Latest Happenings

Welcome to City Farm SLO, where exciting things are always happening! Stay connected with our latest projects, events, and initiatives by signing up for our monthly newsletter. Get a sneak peek into our Annual Reports and catch up on the day-to-day life on the farm through our Instagram feed below. Join our community and watch City Farm SLO grow!

Monthly Newsletters

See all past newsletters here.

Annual Reports

At City Farm SLO, we take pride in our achievements and growth. Discover more about our future plans in our annual reports.

Read here

We had another great volunteer day last Saturday, this time with Must!’s Youth Volunteer Board!

Our volunteers worked alongside our @calpolycollegecorps Fellows to get a lot of great work done.

If getting your hands dirty with farm work sounds fun, we have a community volunteer day this Saturday 9 AM- 12 PM! Register via our website. Look forward to seeing you in the farm!

Highlights from a recent farm-field trip with young scientists hard at work! 🌟 🧪 👩‍🌾

A huge thank you to @mosaicbysanjana for capturing this special day on the farm 🌱

#youngfarmers #scientists #farmbased #nextgeneration #fieldtrip

📣❗️We are HIRING❗️📣

City Farm SLO is seeking a Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) Facilitator for our 2025 program!
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Do you enjoy working outside and have a desire to teach the next generation of scientists, sustainable-farmers, environmentalists, and change-makers? The YEP Facilitator will work with our Farm Education Coordinator to develop and implement our YEP Program.
🥕
Check out our job posting on our website for this part-time, paid position. Applicants must have English and Spanish language skills. Applications are due by December 22nd!

#jobopportunity #youngfarmers #farmbasededucation #yep #outdooreducation

🌟SNEAK PEAK🌟
Our farmers CAN’T WAIT to show you the awesome silent auction items we have lined up for our 10th Anniversary SURPRISE Party this weekend! Get your tickets at the link in our bio… you don’t want to miss this party!

SINCERE THANKS to our silent auction sponsors for supporting our youth programs: @idlershome @thejunkgirls @hempshak @theredoesnotexist @finneyscrafthouse @lencollective @astonewasshown @kelseywine

And thanks to our additional event sponsors: @harvestlymarket @avenuetwelve @myfriendmikes @bread.bike @sichuankitchenslo @oakpitcatering

✨You’re invited to our Volunteer Appreciation Potluck on December 7th from 3-5 PM!✨

At City Farm, we truly appreciate the amazing work you do as volunteers. From our Harvest Volunteers to the Saturday crew who tackle big tasks like maintaining our olive trees, your efforts keep the farm running smoothly. This event is a chance for us to express our thanks and for you to connect with other like-minded volunteers!

Feel free to bring your favorite dish, but it’s not required! We’ll provide drinks, desserts, and some tasty farm snacks. Additionally we have an exciting collaboration with @slo_mgs (SLO Master Gardeners) for this event! Master Gardeners are educated in home garden systems and we will have a volunteer at the event to answer all your home-gardening questions.

YOU'RE INVITED!
Join us in celebrating 10 transformative years of farm-based education at City Farm SLO and help support our programs for the next chapter. Enjoy farm-to-table foods by @sichuankitchenslo, @myfriendmikes , @bread.bike ,and @oakpitcatering, paired with the finest SLO County wines. Groove to the tunes of local favorite, @dancurciomusic, as we unveil an EXCITING SURPRISE!

Get tickets at cityfarmslo.org/anniversary or the link in our bio!

Sincere thanks to our additional event sponsors: @Harvestly and @AvenueTwelve

#slofundraiser #CityFarmSLO #FarmCommunity #FarmLife #FamilyFriendlyEvents #FamilyFun #FarmAnimals #cityfarmslo #SLOEvents #surprisepartyslo #slofarmcommunity #slofarmlife #slooutdoorevents #slofundraiser

City Farm SLO is honored to be a recipient of a 2024-2025 Sprouts Neighborhood Grant! Funds will support 3 of our core youth programs including
🎒 Farm Field Trips
🐛 Therapeutic Horticulture
👩‍🌾 and PBHS Regenerative Farming Internships

Sincere thanks to @sproutsfnd for helping us empower the next generation through farm-based education!

#youthempowerment #healthycommunities #farmbasededucation #regenerativeagriculture

We are stoked about our newest farm tool! This electric, battery powered mower will allow us to maintain the living pathways between our row crops. Sincere thanks to an anonymous donor who provided this awesome tool 🙏

(PS- if you are interested in supporting our work with tool/material donations, please check out the wish list at the link in our bio!)

