FARM EDUCATION AND WHAT COMES NEXT
Teaching the next farmers, and building a farm that feeds more people
Water from the air
Water is what limits how much we can grow. With UC Santa Cruz and MIT, we are building Warka water towers that pull moisture from the air to irrigate the fields. We plan to build ten.
Students on the farm
Students from Carpinteria High School, Summerland Elementary, Cate School, San Marcos High School and SBCC learn here. This fall, five UCSB Climate Scholars are planting pollinator hedgerows along the farm's edges.
Room to grow
Deer fencing, a walk-in cooler, underground irrigation with sensors and farm roads, so we can grow more of the food we give and buy less of it.
COMPOSTING PROJECT
Feeding the soil that feeds the county
Our Composting Project is for the whole community. It keeps waste out of the landfill and turns it into compost that feeds the soil.
Our farm sits on heavy clay. Compost is how we open that soil up, help it hold water through the dry months, and feed our crops without synthetic fertilizer. What is left after harvest goes back into the pile and returns as compost for the next planting.
It is also a hands-on lesson for every student who comes to work on the farm.
Harvest → Scraps → Compost → Healthier soil → Next harvest
“Many young people today are living not only in a food desert—where no food is being grown—but also in a food knowledge desert—with no understanding of the environmental and social impacts of our predominant, industrialized food systems. Sweet Wheel Farm does essential work remedying both of these issues, leaving students who visit their farm more informed, more equipped, and more inspired for survival in our rapidly, and perilously, changing world.”
ROBERT GOETTLER, AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, SAN MARCOS HIGH SCHOOL; SBCC HORTICULTURE TEACHER
WAYS TO HELP
Thank you for helping us see every family next week.
Give
Your gift goes to growing, packing and delivering food, and to reaching the 170 families waiting for a spot.
Volunteer
Harvest on the farm, pack bags, or help with deliveries. Volunteers are welcome every day, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Need food?
If you or someone you know needs food, call us. We start with an intake interview and income and health verification. Atendemos en español.