Garden Milestones

A year-by-year summary of Pacifica Garden's milestones ...

Pacifica Gardens | 2020

Like the rest of the world, 2020 was a challenging time for Pacifica Gardens due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saturday work days were cancelled (except for the long-time core volunteers that kept the garden running), school field trips were cancelled, general volunteer groups were cancelled, garden events were cancelled, and the plant start sales had to be re-imagined.

In spite of all this, through the dedicated work of core volunteers, the Garden managed to grow a record amount of produce ... over 7,600 pounds! And accordingly, was able to donate over 1.5 tons of freshly grown food to the Pacifica Resource Center, at a time when it was most needed (another record amount!). And by re-engineering the plant start sales to online orders with personalized delivery, and socially-distanced parking lot sales, the Garden was able to achieve record sales revenue for the year.

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs and flowers
Harvested over 7,600 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain (an all-time record beating the old record of 5,600 lbs!)
Created 11 cubic yards of compost
Held 44 Saturday volunteer work days. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these work days were limited to about a dozen core volunteers who socially distanced and took other pandemic precautions such as face masks and hand washing.
Held numerous Wednesday morning volunteer harvesting work sessions

Garden Infrastructure

Through an Eagle Scout project by Teerth Patel of Boy Scout Troop 29, two new raised beds were added to the Garden increasing growing space by an additional 160 square feet. Teerth also fund-raised for, and built new redwood picnic tables and benches for the Garden.
Installed a new storage shed inside the Garden

Education

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary and special needs students were cancelled this year.

Community

Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center to donate nearly 3,300 lbs of produce to local families in need (an all-time record beating the old record by over 1,000 lbs!). The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
Partnered with Pacifica Land Trust and Pacific Beach Coalition to hold the Native Plant fall sale, socially distanced in the parking lot.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youth community service program was cancelled this year. In normal years this program joins local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities in the past have included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring activities were cancelled this year. In normal years El Camino High School students complete senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.

Fundraising

Held Spring Strawberry & Flower Start Sale
- Online order and personal delivery serving over 120 households
Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
- Online order and personal delivery serving over 160 households
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
- Socially-distanced parking lot sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale (partnered with Pacifica Land Trust and Pacific Beach Coalition)
- Socially-distanced parking lot sale

Recognition

For her work at the Linda Mar Education Center Children's Garden, Pacifica Gardens Board President and Volunteer Coordinator, Ann Mason was the recipient of the Pacifica School District Elna Flynn Outstanding Volunteer Award for 2020! Ann designed and implemented the LMEC Children's Garden. She works with the preschool students weekly teaching little ones about gardening, teamwork and the joys of eating fresh fruit and veggies straight from the garden.

Pacifica Gardens | 2019

In 2019, Pacifica Gardens continued strong heading into its second decade. A solid 4,800 lbs of produce was grown with over a ton of it donated to those in need through the Pacifica Resource Center. The Garden was actively involved providing educational and volunteer opportunities with numerous organizations within the community including: Pacifica School District elementary schools, Linda Mar Education Center, Genentech, We Play We Learn, Community Gatepath, Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency, Life West Chiropractic College, El Camino High School, as well as the general population at large.

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs and flowers
Harvested 4,800 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 13 cubic yards of compost
Held 41 Saturday volunteer work days
Held numerous Wednesday morning volunteer harvesting work sessions

Education

Continued our Kaiser-funded garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Hosted and provided instruction for 11 class fields trips (~275 kids, K-6th grade)
Hosted and provided instruction for 24 special needs classes (~90 kids)
Hosted and provided instruction for Linda Mar We Play We Learn preschoolers
Hosted an Edible Garden Workshop sponsored by BAWSCA - Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency

Community

Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center to donate 2,200 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.
Collaborated with Community Gatepath to provide garden volunteering experiences for its adult members with developmental disabilities
Hosted a garden volunteer day for Genentech employees
Hosted garden volunteering opportunities for Life West Chiropractic College students seeking Public Health coursework field experience

Fundraising

Held Spring Strawberry & Flower Start Sale
Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale
Sold composting worm castings at the plant sales for the first time

Pacifica Gardens | 2018

TENTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR!!

