40 MORE YEARS OF CITY FARM SLO |
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We are thrilled to announce that our land lease with the City of SLO has been extended for the next 40 years. This means 40 more years of farm-based education for under-served youth, 40 more years of support for local farmers with affordable land leases and infrastructure, and 40 more years of modeling sustainable agriculture practices. Our most sincere thanks go to the City of SLO for their ongoing partnership and to our many supporters for enabling our work. We invite you to join us in this next chapter. Become a sustaining member, attend a volunteer day, or sign up for a farm tour. And stay tuned... because we have big plans that we can't wait to share with you! #40moreforfarming |
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This January, we are excited to welcome many new students to the Farm for educational programing. A new cohort of Pacific Beach High School's Farm Class began with activities including planting shallots and carrots in their garden and learning the fundamentals of soil health. Our Therapeutic Horticulture Program expanded with the addition of Special Day classes from Laguna Lake Middle School and Los Osos Middle School. Students enrolled in this program build life skills with hands on experiences at the farm. They work closely with farm staff and classroom aides to explore plant and animal life while completing tasks like planting, harvesting and animal care. Recently, our students planted garlic in the food forest and met Tucker the sheep. |
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Why We Don't Till Our Soil We use only “no till” growing methods here in our Educational Gardens. This means that we don’t plow and break up the soil between plantings. While tilling can be convenient for farming, it damages the soil ecosystem causing microbes in the soil to spend most of their energy trying to rebuild their networks instead of utilizing the symbiotic relationships in those networks. These symbiotic relationships are what we use to encourage the growth of healthy and nutritious plants. Plants take carbon out of the atmosphere and convert it into sugars using photosynthesis. Most soil microbes can’t make sugars this way, but they can break down minerals in the ground and make compounds that plants need. So, when a healthy soil ecosystem is present, plants can send sugars through their roots to feed soil life in exchange for essential minerals. This creates plants that are vigorous, more mineral-dense, and better able to repel pests and diseases. This type of farming can be difficult, but we think the benefits far outweigh the extra effort. And with further development, these practices could be automated and scaled up to be more effective on large areas of land. This whole process pulls carbon out of the atmosphere and holds it in the soil in the form of organic matter. Carbon Farming is a term used to describe this process of carbon sequestration, and it could become one of the many needed solutions to climate change. |
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We are looking for volunteers/interns to support our farm-based education programs. This is an excellent opportunity for students with and interest or pursuing degrees in agriculture, education, kinesiology, public health, or nutrition. For more information, see the Farm Education Intern position description here. |
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Meet Anne Marie Bergen, Board Member and Volunteer Extraordinaire Anne Marie says, "The Farm Box program is what initially drew me to the farm in the Summer of 2020! The innovative spirit of Steven, Shane, and Kayla is infectious and inspires me to learn in an outdoor environment and support sustainable environmental practices in our community. Planting seedlings, learning cool trellising techniques, harvesting, meeting new people, and experimenting with recipes are all part of the great volunteer experience at City Farm!" |
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We are LOVING our new Superfood Baby Greens Mix. This is a blend of mild and spicy baby greens including arugula, kale, red mustard, tatsoi, and mizuna. Great for salads, sautes, and juices! Make a quick salad by tossing this mix with our favorite Mustard Vinaigrette. Order our Superfood Baby Greens Mix and other goodies on Harvestly. All sales support our youth education programs. |
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City Farm SLO's monthly newsletter is archived here. Forward this newsletter to a friend! |
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