#regenerativeagriculture #farmbasededucation #supportlocal

Join us at City Farm SLO for Winter arts & practical tools workshops, led by farmer Caroline! 🎨✨ Create unique gifts from materials grown on the farm & locally sourced. 🌾🧹 Upcoming workshops include weaving, broom making, & more! #CityFarmSLO #FarmCrafts #WinterWorkshops #LocalGifts #SustainableSkills

@astonewas@astonewasshown

🌻 **Therapeutic Horticulture Update!** 🌿
It’s been amazing watching students grow—literally and figuratively! 🌱 Some who were shy at first are now getting more involved each week. We’re seeing their confidence blossom as they build skills, connect with the farm, and step out of their comfort zones. So proud of their progress! 💪💚

#CityFarmSLO #TherapeuticHorticulture #ConfidenceInTheGarden #GrowingTogether #FarmLife #HandsOnLearning

🌱 **First Field Trip of the School Year!** 🌿
Our first group of the season had a blast exploring the farm! This brave young farmer made a new friend at the worm farm 🪱. Students learned about pollinators, tasted fresh veggies, and of course, got to pet Tucker the sheep 🐑. What a fun start to the school year! 💚

#CityFarmSLO #FirstFieldTrip #WormFarm #FutureFarmers #HandsOnLearning #FarmToFork

🌿 Green Chef III - Fall 2024 🍂 📅 Saturday, Nov 23 | 🕒 3 - 6 pm
🍽️ Food at 3:30 | 🏆 Awards at 5

10 chefs, 1 secret sustainable ingredient! 🌍 Come taste and judge the most creative, sustainable, & delicious dishes. Let's celebrate fall harvests, wild abundance, and climate-friendly foods. 🌱🍴

🎟️ Guest entry: $30-$50 (sliding scale)
👩‍🍳 10 chef spots open (all levels welcome, kids & pros!)

RSVP to join us: TheEcologistCowboy@gmail.com
#SustainableCooking #PerennialFoods #ClimateFriendlyEats #CityFarmSLO

🌱Thank you City Farm Volunteers!🌱

This weekend we had 23 people on the farm working hard on caring for our olive trees, bed flips, and harvesting! We are so appreciative of our volunteers, and are always amazed how much work gets done!

Come join us for some farm fun at our next Saturday Volunteer day on 10/26!

⭐️Several scenes from Therapeutic Horticulture this week⭐️

Did you know… a wealth of research links Therapeutic Horticulture instruction to improvements in cognitive and memory function, emotional health, social skills, physical health outcomes, and quality of life indicators. 🌱

#therpeutichorticulture #horticulturetherapy #gardenforall

We miss having our Youth Empowerment Program students on the farm with us everyday! 🌟

Check out our Summer 2024 Post- Evaluation Survey Results:

“As a result of programming” :
-91% of graduates reported eating more fruits and vegetables
-100% of graduates reported becoming more physically active
-96% of participants indicated feeling more confident about career/ college opportunities available to them post-graduation
-94% of participants experienced positive changes in their mood, stress levels, and overall mental well-being
-100% of graduates reported that they know how to find help if they or someone they know are struggling with mental health

“My favorite part about YEP is the people that are so supportive and welcoming and I have to say this experience has made me more social and being here has made me feel more open and comfortable. This program was amazing. I loved being outside of the house, I got to take my mind off things.” - A YEP Participant in the Foster Care System

Our team is working to expand our program and provide access to more teens in our community! We can’t wait for YEP Summer 2025! 📚🐓🥕

#youthempowerment #yep2024 #educationimpacts #farmstead #preparation

Yesterday, our Pacific Beach High School interns made major progress in their garden! They prepped a new bed by broadforking, adding compost and amendments, and evening out the soil for planting. Then, they planted a row of lettuce in our market garden and wrapped up by working together to make a fresh pico de gallo with heirloom tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, cilantro, and onion! 🍅

#FarmToTable #RegenerativeAgriculture #youthempowerment

⭐️Your support is changing lives!⭐️

Each week, we welcome 37 students from San Luis Coastal Unified School District’s special education classes to the farm. Through hands-on activities like planting, harvesting, and caring for animals, students are building motor skills, working as a team, and gaining confidence. Some students have been coming to City Farm for more than four years, and our programming will continue to support them from middle school through their young adult years.🐑

Looking ahead, we’re gearing up for our biggest year yet, and your support makes it all possible.

Please consider making a donation to our Therapeutic Horticulture Program!
$25 sponsors 1 student in a week of programming
$75 sponsors 3 students in a week of programming
$1,000 provides a year’s worth of seeds, tools, and materials
$3,600 brings 1 full classroom to the farm for an entire year

#TherapeuticHorticulture #farmbasededucation #regenerativeagriculture

🌱 Today marked the first day of 2024-2025 Therapeutic Horticulture with SLO High’s Special Day Class! Students jumped right in—harvesting lettuce for our sheep, starting seeds to grow back in their classroom, sipping herbal tea, and tasting heirloom tomatoes 🍅. They also helped water the Garden for All! We’re thrilled to see both new and familiar faces on the farm🌻

#CityFarmSLO #TherapeuticHorticulture #GrowingTogether #GardenForAll

Last week, we said goodbye to one of our interns, Katie Kelly!