2018 marked Pacifica Gardens 10th anniversary. What started as an empty field and a vision in 2008 has evolved into a mainstay of the Pacifica community. Pacifica Gardens volunteers joined with members of the community for a mid-summer celebration at neighboring Shamrock Ranch. Scrumptious garden-fresh food, wine, live music, and Garden tours were capped off with a proclamation from the mayor of Pacifica.

2018 also saw a record amount of produce harvested (5,600 lbs) and donated (2,200 lbs)! The Saturday workdays continued strong with 15-25 volunteers participating each week, and another half dozen or so each Wednesday for harvesting.

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs and flowers
Harvested 5,600 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 13 cubic yards of compost
Held 40 Saturday volunteer work days
Held numerous Wednesday morning volunteer harvesting work sessions

Education

Continued our Kaiser-funded garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Hosted and provided instruction for 11 class fields trips (~275 kids, K-6th grade)
Hosted and provided instruction for 25 special needs classes (~100 kids)
Hosted and provided instruction for Linda Mar We Play We Learn preschoolers. Added 2 new raised beds for their children's garden.

Community

Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center to donate over 2,200 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.
Hosted a garden volunteer day for Genentech employees
Hosted garden volunteering opportunities for Life West Chiropractic College students seeking Public Health coursework field experience

Fundraising

Held Spring Strawberry & Flower Start Sale
Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale
Received an in-kind donation of garden soil by Lyngso for the strawberry and veggie start sales
Online fundraiser for new tool container
Hosted Pacifica Gardens 10th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser at Shamrock Ranch

Recognition

Loretta O'Brien, co-founder of Pacifica Gardens, was recognized with a special award from the American Public Health Association for her significant contributions working to help create and sustain Pacifica Gardens
At the Pacifica Gardens 10th anniversary celebration, the Mayor of Pacifica, John Keener, presented the organization a Proclamation extolling the Gardens many accomplishments.

Pacifica Gardens | 2017

The 2017 Garden produced 3,600 lbs of produce and donated 1,300 lbs of it to those in need through the Pacifica Resource Center. New partners were established this year with Genentech, We Play We Learn, and Life West Chiropractic College.

A massive storm in January took down the large greenhouse, but volunteers rallied and built a stronger one to replace it.

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs and flowers
Harvested 3,600 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 15 cubic yards of compost
Held 42 Saturday volunteer work days
Held numerous Wednesday morning volunteer harvesting work sessions

Garden Infrastructure

Big greenhouse was destroyed by the January storms – Volunteers built a permanent wooden greenhouse as a replacement
Finishing touches were made to the new gazebo built last year; roof, benches, stairs, trim

Education

Continued our Kaiser-funded garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Hosted and provided instruction for 13 class fields trips (~325 kids, K-6th grade)
Hosted and provided instruction for 22 special needs classes (~80 kids)
Hosted and provided instruction for Linda Mar We Play We Learn preschoolers
Donated seedlings to Ocean Shore elementary school first-graders

Community

Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center to donate over 1,300 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.
Partnered with the "Green Genes Team" at Genentech to prepare for Earth Day in April; 30 employees participated to help with garden improvements
Hosted garden volunteering opportunities for Life West Chiropractic College students seeking Public Health coursework field experience

Fundraising

Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale

Pacifica Gardens | 2016

Pacifica Gardens ninth growing season in 2016 smashed the record for the amount of food grown, at over 5,400 lbs. A new greenhouse and gazebo were built in the garden. Through private donations, a much-needed refrigerator was purchased to store harvested produce. Saturday workdays regularly attracted 15-25 volunteers each week. And a new weekly Wednesday morning work session was also fully established. Besides the workdays, the usual annual events, programs, and plant sales continued as in past years. In detail:

