Fairview Gardens

Nourishment Inside & Out

By Erica Rascón on Aug 11, 2016 in Giving, People

Over a hundred years ago, a farmer stuck his shovel in the dirt on a small plot of land in Goleta, California. The site has never been the same.

The site is now The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, a non-profit educational facility and working organic farm. The organization aims to nurture the human spirit through interactive public programs and community services. 

Two years ago, Angela Miller-Bevan stepped away from her career in corporate advertising and marketing to join the Fairview Gardens team. She began as a volunteer, then worked as an assistant to the Development Director before accepting the position.

“I came to promote the mission: to educate everyone—from birth to the end of your life—to know how important it is to eat the right foods and know where your food comes from. And how to eat food we can actually grow right now because we are in a drought. It’s about sustainable community and keeping something alive that has been in our community for so long,” says Miller-Bevan.

For decades, Fairview Gardens has served the community through public programs including the Teen Permaculture Apprenticeship and the new Sprouts program.

Yardi supports the Apprenticeship Program immersion experience that ranges from six to ten months. The program equips young adults with the skill needed to own and manage their own farms and farm programs.

Participants explore permaculture ethics, the slow food and fiber movements, organic agriculture, watersheds, alternative economics, farmworkers’ rights, herbalism, and living soils. Apprentices also learn natural dyeing, making herbal medicines, and harvesting wild edibles.

“Most people don’t know that the average age of farmers is 72. It’s sad,” observes Miller-Bevan. “You can’t go to a computer and have a computer grow your food. It’s impressive to see young adults that want to learn this, get their hands dirty and improve their way of living.”

“We’re so happy for the support of companies like Yardi, that see what we’re doing and they are investing in us. The more that people invest in us, the more people we can have onsite learning and then going out into other communities and sharing that,” says Miller-Bevan.

Sprouts! is an inclusive, natural play space for children up to three-years-old. The organic farm gives young minds the opportunity to develop lasting connections with other children, their food, and the natural world. The program is the brainchild of a former apprentice.

“I love the Sprouts! program with the toddlers and infants. It is awesome to see the parents and kids interact with the things on the farm,” says Miller-Bevan. “When my kids were young, there were very limited programs for toddlers and parents. I wanted to hang out with other moms and let my children socialize with other toddlers. This program is great for that.”

Each camp event features one specific fruit or vegetable. Youngsters begin with group songs and movement activity about the produce of the day. After those icebreakers, participants are guided through the farm for adventures in harvesting juicy fruits and vegetables, and then visiting the chicken coop. The kids use the farm ingredients to prepare a snack before enjoying free time to roam the garden.

The program has expanded from one day a week for six weeks to two days per week. The kids are always excited for camp days—even on beet day.

Miller-Bevan recalls, “One mom said she was so surprised that her toddler liked beets. She said, ‘I never would’ve let her try them! She loves them!’ My son was surprised to see where carrots came from. I thought we had taught him this. But it took him coming to the farm and experiencing it to really understand that he knew about how vegetables grow in the earth. He got the carrot out of the ground and he loved it. Now, he only eats carrots with the green on it. He likes that natural connection.”

Fairview Gardens is helping to change the community one growing mind at a time. In 2015, more than 185 students participated in weeklong summer camp. 1,200 students enjoyed day trips for planting and harvesting carrots. These experiences help students forge a strong connection between nourishment, the earth, and wellbeing.

The public is also invited to Fairview Gardens’ Open House on August 30th at 5:00pm. For additional ways to show your support, visit http://www.fairviewgardens.org/give/.