a light straw/leaf mulch between rows to hold moisture, keeping it off seedling stems.
7. 7. Record the crop plan, spacing, and a watering/harvest cadence for the next visit.
8. 8. Enter crop list, GPS, before/after photos, and the care cadence into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Soil is untested near a pre-1978 structure, old orchard, or roadway (possible lead/contaminant) -> do not plant edibles in-ground; use a raised bed with clean imported soil and flag for a soil test.
• Out-of-season crop or a hard frost in the forecast -> adjust the crop choice or protect with cover; do not sow into a predictable loss.
• Signs of active pest/disease on transplants -> reject the affected stock and note it; never introduce a known infestation to the bed.

What counts as done

• GPS waypoint recorded inside the posting radius
• Before and after photos of the planted bed
• Crops sown/transplanted at packet-correct depth and spacing, in labeled rows
• Bed watered in and mulched, with a watering/harvest cadence recorded

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.