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs and flowers
Harvested 5,400 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 13 cubic yards of compost
Planted 10 new blueberry bushes
Held 45 Saturday volunteer work days
Held numerous Wednesday morning volunteer harvesting work sessions

Garden Infrastructure

Installed a new greenhouse, funded by Kaiser
Installed a new gazebo - designed and built by Rig Terrell
Purchased a new refrigerator for storing harvested produce

Education

Continued our Kaiser-funded garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Hosted and provided instruction for 20 class fields trips (~540 kids, K-6th grade)
Hosted and provided instruction for 26 special needs classes (~100 kids)

Community

Celebrated Earth Day with the community, providing Master Composter demonstrations, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations.
Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center to donate over 1,400 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.

Fundraising

Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale
Hosted a Valentine's Day fundraiser at Sam Mazza castle
Hosted a Halloween Open House fundraiser at the garden

Pacifica Gardens | 2015

Pacifica Gardens, in its eighth growing season, matched its record for the amount of food grown (3,900 lbs) in spite of low fruit tree production due to drought conditions. In addition to the ongoing operations at the garden, the main emphasis for 2015 was a major garden infrastructure upgrade. A team of 10 Americorp workers built and installed 27 raised beds, 4 propagation tables, 4 compost material stalls, 30 flatting boxes, and an herb bed made from recycled concrete. A garden volunteers also built a new shed for wheelbarrow storage. Weekly workdays, annual events, programs, and plant sales continued as in past years. In detail:

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs and flowers
Harvested 3,900 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 26 cubic yards of compost
Held 45 Saturday volunteer work days

Garden Infrastructure

Added 27 new raised beds (80 square feet each)
Built 4 new propagation tables
Built 4 new compost stalls
Built a new wheelbarrow shed
Built a new herb bed from recycled concrete waste
Installed a new drip irrigation system

Education

Continued "Eat Your Greens" cooking classes in collaboration with St. Edmund's Episcopal Church, Pacifica Resource Center, and chef Hillary Bergh. These classes taught low-income community members how to prepare low-cost yet nutritious meals using Pacifica Gardens produce.
Continued our Kaiser and Recology-funded garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Hosted and provided instruction for 16 class fields trips (~430 kids, K-6th grade)
Hosted and provided instruction for 26 special needs classes (~100 kids)

Community

Celebrated Earth Day with the community, providing Master Composter demonstrations, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations.
Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmund's Episcopal Church to donate over 1,100 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.

Fundraising

Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale
Hosted a Fall picnic fundraiser at the garden

Pacifica Gardens | 2014

The year 2014, the seventh growing season for Pacifica Gardens, resulted in another record for the amount of food grown (3,900 lbs) -- over half a ton of that was donated. This was also the year that the garden became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Weekly workdays, annual events, programs, and plant sales continued as in past years. In detail:

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers
Harvested 3,900 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 25 cubic yards of compost
Added 12 new dwarf citrus trees
Held 42 Saturday volunteer work days

Education

Continued "Eat Your Greens" cooking classes in collaboration with St. Edmund's Episcopal Church, Pacifica Resource Center, and chef Hillary Bergh. These classes taught low-income community members how to prepare low-cost yet nutritious meals using Pacifica Gardens produce.
Continued our garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Launched a new garden field trip program for special needs classes at Linda Mar Education Center.

Community

Celebrated Earth Day with the community, providing Master Composter demonstrations, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations.
Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmund's Episcopal Church to donate over a half ton of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.
Pacifica Gardens was a bonus garden on the Pacifica Garden Club public tour, Gardens by the Sea

Fundraising

Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale
Hosted a Halloween fundraiser at the Sam Mazza castle in Pacifica

Organization

Pacifica Gardens became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Previously, it was fiscally sponsored by Pacifica's Environmental Family.

