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Links
- Fairview Gardens
- Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE)
- Deer Hollow Farm
- Hidden Villa
- California FarmLink
- Valley of Hearts Delight Project
- Jesse Cool’s websites
- The Trust for Public Land (TPL)
- Community Alliance with Family Farmers:
- Land Trust Alliance
Fairview Gardens: Fairview Gardens is a 12 acre farm, completely surrounded by suburban development, in Goleta, CA (just north or Santa Barbara). When the landowner pursued residential development of the site in over ten years ago, a small committed group of local activistis formed a non-profit organization to buy the farm and place it in a public trust. It is operated by the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, a non-profit organization. It's mission is to demonstrate the economic viability of sustainable agricultural methods for small farm operations; research and interpret the connections between food, land, and community well-being; and nurture the human spirit through educational programs and public outreach both on and off the farm. It produces a hundred different fruits and vegetables which feed approximately 500 families who "subscribe" and receive a weekly basket of produce. www.fairviewgardens.org
An excellent book about Fairview Gardens is On Good Land: The Autobiography of an Urban Farm by Fairview Gardens founder Michael Ableman. It is available widely, and through Amazon.com or through the website above. A video, entitled "Beyond Organic", narrated by Meryl Streep is also available.
Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE): California has an increasingly diverse, fast-growing population, with an urgent need to preserve extraordinary agricultural and related natural resources, and an equally urgent need for equitable and sustainable urban development. These are regional challenges that require holistic, regional approaches.
Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) addresses these challenges by promoting the establishment of multifunctional agriculture at the metropolitan edge and by fostering inclusive urban-rural linkages. SAGE is a 501c3 nonprofit organization located in Berkeley, CA. SAGE produced the Mountain View Farm Vision and Concept Plan which will be released at the end of September. www.sagecenter.org
Deer Hollow Farm: is a working
homestead and educational center located at Rancho San Antonio Open Space
Preserve. The City of Mountain View Recreation Department runs the farm. The
primary purpose of Deer Hollow Farm is to serve as an educational center
where school classes, community groups, and families can observe, explore
and participate in a working farm. The surrounding wilderness is also
explored using "hands-on" learning methods to create greater awareness and
appreciation of our precious open space areas. The programs at Deer Hollow
Farm are designed to help participants experience farm and wilderness life
within today's urban world. The environmental education programs offered at
Deer Hollow farm could potentially be expanded to include student programs
at the Grant Road Farm.
www.openspace.org/activities/deer_hollow_farm.asp
Hidden Villa: Every year Hidden Villa serves approximately 50,000 visitors from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Core offerings are Hidden Villa Environmental Education Program, which teaches key concepts of ecology and environmental stewardship through farm and wilderness experiences for 20,000 elementary school children; and Summer Camp which builds relationships among over 900 youth of diverse backgrounds, using the natural environment of Hidden Villa as a teaching platform. www.hiddenvilla.org
California FarmLink: was founded in 1998 as a non-profit organization to build family farming and conserve farmland in California by linking aspiring and retiring farmers; and promoting techniques and disseminating information that facilitate intergenerational farm transitions. California Farm Link staff believes that the Grant Road Farm property would offer a very attractive opportunity for a small farmer, given it's strong presence in the community and loyal client base.
Valley of Hearts Delight Project: The Valley of Heart's Delight Project's goal is to open up new opportunities for local, organically grown food production. In doing so, we can restore the fertility of our soils and reduce our reliance on the petrochemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, and fuels) that are polluting our environment. And by participating in this process, people will reconnect with the Earth as the source of our physical and spiritual nourishment. The Valley of Heart's Delight project has endorsed the work of the Mountain View Farmlands Group. www.conexions.org
Jesse Cool’s websites: Jesse Cool is the keynote speaker at the Mountain View Farm community forum. She is a local restaurant owner, chef, author, and teacher.
http://www.cooleatz.com/about/index.html
http://www.theorganicreport.com/pages/317_chef_jesse_cool.cfm
http://www.seedsofchange.com/market_growers/field_report_43.asp
The Trust for Public Land (TPL): is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. The Trust for Public Land would be an ideal organization to broker a "win-win" deal that allowed for development on part of the Grant Road farm, while leaving at least 5 acres available for a working farm. www.tpl.org
Community Alliance with Family Farmers: The Community Alliance with Family Farmers is building a movement of rural and urban people to foster family-scale agriculture that cares for the land, sustains local economies and promotes social justice. www.caff.org
Land Trust Alliance: The Grand Road farm property may qualify for a significant income tax deduction under the new Federal Land Conservation Tax Incentive which allows landowners who donate conservation easements on their property to claim up to a 100% income tax credit Land Trust Alliance - frequently asked questions
