SUCCESSION

The two pictures above show seasonal changes between August and October.  Despite the heatwave and smoke, during this time we harvested 1800 lbs. of warm season crops from our 1/6 acre student garden for 60 Farm Boxes, the Food Bank and the School District Food Service.

From left to right, the top photo shows rows of melons, tomatoes, pole beans, summer squash, cucumbers, winter squash, carrots and corn. The lower photo shows their replacements: cauliflower, broccoli, peas, lettuce, arugula, chard, brussel sprouts, beets, kale and broad beans.  Still producing from summer are tomatoes and peppers. Both pictures show young plantings protected with row cover from ever-present insect, avian and mammalian pests.

Volunteers and staff have planted the new cool weather crops from seeds and with starts from the greenhouse. "Bed flip" involves cutting the mature plants at ground level and composting them but leaving the roots, so as not to disturb soil biology, adding new compost and planting directly into it.

SEPTEMBER FARM BOX

The September Farm Box was fully subscribed. It contained 12 vegetables from the School Garden, several others from our subtenant partners, Katie, Abimael, and Francisco, and donated avocados and oranges.

The next box will be distributed on October 22.  If any are available, an announcement will be sent.

The Farm Box Program began in Fall 2019 as a Pacific Beach Continuation High School Enterprise Project. Students harvested, washed, packaged and marketed the vegetables they grew at City Farm to 30 satisfied customers four times before onsite classes shut down in March.We are continuing the Program while we await students' return.

CITY FARM SUBTENANTS DONATE THROUGH GLEANSLO

Katie Ikard's Fox and Rye Farm and Abimael's Basurto Family Farm contributed truckloads of produce to the Food Bank, harvested by Gleanslo volunteers.   

INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE

The 12-panel solar array installed in May 2019 got a bath to remove smoke fallout and construction dust. The pergola got replacement fabric to provide shelter from the Los Osos Valley wind.  

GRANTS

In July, City Farm SLO was awarded a stipend from the City's Grant in Aid Program to continue and expand educational programs.  In September, it was awarded a stipend from the County's Community Based Organization and Preventive Health Grant Programs. At a ceremony at the local Sprouts Market on Madonna Road, we will receive an award from the Sprouts Healthy Community Foundation.  These grants will help staff classes and field trips when students return to school, but in the meantime they will support the development of virtual classes and after-school programs compliant with COVID-19 safety guidelines.

For the whole story in pictures, check out our Flickr site and/or our Instagram feed.

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