Pacifica Gardens | 2013

Pacifica Gardens, in its sixth growing season, broke its own records for the amount of food grown (3,500 lbs) and food donated (1,500 lbs). Weekly workdays, annual events, programs, and plant sales continued as in past years. A pilot program was launched to teach low-income families how to prepare low-cost nutritious meals using organic produce such as that grown at Pacifica Gardens. In detail:

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers
Harvested 3,500 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 24 cubic yards of compost
Added 3 new fruit trees and 15 blueberry bushes
Participated in the Great Sunflower Project, planting 600 sunflowers in the garden
Held 41 Saturday volunteer work days

Education

Piloted "Eat Your Greens" cooking classes in collaboration with St. Edmund's Episcopal Church, Pacifica Resource Center, and Google chef Hillary Bergh. These classes taught low-income community members how to prepare low-cost yet nutritious meals using Pacifica Gardens produce.
Continued our Kaiser-funded garden-based education field trips for Pacifica School District elementary students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.

Community

Celebrated Earth Day with the community, providing Master Composter demonstrations, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations.
Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmund's Episcopal Church to donate over 1,500 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.
Pacifica Gardens was a bonus garden on the Pacifica Garden Club public tour, Gardens by the Sea

Fundraising

Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held Fall Native Plant Sale
Hosted a Fall picnic fundraiser at the garden

Pacifica Gardens | 2012

The year 2012 was the fifth growing season at Pacifica Gardens. In addition to the now familiar weekly Saturday workdays, most events and programs continued as in previous years. Elementary school field trips, youth community service program, veggie plant start sales, Earth Day events, educational workshops, the fall fundraiser, and food donation through the Pacifica Resource Center all continued as in years past. This was also the first time a fundraiser took place on the garden premises allowing donors to experience the garden first-hand. In 2012, Pacifica Gardens was proud to become part of the "urban farming global food chain" with financial support from Urban Farming. In detail:

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers
Harvested 2,090 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 31 cubic yards of compost
Collaborated with the 4-H Million Trees Project, planting 25 new trees in the garden
Participated in the Great Sunflower Project, planting 600 sunflowers in the garden
Held 40 Saturday volunteer work days

Education

Continued our elementary school education program hosting garden-based education field trips for hundreds of Pacifica School District and Jefferson School District students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Provided garden space and guidance for several home-schooled families.

Community

Became a part of the "urban farming global food chain" with the Urban Farming organization.
Joined the San Mateo County Food System Alliance.
Celebrated Earth Day with the community, providing Master Composter demonstrations, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations.
Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmund's Episcopal Church to donate over 600 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Continued with El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens.
Pacifica Gardens was a bonus garden on the Pacifica Garden Club public tour, Gardens by the Sea

Fundraising

Held Spring and Fall Vegetable Start Sales
Held first garden picnic fundraiser and silent auction, with support from New Leaf Community Market. This was the first fundraiser held on the garden premises.

Pacifica Gardens | 2011

In 2011 Pacifica Gardens began to find its "steady state" stride. In addition to the now familiar weekly Saturday workdays, most events and programs continued as in previous years. Elementary school field trips, youth community service program, veggie and native plant start sales, Earth Day events, educational workshops, the "100 mile meal" Fall fundraiser, and food donation through the Pacifica Resource Center all continued as in years past. Beyond that, expansion of the school field trip and youth community service programs made them even better, involving more students than ever before. And Pacifica Gardens was especially pleased to be able to hold educational workshops taught by experts John Jeavons and Pam Peirce. In detail:

Garden

Dug and planted over 4,000 sq.ft of garden beds in vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers
Harvested 1,800 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 37 cubic yards of compost
Participated in the Great Sunflower Project, planting 300 sunflowers in the garden
Sheet mulched the back of the garden as a demonstration method for soil enrichment and weed control
Held 42 Saturday volunteer work days

