Longtime volunteer foundation given notice to vacate San Jose's Emma Prusch Farm Park

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- There's confusion over the future of a beloved farm. San Jose is changing its relationship with a foundation that operates within Emma Prusch Farm Park.

Emma Prusch Farm Park in East San Jose connects you to nature.

It holds the city's largest barn where 4-H animals are housed.

But a battle is brewing between a group of volunteer gardeners and the city.

Sharon McCray is the president of the Prusch Farm Park Foundation. For decades, the organization has worked to preserve the space as partners with San Jose's Parks and Rec department.

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"We try to make sure that our community feels that they are a part of this garden," McCray said.

Since 2007, the organization has run a garden that produces food year-around.

"People come here and say they're hungry, and we give them food," McCray said.

The foundation runs Emma's Kitchen Garden on one-third of an acre.

But it's the city that operates the rest of the 46-acre park.

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On Oct. 18, the foundation was notified by the city that it must vacate the garden.

"They gave us 30 days' notice, and we feel that it's in retaliation for holding the city accountable for what they're doing and not doing," McCray said.

Volunteers and community members took to social media this week.

There's even an online petition.

Amanda Rodriguez is the public information manager with the city's Parks and Red department. Rodriguez said it's been a busy day addressing what was posted.

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"Community members reaching out all concerned that the park was closing and the park is not closing," Rodriguez said.

She wanted to set the record straight on what is happening.

"We tried to negotiate and come to an agreement about fundraising and operations. But just due to ongoing concerns, we haven't been able to reach an agreement, which is ultimately why we decided to conclude the partnership," Rodriguez said.

McCray said earlier in the year, the foundation submitted a Freedom of Information Act to the city.

The foundation questioned where revenue from a gas station on the property went.

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The city says the gas station lease generates around $130,000 a year.

"The rental for a 10-year period was $854,000 and the city had only spent $348,000 here, $113,000 on wages and benefits. So there's $549,000 missing that never went into that account. I'm not saying it's missing. It probably went into the general fund," McCray said.

Rodriguez addressed this issue. All the money is directed to the Emma Prusch Fund. Money is not missing; it's in the fund.

"So, I think there's a little bit of a confusion on how the revenue is coming in and how it's getting spent. The revenue that is coming in every year isn't spent each year, and there is a remaining fund balance at the end of each year," Rodriguez said.

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Rodriguez said all of that information can be tracked through the city's budget documents on its website.

The director of the Parks and Rec department posted a letter on Nextdoor.

McCray hopes they can go back to the drawing board with the city before they must leave on Nov. 18.

"We're all master gardeners, we're landscapers, we're earth people, so what we would like to see happen, we would like to see the city say 'you can stay in the garden,'" McCray said.