2,224 pounds of produce harvested!

The five bags of tomatoes above were harvested at the Bethlehem Lutheran garden in West Oakland. This last season they harvested more than 200 pounds of produce! Only about 500 square feet, this garden was able to provide a lot of free food on unused church land.

The Free Farm in San Francisco, which is about 1/3 of an acre and sits on the former site of St. Paulus Lutheran Church has harvested 2,124 pounds since February.

In these hard economic times, transforming unused church land into free food is a low cost way that congregations can respond to the real needs of its congregants and the community around it. Let us know if your church gets inspired to grow produce on your unused space or if we can help you start a farm where you live.

We believe that churches really can address hunger issues. The goal of our free farms was to prove that it doesn't have to cost a lot of money to feed people. We hope our project has inspired you!

First Garden Workday with Congregation Emanu El

Today at the Free Farm members and friends of Congregation Emanu El as well as other local temples across the San Francisco Bay Area joined us for their first garden workday. This marks the first Sunday that members of Congregation Emanu El and other temples will join us for the first Sunday of each month to work with us at the garden.

Today we divided up into small groups so that we could tackle several different projects we've been wanting to get to. Several people teamed up to put fresh mulch down along the path of our herb labyrinth so that it will be soft for those who walk upon it, especially those with tender knees. Others weeded around the strawberries and sunflowers and on the concrete area where we are getting ready to build a bathroom and other structures. We covered up a rocky area with soft mulch, extending our tree stump sitting area so that we can have a larger circle during work day lunch time and other activities. The area set aside for growing pumpkins was cleared from dried plants and covered with compost; soon it will be ready to be planted! Tomatoes were transplanted and placed in the green house. And, of course a little watering to keep the plants happy under the warm sun today brought. We are looking forward to working with the lovely folks of Emanu El again next month!

If you are interested in joining us for our next Sunday workday please come by on July 4 from 10am-12pm. We look forward to meeting you!