Katie has been with City Farm as part of her FIELD Fellowship with @farmlinkproject this summer. She has been an amazing asset to the farm, bringing her pest management knowledge, hard work, and passion daily.

Thank you Katie, for everything you did this summer, and good luck in your final year of studies at Cal Poly!

Thank you Cal Poly Strawberry Center 🍓 @calpolystrawberrycenter for providing all three of our YEP cohorts with educational tours of the center, entomology lab activities, and the opportunity to harvest fresh clamshells for their families. Our students enjoyed learning about the latest research going on and upcoming projects. Our YEP participants were exposed to new career paths and got to speak with professionals in unique agricultural fields.

All three YEP cohorts noted in their post-evaluation that exploring the Strawberry Center was one of their most memorable program experiences. Thank you so much for sharing these opportunities with our students! Your support is “berry” appreciated! 🍓

#yep #youthempowerment #strawberrycenter #calpoly #youngfarmers

We can’t wait to kick off our 2024-2025 Farm Field Trips! 🎉 Kindergarten through 5th graders visit the farm to explore plant parts, pollination, soil science, and nutrition in a hands-on, tangible way. From tasting fresh veggies to meeting our animals, students are rotating through interactive stations and learning where food comes from! 🐓

Farm Field Trips plant a seed for the next generation to become scientists, environmentalists, sustainable farmers, and change-makers! 🌍✨

#FarmFieldTrips #RegenerativeFarming #FutureFarmers

We’re thrilled to welcome our new cohort of Pacific Beach High School Farming Interns, who started their journey on the farm with us today! Over the next 10 weeks, they’ll be diving into regenerative agriculture and building essential workplace skills—we can’t wait to see them grow! 🌱

#FarmingInterns #RegenerativeAgriculture #cityfarmslo

Chef Kenny from @sloprovisions is here today for their weekly vegetable pickup! Get City Farm SLO tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers in the delicious creations at SLO Provisions! 🫑 🍅 🧑‍🍳

#supportlocalfarms #regenerativeagriculture #farmtotable

And just like that, we wrapped up YEP Summer 2024 with a total of 35 graduates! Our Youth Empowerment Program participants completed daily workshops to build career and college readiness skills. Students prepared for future interviews, practiced public speaking skills, created SMART goals, learned about financial literacy and budgeting, and exercised communication skills. A participant from YEP Cohort 12 noted in their post-evaluation, “My favorite part about YEP is the people that are so supportive and welcoming and I have to say this experience has made me more social and being here has made me feel more open and comfortable. I loved being outside of the house, I got to take my mind off things.”
🌱
YEP students spent their summer days outdoors, physically working and learning about regenerative agriculture, growing and harvesting their own meals, and learning to fuel their bodies in a healthy and sustainable way. Through activities such as tending to our compost systems and worm bins, caring for our sheep and chickens, harvesting produce for the food bank, collecting field data on beneficial insects, and practicing mindfulness through nature journaling, YEP participants were able to explore our natural ecosystems and become more connected to their food systems.
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A huge thank you to our YEP Facilitators, YEP Interns, and partners including the Cal Poly Strawberry Center & Entomology Labs @calpolystrawberrycenter, Transitions Mental Health Association @tmha_slo, guest speakers, and transportation volunteers. We couldn’t have done this program without you all! We are eagerly preparing for YEP Summer 2025!
👩‍🌾
#farmbased #youthempowerment #farming #teens #lifeskills

Last week, we celebrated Alyssa’s birthday and her last day as our City Farm SLO VIP (aka MVP 💪)!!! 🎉😭

We are so grateful for Alyssa’s incredible work as our AmeriCorps Volunteer Programs Coordinator. She became a skilled regenerative farmer and shared her expertise with our volunteers, College Corps Fellows, and students. We will miss her dearly and are so excited for her on her next adventures. Thank you, Alyssa! 🌱💚

#americorpsvip #AmeriCorps #thankyou
@hahahalyssaa

Hey EWE! Do you have plans this Saturday morning?

Join us for a volunteer day on the farm! It’s the height of our growing season, and our crops need a lot of love! From 9 am - Noon, we will give our olive trees some TLC, harvest zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and more. Bring a bag with you to take some harvest home 🍅

New volunteers can register on our website: cityfarmslo.org/volunteers

Can’t wait to see EWE on the farm!

#volunteerslo #regenerativeagriculture #farmfun #sanluisobispo #805

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Latest Happenings

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