Education

Expanded our elementary school education program hosting 17 garden-based education field trips for over 500 Pacifica School District and Jefferson School District students. The field trips included age appropriate science and math topics such as seed germination, plant life cycle, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixing, water ecology, recycling, measuring, weighing and estimating. Garden activities included: seed sowing, transplanting vegetables, planting potatoes, harvesting a variety of vegetables, exploring and learning about compost and worm bins, soil preparation, sheet mulching and insect identification.
Held educational workshop: The Biointensive Backyard taught by world-renowned expert John Jeavons
Held educational workshop: Planning Your Fall Garden taught by popular Bay Area columnist and author Pam Peirce
Hosted a workshop on Garden-Based Education collaborating with The HEAL Project, The San Mateo County Food System Alliance, and Seacrest Elementary School
Hosted 4 county-sponsored Master Composter workshops.
Provided garden space and guidance for several home-schooled families.

Community

Celebrated Earth Day with the community, providing Master Composter demonstrations, Master Gardener information, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations
Teamed with the Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmund's Episcopal Church to donate over 400 lbs of produce to local families in need. The Pacifica Gardens grown produce was a variety of fresh, organically grown vegetables including many varieties that are not usually accessible by food pantry programs.
The youth community service program joined local high school students with Pacifica Gardens' volunteers on Saturday workdays allowing students to complete their community service requirements. Youth activities included: garden bed preparation, seed propagation, planting, weeding, harvesting, sheet mulching, preparing the food donation and weekly garden activities.
Expanded the youth community service program with the addition of El Camino High Senior Projects Mentoring. Ten El Camino High School students completed senior projects and community service requirements at Pacifica Gardens. Senior projects included topics on: nutrition of organic produce, water ecology, sustainable food growing practices and soil ecology.
Pacifica Gardens was a bonus garden on the Pacifica Garden Club public tour, Gardens by the Sea

Fundraising

Held Spring and Fall Vegetable Start Sales
Held fourth annual Native Plant Sale
Held third "100-mile meal" Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction, with support from Google chef Oliva Wu, and Bon Appetit Management Company chefs Helene Kennan and Hillary Bergh.

Pacifica Gardens | 2010

The main emphasis of Pacifica Gardens development in 2010 was the solidification of the garden's basic infrastructure. With funds generously donated by the Sam Mazza Foundation, the garden was able to drill a new agricultural well, purchase and install an irrigation system, and beautify the face of the garden by installing a decorative garden-inspired, custom-built, iron front gate to cap off the perimeter fence built in the previous year. 2010 also saw the Food Donation program expand to donate over 500 pounds of garden-harvested produce to Pacificans-in-need. The Children's Education program grew to about 200 elementary school student visits. And meanwhile, garden volunteers continued supporting the community with several garden-hosted events and maintained established annual fundraising efforts. In detail:

Garden

Drilled a new agricultural well
Installed a new irrigation system
Installed a new decorative garden-inspired, custom-built, iron front gate
Assembled and installed a second donated greenhouse
Sheet mulched the entire perimeter of the garden along the fence for weed control
Sheet mulched the back 4,000 sq foot area adjacent to the mini orchard as a demonstration method for soil enrichment and weed control
Harvested 1,500 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 35 cubic yards of compost
Held 36 Saturday Work Days

Education

Expanded our school education program to about 200 participating elementary school kids ranging from Kindergarten through 7th grade. The students planted and harvested a few crops and the older grades learned about nitrogen fixing, seed germination and worm composting.
Hosted several county-sponsored Master Composter workshops.
Provided garden space and guidance for several home-schooled families.

Community

Participated in Earth Day, providing Master Composter demonstrations, Master Gardener information, garden tours and general instruction of gardening operations
Expanded our Food Donation Program, partnering with Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmunds' Church to provide over 500 pounds of fresh, organic produce for families in need.
Continued the Youth Community Service program allowing teens to gain community service credits by volunteering at the garden
Pacifica Gardens was a bonus garden on the Pacifica Garden Club public tour, Gardens by the Sea

Fundraising

Held Spring Vegetable Start Sale
Held third annual Native Plant Sale
Held second "100-mile meal" Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction, with support from Google chef Oliva Wu, and Bon Appetit Management Company.

