Last week we had the opportunity to tour the future farm site for local non-profit Homeless Garden Project (HGP). After 25 years, HGP will be moving away from their current ocean-side farm and into the sunny Santa Cruz Mountains, to a 9.5 acre plot in city-owned Pogonip Open Space.
The Homeless Garden Project provides job training, transitional employment, and support services to people experiencing homelessness. The new Pogonip farm site will triple the current garden acreage, allowing for long term plantings like orchards and perennial crops. It will include permanent structures like barns, support facilities, parking, and a farm stand that will be named after Awe Sum Organics in recognition of our early contribution to the fundraising campaign.
The tour took us on a one-hour walk around the site, while our guides and HGP directors Darrie Ganzhorn and Paul Goldberg walked us through the landscape that will soon turn in to East and West garden sites, terraced orchards, administrative offices, greenhouses, barns, kitchens and classrooms. From the top of the site, we took in a view of the Old Sash Mill, Holy Cross Church, and the Beach Boardwalk, with the Monterey Bay just out of view under the cloud cover.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to participate in the building of the farm site that will serve our local community for years to come. We love watching how the new farm will grow and flourish, and look forward to our first purchase at the Awe Sum Organics Farm Stand.
If you would like to go on a site tour of Pogonip Farm Site, follow this Eventbrite link for free tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/h...
To learn more about the Pogonip Project or to make a contribution, follow this link: