Double Your Impact: Matching Grant Extended to Jan. 18
Invest in the Possibilities. In the spring of 2000, a seed holding the vision of what Soil Born Farms could become was planted in a vacant field behind Betsy Collins’ home on Hurley Way. This seed, cultivated with love and hard work and sustained by the support of a small number of donors and community partners, has blossomed into a powerful force for change in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. Our talented team of farmers, educators, activists and volunteers has accomplished a lot but there is much more to do. Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture & Education Project is at a pivotal point in our mission to improve health, reduce hunger and move into the next phase of development of our Center for Food Health & the Environment at the American River Ranch. We need your financial support to continue this legacy project.
Double your impact. Help us meet our end-of-the-year fundraising goal of $150,000 by making a tax-deductible investment in Soil Born Farms by Jan. 18. Your gift will be matched with generous support from the Dave & Maxine Clark Family up to $75,000.
Priorities and Accomplishments
Grow More Food and Farmers
Develop a one-acre training garden to teach home-scale farming, manage our young fruit tree orchard and train more farming apprentices and urban gardeners. Help reduce hunger neighborhood by neighborhood. We have trained 59 beginning farmers since 2000. 1,795 adults attended classes in 2018.
Advance the School Garden Initiative
Cultivate relationships with partners and share resources across the region. Advocate for a garden in every school. Provide life-changing experiences for more students grades 1–12 attending Title 1 schools. Host A Garden in Every School Symposium on March 14 and 15, 2020. Our team engages more than 2,557 students in the garden during the school year at ten campuses in South Sacramento and Rancho Cordova.
Seed the Future of the Edible City
Install a new greenhouse, purchase supplies and equipment, and establish a nursery to provide starts of vegetables, fruit tree stock, native edibles, and medicinal and culinary herbs. This will support the visionary initiatives of our Harvest Sacramento, Growing Together and Grow Your Groceries programs. Since 2010, over 386,060 pounds of fruit has been gleaned and donated to families in need. This year, 130,000 plants were seeded in our greenhouse and over 118 varieties.
Restore and Develop the Historic American River Ranch
Construct the new Farmstand building to include a snack bar, commercial kitchen and cooking school, upgrade the parking lots and install a shade structure in the outdoor theatre. Over 4,200 students enjoyed hands-on experiences at the American River Ranch this year.
Partner with Soil Born Farms
In addition to raising essential funds to sustain our programs and initiatives, we are seeking individual and corporate partners to help us advance important priority projects in 2019. Contact Shawn Harrison or Janet Zeller for more info: (916) 363.9685 x1015.