Pacifica Gardens | 2009

With the steady support of volunteers, donors, and granting institutions, Pacifica Gardens grew considerably in 2009. With the additional work done in 2009, the number of crop beds grew to 41, a total of 20 fruit trees made up the mini-orchard, 500 square feet of blueberries were planted, and a culinary herb bed was created. 2,100 pounds of fruits, vegetables, and grains -- and 46 cubic yards of compost -- were harvested. Of the crop harvest, 320 pounds were donated to local organizations through the recently established Food Donation Program. The garden participated in many community activities, such as Earth Day and Turn Off the TV Week, expanded the school education program, and developed a Youth Community Service program. Fundraising efforts included a Fall Vegetable Starts Sale, the annual Native Plants Sale, and an Online Auction. In detail:

Garden

Planted an additional 14 fruit trees to our mini orchard
Planted 500 square feet of blueberries
Sheet mulched a 500 foot area adjacent to the mini orchard as a demonstration method for soil enrichment and weed control
Dug and planted an additional 500 square feet of crop beds
Planted a culinary herb bed
St. Bartholomew's Church-YAC group, from Atlanta, Georgia came and helped build, fill and plant the ADA/Senior beds
Completed construction of a permanent fence
Harvested 2,100 lbs of fruits, vegetables and grain
Created 46 cubic yards of compost
Held 36 Saturday Work Days

Education

Formalized and expanded our school education program to include field trips in Spring and Fall. On May 28, 2009 we were visited by 30+ fourth graders who learned about nitrogen fixing, seed germination and worm composting. Students assisted in harvesting and preparing a salad that was shared at lunch.
Held a Seed Saving Workshop
Held summer activities for "Circle of Friends" Day Camp at Linda Mar Education Center

Community

Participated in Earth Day, providing composting demonstrations, garden tours and planting instruction, 50+ visitors
Participated in Turn Off TV Week, providing two evenings of garden tours and children's activities
Launched our Food Donation Program, partnering with Pacifica Resource Center and St. Edmunds' Church to provide fresh, organic produce for families in need. On June 8, 2009, we made our first donation to the Pacifica Resource Center: 37 heads of lettuce, 6 lbs. of kale, 3.5 lbs. of collards and parsley and cilantro.
Began a Teen Community Service program
Pacifica Gardens was a bonus garden on the Pacifica Garden Club public tour, Gardens by the Sea; 150+ people visited the project
Held Volunteer Appreciation Halloween Costume Party at Sam Mazza Foundation castle

Fundraising

Held Fall Vegetable Start Sale
Held second annual Native Plant Sale
Established process for and executed first On-Line Auction

Pacifica Gardens | 2008

Pacifica Gardens broke ground on April 12th, 2008. By the end of the year the garden included 24 vegetable beds, 2 native plant beds, 2 herb beds, 2 flower beds, a greenhouse, six apple trees, and vermiculture and compost bins. Over the course of the year 670 pounds of crops and 15 cubic yards of compost were harvested. 2008 also saw the beginning of garden education programs for school children and adults, the first Fundraising Dinner, and first annual Native Plant Sale. In detail:

Garden

Created and planted 24 vegetable beds
Created and planted 6 native plant, herb and flower beds
Planted 6 apple trees
Built a greenhouse
Built composters and worm bins from reclaimed materials
Built 22 compost piles

Education

Launched and piloted our school education program
Conducted our first school education program field trip for third grade students, including three "class" stations and harvesting of produce to take home
Launched our adult education program with workshops in composting and backyard vegetable gardening

Fundraising

Held first annual "100-mile meal" Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction
Held first annual Native Plant sale

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